Discover Berlin in the fun way, riding a Segway!

Berlin is a wonderful city, known for its historical background and its exotic nightlife. We’ve talked about the most amazing sights of the city here and now we’re showing you a different way to enjoy this beautiful place.

How do you feel about touring the Capital of Germany on a Segway?

How do you feel about riding a Segway?

The people at Segway Tours promise an exciting experience at the best price. They offer a great orientation, all the educational info, heaps of unique and fascinating stories, the opportunity to meet other travelers, fantastic photo ops and superb personal service from your guide.

Moreover, if you are not satisfied with the ride, you don’t have to pay and also, if it rains when you’re having a great time, you’ll be offered a free rain poncho.

The best part of this experience is that you won’t be overwhelmed with mind-bending dates and boring stories.

The main goal is for you to be happy and have a lovely time riding Segways through the city.

Therefore, if you fancy an out of the ordinary vacation and you are a free spirit, you should definitely try this experience.

Visit yabbedoo.com to get the best deal for Segway Tours – through our site you can book online at the most advantageous price.

And, while you’re here, browse to our other offers from London, Singapore and Geneva and pick the ones that suit you the best. Have fun!

Related: Ich bin ein Berliner

Dresden city guide for business travellers

What it’s like: There are few German cities more pleasant to visit on business than Dresden on a warm summer’s day. The city, formerly in East Germany, even has a beach—a man-made strip of sand on one bank of the River Elbe.

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All around the Altdstadt and across the Augustusbrucke—the bridge over the Elbe leading to Albert-Platz and the Neustadt (New Town)—people sit outside bars and restaurants enjoying the sunshine.

It is impossible not to be impressed with the architecture of grand old buildings such as the Royal Palace (Residenzschloss), built in 1530 for Duke George the Bearded, and the Katholische Hofkirche, or cathedral, which dominate the Dresden skyline; the Theaterplatz, designed in 1912 in the New Baroque style, and of course the Semper Opera House, reflecting Dresden’s fame as a musical center frequented by famous composers throughout the years.

Getting around: Walking is the best way to get around the tiny streets of the old town. Elsewhere, take taxis, which are reasonably priced and fairly plentiful.

Best hotel: Choose the Kempinski Taschenbergpalais, right in the center of the old town, www.kempinski.com/dresden (+49 351 49120), completed in 1708 by the then-ruler, August the Strong, as a palace for his mistress, Countess Anna Constanze von Cosel.

After years of neglect it reopened in 1995 following a massive rebuilding program as the Kempinski hotel, with 184 rooms and 31 suites, perfect for business and one of the grandest places to stay in the center of Dresden.

Best bar for after-work drinks: Head for Kunsthof at 70 Alaunstrasse (www.kunsthof-dresden.de), a once run-down area but now a chic nightlife destination with about 20 different bars, art galleries and restaurants in one historic site.

Best restaurant for business: If you fancy a touch of grandeur, a restaurant worth booking is the Alte Meister at Theaterplatz (www.altemeister.net), directly opposite the entrance to the Opera House. You eat in a very stately room with more than a touch of the former grandeur of Saxony in the Renaissance.

If, on the other hand, you want something much more casual, book a table in the Sophienkeller, below the Taschenbergpalais (www.sophienkeller-dresden.de), a cross between a beer hall and a restaurant where you sit at long communal tables while waitresses in traditional costume serve foaming pots of beer. The menu runs to hearty German dishes such as Saxon potato soup with slices of bockwurst sausage and pieces of roast duck served straight from the pan.

Business etiquette: Similar to that in other major German cities, though perhaps not as formal as in some. Business suits are usual at meetings and in some of the smarter restaurants, though the jackets and ties will be shed if you and your contacts head for the beer cellars for an after-work drink. Business hours generally are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

What else you need to know: Try to make time to visit the outstanding Semperoper (Semper Opera House), one of the most exquisite opera houses in the world (www.semperoper.de) and the Kulturpalast (www.kulturpalast-dresden.de), where the Dresden Philharmonic orchestra performs. Enlist the aid of your hotel concierge for tickets.

Where do meetings take place?Usually in offices or hotels, though evening meetings in bars are also quite common.

What to do on your time off:

In a whole afternoon: Take a boat up the river Elbe to August the Strong’s summer palace at Pillnitz, past some wonderful scenery, including some of the most northerly vineyards to be found in Europe.

In three hours: Visit the futuristic building known as the Transparent Factory, a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant built by Volkswagen for its Phaeton cars, part factory, part tourist attraction. Here you can watch through glass walls as the cars glide silently along the production line. It is said to be so clean that the white gloves and overalls the mechanics wear are as pristine at the end of their shifts as they are at the beginning.

In one hour: Visit what is probably the finest symbol of Dresden’s reconstruction, the Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche), which escaped being hit by the wartime bombs but collapsed when the sandstone from which it is constructed cracked as it cooled down from the heat generated by the firebombing.

Or for a touch of nostalgia take a tour in one of the old and very basic East German Trabant cars you still see around the city. There are usually some for rent near the Taschenbergpalais hotel.

Best gift to take home: For something different, Check out the shop in the Frauenkirche for unusual Christmas ornaments. Otherwise look out for local handmade glassware.

Somewhere for the weekend: Move to the Postmodern-style Art’otel at Ostra-Allee 33 in the city center (www.artotels.com), one floor of which is a gallery filled with paintings and sculpture by German artists.

