Activities

*LOCATED IN DUNDEE NOT IN EDIMBURGH* This is not your typical uni gym: the staff will push you to train harder (they are also extremely friendly and sportive), you can borrow chalk and smelling salts: the equipment it is more than complete for a powerlifter: chains, safety squat bar (SSB), trap deadlift bar, etc.: all the kind of thing you wouldn't normally find in a gym chain.<br /> They also have a sand bag and other gym equipment and you can borrow accessories like boxing gloves for free. Abertay Gym is also extremely affordable: only 50 pounds per year if you study at Abertay University (and a little bit more if you don't). The only con I see is that they have no normal lat pull down machine (they have the assited one) and no leg press with plates (instead they have the one with a stack).

What can say about this fantastic gym except that it is just fantastic? FitX is by far my favourite Gym Chain in Europe: and I love everything about it: They have more than 55 location across Germany and you can go to any location you like with your membership (unlike other chains where you need to pay an extra fee to your membership to access other locations than your usual one) each location is at least 2,500sqm and has its own free private parking with at least 100 parking spaces and all have a good position with high visibility. Also drinks are free (still/gas water with any flavour you like (0kcal) and all gyms are equipped with premium equipment from Hammer Strenght and some from Technogym. This gym chain won't stop surprising you: and all of this for only 20 euros per month. The only rule they are strict with is that you must use the FitX bottle to fill your drink (they give you one when you sign up, and in case you forgot it they have vending machines where you can buy an extra one for 3€).

Olymp is a great example of a gym with a character that makes it stand out from the rest: retro 80's euro styling mixed with American pro-sport culture with a 60's dinner decor bar where you can drink quality shakes. Germans are known for their engineering and efficiency, and you get that full-force with their solid and hardcore Gym80 and Schnell equipment: things here are made to last! Champion after champion in the German bodybuilding culture have called this gym Home. They have custom made piece of equipment made exclusively for them by Gym80 and Schnell, like the pec/fly bench, that you won't find anywhere else in the world (it's plate loaded for the up and down resistance, and it has a stack for squeezing the pecs together). They have a fantastic forearm roller that has been produced by a very small company: you don't find this machine in any gym nowadays. And so many other equipments you've never seen before and you'll never see anywhere else! The way mirrors are displayed is especially for posing.<br /> If you're a fitness/bodybuilder enthusiast you must train in this gym at least once in your life!<br /> You can visit it virtually <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@51.228862,6.7911346,3a,90y,213.71h,67.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEMIWDfICrqAAAAQ7LqK4kQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656">here</a>.

Puregym is a chain with over 150 locations across the UK. It has a very high price/quality ratio since memberships start from 17 pounds per month, and the gym is open 24/7 and has great equipment. Three squat racks + deadlift platform (including 1 additional squat rack), hack squat machine, etc.<br /> The staff is usually very nice and let you train as you wish. The only con I found is that a few trainers (less than 20%) will not allow you to train with your shoes off.

<strong>Wadi Rum</strong> or '<strong>the Valley of the Moon</strong>' is a majestic desert in Jordan, and one of the most spectacular and beautiful places you could ever see in your life. The scenes the Valley are similar to that on Mars, and many films have been recorded there, such as The Martian, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and The Last Days on Mars. The site is a protected area and UNESCO World Heritage Site. <strong>Location</strong> Wadi Rum is situated in southern Jordan, around 319 km (3.45 hour) away from the capital Amman, 72 km (1 hour) from Jordan main port Aqaba on the red sea, 105 km (1.35 hour) from the Rose City <a href="https://www.friendschoices.com/review,Petra,5,0,8561.html">Petra</a>, and 302 km (4 hours) from the lowest point on earth The Dead Sea. <strong>How to Get There</strong> There is no direct transportation available or public transport to Wadi Rum, for this reason, it is recommended to use one of these options: - Rent a car: you can rent your car from one of the car agencies that widely available in Amman or Aqaba, and use your Google Maps or the car's navigation system to reach Wadi Rum Visitors Centre. Once you arrive at the visitor centre, you will find a lot of potential guides offering camel, 4x4 treks and camps. - Local travel agencies: there is a long list of local agencies where you can book your trip to Petra. They offer varied services, including transportation, safari 4WD Jeep tour, and overnight camping in the desert. <strong></strong> <strong>Things to do</strong> 4x4 or camel tour, hiking only when the weather is good, Climbing, the Distant Heat Festival (on last Thursday of July), and Hot Air Ballooning. <strong>Accommodation</strong> There are several camps can be booked online where you can sleep overnight, and usually, they offer full board service. If you want to something unique, the Sun City Camp offers Martian life experience at their dome camp.

