Here are 5 deliciously indulgant hot chocolate recipes for you to try!

Candy Cane Hot Chocolate Recipe

A hot chocolate to make Santa proud. To make this candy cane hot chocolate, coarsly chop some semi-sweet chocolate of your choosing. Mix the chocolate into a mug of warm milk, adding pieces of crushed candy cane and a few frops of peppermint extract.

Recipe by Kristen from Pastry Affair

Hot White Chocolate With Marshmallows

For lovers of white chocolate! Coarsly chop your favourite white chocolate bar and mix into a warm mug of milk. Add a few drops of peppermint extract for that added Christmassy taste. Garnish with mini marshmallows and shavings of chocolate. Recipe and more hot chocolate recipes on Averie Cooks.

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Recipe

The ultimate Christmas hot chocolate, created by Elsie and Emma from A Beautiful Mess. To make, just chop up some dark chocolate and a chocolate caramel bar of your choice. Mix into a glass of warm milk, add a pinch of salt and enjoy!

Cayenne Pepper Hot Chocolate Recipe

Another festive hot chocolate recipe from Elsie and Emma is the Aztec Hot Chocolate. You can make the hot chocolate base from scratch, or just use your usual hot chocolate mixture. Add cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper and stir. Top off with some fluffy marshmallows and a cinnamon stick.

Lavender Hot Chocolate Recipe

For this recipe you will need milk, dark and milk chocolate and a few lavender buds. Stir the ingredients together and top with a generous whirl of whipped cream. Rick from A la Mode recommends using just a couple of lavendar buds in your hot chocolate to keep it from tasting soapy.

What about you? What’s your favourite hot chocolate recipe? Do share

The post 5 Festive Hot Chocolate Recipes to Make at Home appeared first on eDreams Travel Blog.

Keep reading and find out just how fascinating Africa’s wildlife really is!

And if you’re a real animal lover, take a look at these beaches that are inhabited by unusual animals and you might just find your next bucket list destination!

African animal beginning with A

Aardvark

This medium-sized nocturnal mammal, native to Africa, only eats ants, termites and one type of cucumber, called Aardvark cucumber. It is believed by African magicians to have magical powers.

African animal beginning with B

Baboon

These monkeys are furry and noisy, but very caring for their young. They are omnivore foragers, but are also known to eat sheep, goats and small antelopes. In Egyptian folklore, Baboons were considered sacred animals.

African animal beginning with C

Cheetah

This large feline is the fastest animal on land running with a speed of up to 120 km/hour in short 500 meter bursts. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/hour in 3 seconds. They have non-retractable claws so they can’t climb tall trees.

African animal beginning with D

Desert Warthog

While some say this is not the prettiest pig relative out there, we just can’t ignore his resemblance to Pumba (the Lion King character). We think it’s quite a character with its huge tusks and unwavering care for it’s young.

African animal beginning with E

Elephant

With elephants being the largest creatures on land at the moment, it’s no wonder the elephant babies weight 100 kilograms at birth. But did you know the gestation period lasts for 22 months?

African animal beginning with F

Fennec Fox

With a total body length between 24 and 40 cm, this big eared guy is the smallest fox there is. Their ears help them detect insects and rodents hiding underground.

African animal beginning with G

Giraffe

With it long neck the giraffe can reach the tallest and tastiest leaves in the savanna and also engage in “neckings”, a type of male combat in which the neck is used as a weapon. Vulnerable to predators as an adult, calf giraffes are hunted by lions, leopard and hyenas. Did you know there’s a special hotel in Kenya where you can feed giraffes from your hotel room window?!

African animal beginning with H

Hippo

Hippos are large, mostly herbivorous,  semi-aquatic mammals. Despite their pig-like appearance their closest relatives are whales, from which they diverged some 55 millions of years ago.

African animal beginning with I

Impala

One of the most abundant antelopes in Africa, the impalas, can grow up to 95 cm tall. Only the males have horns, which they use in territorial battles.

African animal beginning with J

Jackal

These far away relatives of the wolves are crepuscular, being most active at dawn and dusk. They are scavengers and hunters of small animals. In oriental mythology jackals are clever sorcerers, while in Egyptian religion they are Gods of the afterlife.

African animal beginning with K

Klipspringer

These half meter tall antelopes can fit all four hooves onto a piece of cliff the size of a coin and never have to drink water, since the succulent plant they forage on provides them with sufficient water.

African animal beginning with L

Lion

The King of the Jungle, the second largest feline after the Tiger, the Lion is today considered a vulnerable species, with its population decline of thirty to fifty percent in the last 20 years.

African animal beginning with M

Magpie

Magpies are easy to spot thanks to their black and white colourings. Normally, they collect objects found such as jewels or plastics and save them in their nest. Their diet includes seeds, eggs, nuts, insects, and fruits.

African animal beginning with N

Nyala

This medium sized antelope prefers a deep forest to any plain there is in Africa. While the females are warm brown and horn-less as the nyala pictured below, the males are dark skinned with long spiraled horns and a woolly fringe on their belly.