Article found on The Wall Street Journal.

Top 5 rivers for a cruise holiday

Go on a river cruise and you’ll be able to take in a whole range of sights from majestic wildlife to fascinating cultural attractions from the comfort of a luxury boat. To find out more about five of the best river cruises in the world, read on.

Original article found on Travel wonders.

Nile

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As the longest river in the world, cruising up the Nile can offer you a fascinating insight into ancient Africa. While the waterway crosses through a number of countries, it is perhaps most closely associated with Egypt and as you travel from Aswan up to Luxor you’ll be able to learn more about the ancient civilisation.

One place that you should definitely stop by on your cruise is Thebes. Here you’ll get the chance to explore the Karnak temple complex , which is more than 2,000 years old. A wide range of monuments and tombs can be seen here; however, it is perhaps the precinct built in dedication to chief Egyptian god Amun-Re that will be most captivating.

Continue your journey up the Nile and you’ll come across the Luxor Temple. Built to host the Festival of Opet, an ancient event which saw a statue of Amun-Re paraded down the Nile, here you’ll also find an array of historic statues and attractions, including an effigy of Ramesses II and the Abu el-Haggag mosque.

Travel a little further north and you’ll come to the Valley of the Kings, which contains more than 60 royal tombs, including that of Tutankhamen. From the comfort of your boat, you’ll be able to see a wide range of wildlife, including small fishes and Nile crocodiles which grow up to 16 feet long.

Danube

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You may also want to go on a cruise of the Danube. As one of the longest rivers in Europe, this is a great way to see several of the continent’s most charming countries.

Starting in Germany, you’ll have the chance to explore the beautiful riverside town of Passau before continuing your journey to Salzburg, Austria. Visit the city’s old town district and you’ll be able to take in some beautiful Baroque architecture and learn more about composer Wolfgang Mozart who was born in the city.

Continue your cruise and you’ll pass through Vienna and Bratislava before arriving at your final destination of Budapest, the Hungarian capital . The city is set across both sides of the waterway and you’ll find a range of captivating attractions in each.

These include the neo-gothic parliament building and the world’s largest thermal water cave system, while the dozens of geothermal springs located here mean you’ll find a range of spas where you can go for a soak.

The fact that the Danube crosses through so many countries means that you’ll be able to see a wide range of wildlife, with white pelicans, beavers and tawny owls among the creatures you may have the chance to see.

More than 100 species of fish can be founded in the waterway, so look over the side of your boat for a chance to spot the Danube salmon, the Balkan loach and the Black Sea salmon.

Amazon

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As one of the world’s largest waterways, there’s a range of countries you can take in on a tour of the river, including Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru. Your cruise is likely to pass through Brazil, where upon your cruise ship mooring up you’ll be able to interact with local tribes and learn more about how they survive in the rainforest.

Among the many creatures you might get to see during your Amazon cruise are monkeys, tropical frogs and freshwater dolphins, some of which are an unusual pink colour, and you can also go on nature hikes and fishing excursions during your trip.

Mississippi

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Opt for a river cruise along the Mississippi and not only will you get the chance to travel on a traditional steamboat but you will also be able to explore some of the USA’s most exciting cities.

Among the many interesting destinations that you’ll be able to take in during your trip are St Louis, Memphis and Nashville, a city that is synonymous with country music.

However, it may be New Orleans that really catches your interest. A melting pot of different cultures, here you’ll be able to sample Cajun and Creole cuisine before exploring the French Quarter and watching jazz bands.

Yangtze

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Booking a river cruise along the Yangtze gives you the opportunity to see some of China’s breathtaking natural scenery, not least of all several spectacular gorges.

Perhaps one of the most popular stop-off points on a voyage of the waterway is the Chongqing Zoo. The largest zoo in south-west China, here you’ll be able to see hundreds of different kinds of animals including pandas, giraffes and tigers.

Other sights to be seen include the Fengdu Ghost City and parts of the Great Wall of China, while you may also be able to explore the bustling cities of Shanghai or Beijing.

With so many fantastic places to explore, a river cruise can be a fantastic way of seeing the world!

Hüttenpalast

Hüttenpalast. Some completely unique room decorations. You’ll get the feeling you’re actually camping outside, although, at the end of the day you’d still be sleeping in a room that’s inside another room. The wooden cottages or campers are available for 30 Euros per person, while regular hotel rooms will go for 40 Euro per person per night.

The two founders of the hotel, Silke Lorenzen and Sarah Vollmer, live in Neukölln since more than 7 years. They grew to really fall in love with this beautiful area of Berlin and they very much like to be hosts. At some time their living room got too small for all the guests, so they decided to look for a bigger place in Neukölln to host their guests. One day they found an old vacuum-cleaner factory in Hobrechtstraße, fell in love with the building and decided to build up a small hotel. They wanted to keep the great architecture and not destroy it by building seperate rooms into the manufacture. Also they wanted to create a room, where people actually meet each other. So they started to think about a “room – in – room – concept” and decided to build little wooden huts into the hall. At some point they felt that they want more flexibility with the hall, since it is supposed to be a place of constant change. So they thought about putting wheels under the cabins. It was just then, they realized that there is already cabins with wheels existing: Caravans! This is why inside the manufacture hall there are three caravans and three wooden huts.