If you are planning your trip to the middle east, don't miss the chance to visit the lowest point on the face of the earth, swim in the salty water that keeps you floating on the surface, rub the natural black mud all over your body and relax on the beach of the holy land. Accommodation There are plenty of four and five-star resorts in the salty banks of the Dead Sea on the Jordan side. The Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea offers the best service, and value among all other resorts in the dead sea.

The most ancient and archaeological city in Jordan and middle east. craved in stones by Nabataean-Arab who establish their capital as early as 312BC. The Rose city, as it is called due to the colour of the stones that craved from, is one of The New 7 Wonders of the World, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, and was chosen by the Smithsonian Magazine as one of the ?28 Places to See Before You Die?. Location The city is situated 235 km (3 hours) away from Amman (the capital of Jordan), 200 km from the Dead Sea (lowest point on earth), 126 km from Gulf of Aqaba (Jordan main port on the Red Sea), 113 km from Wadi Rum. How to get there from Amman: - Renting a Car: You can rent a car from car-rental agencies that widely available at the airport or anywhere in the city. The prices are varied from ?35 to ?150/day depends on the car size and type. You can use the car navigation, or your Google Maps; as the mobile network is strong and 4G covers most of areas in the country. - Privet Transportation: You can book your trip to Petra by one of tourist offices/agencies in Amman (like Mawakeb (http://mawakebholidays.com/) who are well known by their reputation, excellent service and best prices). You can include your package transportation only and you have the option to accommodation, tour guide, or trips to another cities or attractions. - Public Transportation: there are public buses available to take you from Amman to Petra, but it?s not recommended to take them; due to the bad quality of the buses. When to Plan Your Trip Best times to visit the Petra and the Southern of Jordan, in general, is during March, April, May, September, and October; as the weather is either too cold or too hot during the rest months of the year. Ticket Cost: - Day-time tickets: Once you get there, you can buy the tickets from the entrance, normally it costs around 55 JOD (Jordanian Dinar), which is around ?68, for 2-days ticket. The city is really massive and you need at least 2 days to visit the top sights. - Night-time tickets: You should also take a ticket for the Petra by Night event. It is 17 JOD (?21) and worth it. You walk to the Treasury with candles around. Enjoy the darkness especially in Al-Siq. The event takes around 45 mins. Privet Tour Guide If you are interested to know the history of Petra and its sights, you can find a private tour guide who can speaks several languages. The guides will walk you around the city and its hidden places where you can have stunning views. Accommodation There are many international 5-star hotels in Petra. Movenpick Resort Petra, Petra Marriott Hotel, and Movenpick Nabatean Castle Hotel are the best highest ranking there. If you find these hotels fully booked, you can head to Mawakeb agency or to their website and usually they have some extra rooms.

At the border with Germany tourists have the chance to see an amazing show of the nature created by the Rhine River. The river forms here a gorgeous waterfall, one of the largest in Europe. A large volume of water drips down the waterfall forming an impressive visual and auditory picture for any tourist. Boat trips are available up to the rock in the middle of the river, which can also be escalated by those who want. By figures, the Rhine Falls are the first in Europe: the 150 m width, the 23 m height and the 13 m depth of the basin, with an average summer flow of 600,000 litters / second. So it is the widest waterfall (made up of several successive falls which led to the use of the plural in its name) on the old continent, but not the strongest - this one The Rhine Falls area is a large park with delightful panoramas and a sound background of water tumble. Two old castles, stunning cliffs, a railway bridge, steep steps down the waterfalls and long alleys offer you a day full of Swiss charm, sprinkled in abundance with the wild waters when the boat ventures at the base of the Rhine fall. No matter where you enter the waterfalls, the roads go into wide parking lots and from here to one of the two castles on the shore: Laufen in the south and Wörth in the north.ifoss (Iceland) and it has 100 m wide, with a 45 m drop of water. Before fully entering Germany, the river from the Swiss Alps, passing through Lake Constance and over the cliffs of Schaffhausen, where the waterfalls are formed, extends westward as a natural boundary between the two countries, up to Basel, where it turns north.