African animal beginning with O

Otter

Otters are semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish, birds and small mammals. They are also the best swimming teachers out there.

African animal beginning with P

Porcupine

Porcupines are rounded, large, slow rodents. Their body is covered with large, pointy spines. Porcupines are salt lickers and will lick and eat anything that is covered in salt, from household items such as tables or clothes to vehicle tires coated in road salt.

African animal beginning with Q

Quelea Quelea

Also known as Red-billed Quelea or Red-billed weaver, is a small bird from the weaver family. It can be found in the Sub-Saharan Africa and is considered one of the most plentiful wild bird breed in the world.

African animal beginning with R

Rhinoceros

Rhinoceros are large plant eating mammals which are able to reach more than a tonne in weight. They have thick armor like skin, small brains that can weight less than a kilogram and no knees.

African animal beginning with S

Sable Bull (Sable Antelope)

These antelopes can reach a height of up to 140 cm and their horns can be as long as 110 cm. When fighting, male sable bulls drop to their knees and use their horns to fight.

African animal beginning with T

Topi

Topis are some of the fastest antelopes, reaching a speed of up to 70 km/hour when pressed. The Maasai describes them as wearing a suede jacket, blue jeans and yellow boots.

African animal beginning with U

Uromastyx

These animals are spiny-tailed lizards found in Africa and are active during daylight time. Usually, Uromastyx eat plants or seeds.

African animal beginning with V

Vanga

These small birds from Africa varies in color and size. Tend to nest in pairs and like to eat earthworms, insects, and lizards.

African animal beginning with W

Wildebeest (also called a Gnu)

A relative of the bull, the wildebeest or the Gnu is a large game animal. Wildebeest are killed for food, especially for making the Southern African delicacy biltong (dried game meat).

African animal beginning with X

Xerus

Xeruses are ground squirrels that live in rocky deserts around Africa. This African animal is well-known for being social and living in groups.

African animal beginning with Y

Yellow Mongoose

Close relatives of Meerkats, Yellow Mongooses are very attentive little creatures, also using a sentinel to keep eye on eventual predators, such as birds of prey. They eat insects, small rodents and birds.

African animal beginning with Z

Zebra

Relatives of the most common horse, zebras are very unpredictable animals and don’t cope well with stress, the reason for which they could never be domesticated. Their famous stripes are different and unique to each individual, just like a human fingerprint.

The post List of African animals beginning with letters A to Z appeared first on eDreams Travel Blog.

We’ve tried to create a summer definition in 10 colorful pictures. What is summer for you? We’d love to know!

10.  Summer is for making wish lists.

It’s thinking about the things you’d like to do, places to see, food to eat.

9. Summer is strawberries and peach pies.

Get them from your neighborhood bakery or make your own: buy a pie crust, fill with diced fruit, top with sugar syrup and bake for a few minutes.

8. Summer is for the lazy.

It’s the perfect moment to take a day or two off, read a book, watch the scenery from a plane or just lay around on a sandy beach.

7. Summer is for making lemonade.

Make more than you need and share it with your friends and neighbors.

6. Summer is for water fights!

You don’t even need fancy water guns, grab a bottle of water, a cup or a bucket and start the fight (it’s the only kind of fight we’d suggest starting.  Maybe this one and pillow fighting, but we’ll keep that for cold weather).

5. Summer means perfect blue skies.

The perfect summer definition is a beautiful sky. Every morning, for days and days. And if it rains, it’s still fun.

5. Summer is perfect for ice-cold Manhattans.

Bittersweet, fresh and colorful. Perfect for the beach, in your garden or on a hotel terrace.

3. Summer is the time for popsicles!

You can make them out of fruit juice, yogurt or your own mix. Here’s a list of popsicle ideas for hot summer days.

2. Summer is about trying new things.

New food, new sports, new places.

1. But ultimately, summer is for having fun with the ones you love!

Have a great summer, everyone!

What’s your definition of summer?

If this summer you want to travel, check out our city break offers.

The post 10 Best Things to describe our Summer Definition appeared first on eDreams Travel Blog.

1. Galactic Suite Space Resort (Outer Space)

The first luxury space hotel to open its doors to guests in 2012. It will host 350 guests per year, who will be able to see the sun rise 15 times a day and travel around the world every 80 minutes.

2. Library Hotel (New York, USA)

Each floor of the Library Hotel is inspired by one of the 10 categories of the Dewey Decimal System, such as Math, Science or Religion, and each room houses part of the hotel’s collection of 6,000 books. Neat, huh?

3. Capsule Hotel (Tokyo, Japan)

Made up of tiny 2 square meter room, each with a bed and a TV set. These are cheap and ready to rent if it’s too late to drive, or you’ve had one drink too many and would rather rest first and think about what you’ve done second. The majority of these capsule hotels only accept male guests and only allow one night bookings.

