Smart Traveller

Today, we’re continuing our series of posts about attractions that you can visit in Spain by taking a look at Parque Warner Madrid, a theme park which is situated in San Martín de la Vega, about 25km from Madrid.

Parque Warner opened in 2002 and was originally known as Warner Bros Movie World Madrid. It is divided into five themed areas: Hollywood Boulevard; Old West Territory; DC Superheroes World; Cartoon Village; and Warner Bros Movie World Studios.

Hollywood Boulevard is the entrance point of the park and you’ll find the Teatro Chino (Chinese Theatre) here, as well as a number of restaurants and shops.

Old West Territory’s rides include the Coaster Express (a 1,275m long wooden roller coaster) and the Río Bravo log flume ride. You can also watch a Wild West themed show, and there are several food outlets and gift shop.

DC Superheroes World is home to rides such as the thrilling Superman and Batman La Fuga coasters and the Mr.Freeze tower ride, whilst Cartoon Village will keep younger members of the family entertained with its children’s rides and appearances by Looney Tunes cartoon characters.

If you’re an adrenaline junkie, make sure that you ride the Stunt Fall coaster in the Warner Bros Movie World Studios area of the park. You can also watch a driving stunt show, take the “Cine Tour” and stop off for something to eat in one of the restaurants here.

Parque Warner is the perfect place to visit on a day-trip if you are staying in Madrid particularly if you are on a car hire holiday. It will only take you about 30 minutes to drive from Madrid to Parque Warner Madrid and you can park your rental car in Parque Warner Madrid’s car park for a small charge. There is so much to do at Parque Warner Madrid that you should allow a whole day to explore it.

Photo: Miguel303xm

Travel magazine Wanderlust has launched a competition in which you could win a 10 day holiday for two to Jordan.

The prize consists of two economy return flights to Amman from London’s Heathrow Airport with Royal Jordanian and two places on a private Rugged Landscapes of Jordan tour with Tailormade Explore. The tour will take you to some of the most beautiful places in Jordan, including the Ajloun Nature Reserve and the Wadi Dana, and you’ll also be able to explore the UNESCO World Heritage site of Petra.

You can enter the competition via the Wanderlust website. You will need to have, or register for, a Wanderlust account. Login to your account, answer the question and complete the online form. Entries must be received by 23:59 on 15 July 2009.

The winner must take the flights before the end of 2009 and the following dates are not available: 15 Jun-30 Aug 09 (London-Amman); 10 Jul-10 Sep 09 (Amman-London);  15 Sep-31 Oct 09. The prize excludes the costs of vaccinations, insurance, spending money, visas and transport to and from London Heathrow Airport, and the winner will also need to pay for some meals.

Global Warming Threatens Holiday Hotspots

Imagine holidaying on an underwater beach, or diving where the corals have lost their vibrant colours. A safari without wildlife would be dismal, and skiing without snow just plain impossible. In March 2009, 2,500 scientists met in Copenhagen to discuss climate change, concluding that the situation is far worse than previously reported.

Top 10 “doomed”  holiday destinations

Here are ten holiday hotspots across the globe that are already suffering the effects of climate change and global warming.

1.  The Arctic Region: Travellers venture to the Arctic to experience a vast icy wilderness and spot hardy wildlife, but the region’s natural attractions could be threatened in the future with ice melting and vanishing species. The waters of Canada’s Hudson Bay, for example, are now ice-free for three weeks longer than they were thirty years ago, affecting the hunting ground of polar bears, which prefer to hunt on sea ice.

2.    Bangkok, Thailand: Bangkok, a major tourism hub for southeast Asia, only rests about 3-5 feet above sea level and its outskirts are already suffering shoreline erosion. With the Gulf rising by about a tenth of an inch a year and poorly constructed buildings sinking, some experts predict the Thai capital could be underwater in the next 15 to 20 years if global warming continues unchecked.

3.    The Alps, Europe: Glaciers are retreating in warm, dry winters and hotter summers caused by global warming, and although snowfall in the 2008-2009 ski season was substantial, overall recent years have seen less snow at low altitudes, and receding glaciers and melting permafrost higher up - with a significant impact on winter tourism activities.

4.    Nepal: Nepal is already watching its vast glaciers melt and glacial lakes expand, and is seeing disturbed weather patterns. Overall the country now gets less rain, more droughts, and warmer temperatures – and some ‘freak’ weather, such as unseasonal Springtime snowstorms that have baffled trekking tourists.

5.    The Maldives: The lowest and flattest country in the world is suffering coastal erosion, and could find itself submerged if sea levels carry on rising. This extreme prediction is a devastating prospect for residents, and bad news for the tourists who descend on its soft white beaches and warm waters each year.

6.    Australia’s Great Barrier Reef: Coral reefs in some of the world’s top diving spots are losing their vibrant appeal as a result of ‘coral reef bleaching’. Stress caused by higher sea temperatures triggers corals to expel the algae that live in their outer tissues - leaving behind just ghostly limestone skeletons. A report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says that the Great Barrier Reef could become “functionally extinct” by 2030.

7.    The Amazon Rainforest, Brazil: Massive parts of the Amazon rainforest are already disappearing thanks to logging, but on top of this the region has seen rises in temperature and less rainfall which could cause even more shrinking of the rainforest, and threaten the survival of entire species.

8.    Lake Balaton, Hungary: One of Hungary’s biggest tourists attractions, people flock to Lake Balaton for scenery and watersports. But with an average depth of just 2-3 metres, the lake is vulnerable to hotter, drier summers predicted for the future. With falling water levels, pollution will become more concentrated, algae will spread, and a dip in the lake will be far less appealing.

9.    Malta: This Mediterranean island enjoys a mild climate which attracts many sun-seekers, but it already struggles to source enough drinking water to go around. With more than half produced by desalination plants, shortages will become a bigger problem as temperatures and sea levels continue to rise, with salt water intrusion affecting drinking water and food production.

10.  Kerala, India: Kerala in southern India draws tourists to its yoga retreats, sandy beaches, Ayurvedic massage centres and beautiful Backwater regions. But Kerala is flat, low-lying and very susceptible to even small rises in sea levels. Beach erosion can already be seen in resorts like Kovalam, and scientists predict that by 2030 many beach establishments could be inundated.

Climate change is set to remain the hot topic of 2009 and is already picking up concerned coverage around the blogosphere

Related posts

Nothing Interesting - climate change debate

The Shelf -  saving the planet