It is one of the largest medieval fortresses in Europe and it lies on top of Benacantil Mountain. Originally built by the Moors in the 10th century, the castle was named after it was conquered by King Alphonse the Wise, which took place on December 4, 1248: the day of Sacred Barbara. Over the following centuries it was developed and expanded leaving it with three main areas all dating back to different epochs. Santa Barbara Castle has everything you could expect, cannons, a palace, dungeons, a ditch, the ruins of a small church and, of course, the famous watchtower. From its walls, from every corner, a fantastic view lies at its feet, a good opportunity to take some great pictures. And when you are tired of walking on the steep paths, on the wet rocks full of moss or through the places from where incense oil was thrown over those who wanted to siege the city, there are two areas with cafes where you can take a break in the shade of pines. The castle is open to visitors and has two entrance points. If you feel energetic you can walk along the road that winds around the back of the mountain, or if time is short, you can climb by car. An easier way for a small fee (free of charge if you are disabled or elderly citizen of the European Community) is through a lift that climbs through a tunnel dug in the rock. You can find the entrance opposite the Postiguet beach area. Santa Barbara Castle is an excellent place to visit at any time of the year. In the middle of the summer it is a perfect place to catch the sea breeze, while in the colder months walking up to the castle through parks and pine forests allows you some time to reflect on the difficulties of capturing it.

The Basilica of Saint Mary Major is one of the four most important Basilicas of the Catholic Church, all of them located in Rome. These are called major basilicas and the believers must worship them for the first time. They are all property of the Vatican State and enjoy the status of extraterritoriality. Of all basilicas, the Basilica of Saint Mary Major is the oldest and largest sanctuary dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary. The recent excavations carried out under the current basilica have revealed important archaeological testimonies, such as a superb calendar from the 2-3 e.N centuries and some remains of Roman walls partially visible during the visit of the local museum. Still nothing of the archaic basilica. The facade preserves the impressive mosaics of Filippo Rusiti from the 14th century, slightly hidden from the facade added in the 18th century, along with the three-arched loggia preceded by a portico. The seductive loggia serves as a place for the blessing of the popes on the believers gathered in front of the basilica at certain holidays. It is the work of Ferdinando Fuga, just like the great canopy supported by four columns of red porphyry and placed above the altar. The porphyry columns were decorated around 1800 with golden leaves by Giuseppe Valadier. The surroundings were decorated at the end of the 16th century and beginning of the 17th century. An obelisk from Augustus' mausoleum was raised in the marketplace on Esquilin, behind the basilica, in the outer part of the apse in 1587. In front of the building, in Santa Maria Maggiore Square was raised a column taken from the ancient basilica of Maxentius. On this column was placed the sculptural work Virgin Mary and the Child, done by Berthelot in 1611. The basilica also hosts the tomb of Bernini under a surprisingly simple plate. A more recent work added to the thesaurus from the basilica is the Regina Pacis statue made by Guido Galli at the request of Pope Benedict XV as a sign of gratitude for the end of the First World War.

The Bridge of God or the Natural Bridge, as it is also called, is located in the center of Ponoare. It is a huge arcade of stone which crosses the Baia de Aram&#259; - Drobeta Turnu Severin road and the Prag Valley. It was formed by the collapse of the upper wall of the cave and it imposes in the landscape by its massiveness: 30 meters long, 13 meters high, 22 meters wide and 9 meters opening. The bridge can be admired in all its grandeur from the cave, from where it is revealed its opening towards the Prag Valley and its layered structure consisting of overlapping limestone blocks, subject to erosion and time. Looking from the opposite side, from the Turk Valley, the Bridge looks like a giant arch, under which you can admire the Cave Hill and the clear skies. Shades of green - vernal green, leek green, emerald green, olive green, khaki green - limestone shapes, traditions sewn with red wool and legends. Legends passed down from generation to generation, stories that make the place even more charming. At Ponoare you can find the only bridge in the world over which you can circulate although people did not do anything more than to pave it. At a stone's throw you'll see the Zaton Lake (or the Devil's Lake). Why the Devil’s? Because it is said that it has never been inhabited by any fish, but people died drowned here. Why the "Bridge of God"? Because although some accidents have occurred, everyone survived. The legend says that God defeated the Devil here, cast him out of the cave where he was staying, but he hung on the rock that now has his name. The signs are still visible and people have called them Clint’s.

The Palace of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland is the largest diplomatic center in the world, the United Nations European headquarters. Surrounded by old trees and modern monuments, the building ranks second largest in Europe after Versailles and it is one of the most important attractions of Geneva. Somewhere in a huge park, located on a gentle hill, there is the Palace of Nations - Palais des Nations, the first European headquarters of the United Nations where more than 200 international organisations operate. The United Nations Palace from Geneva is a "classic" building with a sober, harmonious and well-balanced architecture. Along with the old palace, the new building gives the city an additional architectural nobility. Due to the fact that Geneva hosts the second headquarters of the UN (the first and most important is the one in New York) and that here operates a large number of international organisations the town has gained a worldwide notoriety that you can hardly see in other similar cities. In addition, this circumstance has attracted here a significant tourist flow, but this is also the contribution of the "intrinsic" values of Geneva since the architectural, artistical, cultural and historical legacy accumulated here over the centuries is very rich and diverse. The Palace of Nations in Geneva is as a "state in a state". It has its own postal service with its own stamp just as Monaco. It is the place where 3500 civil servants from all around the world work and it is the most important congress center where over 5,000 meetings are held every year. The international symbol of Geneva, Palais des Nations was built between 1929 and 1936 and it is the European headquarters of the United Nations. This center of the world’s diplomacy has over 25,000 delegates each year. In its rooms you will find a large number of works of art.

Beyond the sun, beaches and palm trees there are culture and tradition. Its own flavour is given by the past that has made its mark over places and people and Cyprus is no exception to the rule anymore. Located north of Paphos, the Tombs of the Kings were built to meet the needs of the new settlement, Nea Paphos. The Tombs of the Kings, located near the town of Paphos, are actually a huge necropolis dating from the IV century BC. The tombs were carved into the rock and decorated with Doric columns. Despite the name, there is no evidence that any member of the royal family is buried in this place. However, the necropolis was the burial place for the old Ptolemaic aristocrats. These tombs are unique in Cyprus, influenced by the Egyptian tradition when it was believed that the graves should resemble a house. The Tombs of the Kings is an area with underground tombs carved into the rock dating from the 4th century BC many of them decorated with Doric columns. Whether the kings were buried here or not, the charm of the tombs gave this name to the area. The Tombs of the Kings in Paphos are an acropolis that is part of the UNESCO World Heritage, being a historical vestige of great importance. The monument is located about two kilometres from Paphos and got this name from its size and grandeur, despite the fact that there is no king buried here.

St. Basil's Cathedral was built between 1555-1561 to mark the victorious campaign of Ivan the Terrible against the Tatars from the Khanate of Kazan and consists of nine chapels built on a single foundation. Initially, the Czar and the architect had in mind the building of a group of chapels dedicated to every saint from the day in which the Tsar won a victorious assault, but the construction later in 1588 of a central tower of 60 meters above the tomb of St. Basil unified these spaces. The image of red brick turrets ended with onion-shaped domes in various places and coloured in spiral creates a delightful picture that gave birth to the legend, although unconfirmed historically that the Tsar had ordered that the architects should be blinded in order to stop them create a similar work. Besides the aesthetic appeal, the plan of the church has a deep religious symbolism. Four chapels are arranged in cardinal points, the other four in the northeast, southeast, northwest and southeast, and the ninth is located right in the center. This forms an eight-cornered star, number eight remembering the Resurrection day - the eighth day after the Jewish calendar - and the symbol from Virgin Mary’s shoulders and forehead as well. The extravagant exterior disguises the modest and less spectacular interior. The vague lights that penetrate the windows break through the labyrinth of the corridors that connect the chapels. You can find in here nine iconostasis, containing over 400 icons and numerous frescoes belonging to the painting schools from Moscow and Novgorod, all dating from the sixteenth and nineteenth century.

Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal, located on Kathmandu Valley at an altitude of 1300 meters and surrounded by the icy peaks of the Himalayas. The metropolitan area totals about 1.5 million inhabitants. The capital of pilgrims and hippies is a city full of mystery in which countless beliefs influence each other. It is called the "city of 1000 temples": Hindu temples, with three level roofs alternate with Buddhist pagodas and pavilions decorated with images of gods and demons masks. The contrast between modern and traditional in Kathmandu is pushed to the limit, with the medieval atmosphere from the Old Town, very different from the modern area. Nepal's capital has a university, museums and factories. A specific image seen everywhere: temples, palaces, pagodas, shops with traditional items, narrow streets - the promenade place for sacred cows. The Durbar Square is a place of reference in the Old Town where you feel like time stood still. You can find here the royal palace built in the sixteenth century and dedicated to the monkey king Hanuman. Believers address prayers and bring him offerings, believing that the god protects them against diseases. Here is worshiped the elephant-headed god Ganesha as well who brings wisdom and wealth. The Nepal kings were crowned in the courtyard, in which you enter through a golden gate. Nearby there is another courtyard where offerings such as cows or chickens are brought to mother goddess Durga in order to appease her. 7 of the 10 monuments of the country included in the UNESCO World Heritage can be found in Kathmandu. Hopefully we have given you enough reasons to visit this open air museum. You will discover the rest on the spot...