4. Karostas Cietums Hotel (Liepaja, Latvia)

If you’ve ever wondered how it might feel to sleep in jail for a night, but you’re not particularly in the mood to start a bar fight, just book a night in this former prison. Handcuffs and being escorted to your “cell” for the night included. Open from May to October.

5. Das Park Hotel (Ottensheim, Austria)

This unique hotel is constructed from repurposed, incredibly robust drain pipes. It might not be the hotel room you’ve always dreamt of getting your beauty sleep in but it will be unforgettable for sure. Did we mention cheap?

6. Dog Bark Park Inn (Cottonwood, Idaho)

It’s the world’s biggest Beagle and one of the most unique hotels out there. Designed with dog fanatics, ahem, lovers, in mind, this hotel doesn’t merely look like a dog on the outside, it has a strangely canine feel on the inside too…

7. Burj al Arab Hotel (Dubai)

The only seven star hotel in the world, it’s 321 meters high and located on an artificial island in the Persian Gulf. Despite its imposing size, the hotel only has 28 floors which accommodate 202 rooms. The smallest suite occupies an area of 1820 square feet. Can you imagine losing your keys?

8. Kokopelli’s Cave (Farmington, New Mexico)

In love with the Flinstones? Or maybe just the idea of living in a cave? Dine on stone tables, sit on stone chairs, sleep in a stone bed and still feel comfy. Practice your yabadabadoo when you check out the Kokopelli’s Cave Hotel.

9. Elqui Domos (Chile)

What if you could stay in bed, wrapped in thick blankets and watch the millions and millions of stars on a pitch black sky? If you’re really a stars aficionado, take hold of one of the available telescopes, ask for the star map at reception and sail away in the Milky Way.

10. The Five Hotel (Paris, France)

Fresh champagne in the fridge, your own dance floor and a rain shower. People who’ve stayed there say that the decor of the room is so impressive and so convincing that the moment you step in – your worries disappear. And your money with them too, as the price of a night’s rest is around €900.

11. Bjorli Snow Hotel (Norway)

Far, far away, in a country where Ice is Queen for more than 8 months a year, between the fiords, in the National Park of Geirangerfjord, there is an ice palace. And not just any ice palace, but one in which you can sleep in a bed surrounded by ice blocks and feel like a creature from another world. (Don’t worry, the wool socks are included).

12. The Setai Miami Beach (Miami)

A beautiful hotel in a beautiful location, a private beach, an oriental style and flawless service. These are some of the reasons people love this luxury hotel in South Beach.

13. Hotel Yunak Evleri (Cappadocia, Turkey)

Sleeping in a cave dug in the wall might not be something you actively desire (maybe you actually prefer not to sleep in a cave) but the rooms and the views of this five star hotel are said to make you change your mind. For good.

14. Tree Hotel (Sweden, Laponian Area)

A tree house, what are you, 9 years old? Give your devilish alter-ego a condescending look and explain that this hotel is more than a house in a tree, it’s a proof that living green and in comfort is quite possible if we’d just rethink the way we see and use forests.

15. De Vrouwe van Stavoren Hotel (The Netherlands)

Sleeping in a wine barrel might sound a bit strange in the beginning. And it is not only possible, but guaranteed, to be a unique experience. Where to better fall asleep after a night of wine tasting than in one of these sleeping spaces?

16. Jumbo Hostel (Stockholm, Sweden)

Until flying gets as comfortable as resting in a hotel room, you can try sleeping in a hotel shaped like an airplane. Oxygen masks, business class seats and the pilot’s cabin suite are part of the Jumbo’s method for convincing travelers to go to bed.

17. Hotel i-suite (Rimini, Italy)

A luxury hotel that manages to make impeccable design warm and relaxing, not just ‘interesting’. The lights, the rooms and the spa facilities are all designed to surprise and amuse you during your stay.

18. Hotel Quinta Real Zacatecas (Mexico)

This hotel is constructed in the San Pedro Bullring and uses the structure of the original building. The place received an International Award for Architecture in 1989.

19. Nhow Berlin (Berlin)

The first European music hotel. It has a recording studio and a guitar as part of the room facilities. Plus, the furniture and walls are painted in neon – perfect for a rock star… or a nocturnal jam session… or even DJ set for your closest friends.

20. Malmaison Oxford Castle (United Kingdom)

This is the first British jail turned into a hotel. Even though the hotel’s bar doors are very similar to what the prison looked like in the Victorian period, the comfort and facilities the hotel offers have nothing to do with being held against your will.

21. Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel (Manaus, Brazil)

What if you could sleep in the heart of the amazon jungle, hear and smell and feel it, while keeping safe and staying comfy? These suites are built 30 meters above the ground and are interconnected by bridges. And if the plants and birds and little animals are not enough to keep you interested, you can swim with pink dolphins or piranha fish (not the other way around).

22. Wigwam Motel (Arizona)

The Wigwam Motel in Arizona allows you to sleep in brick and mortar tents in the same style of the North American tribes (except they’re made of brick and mortar

23. Palacio de Sal Hotel (Bolivia)

This building is made of 100% salt: the chairs, the beds, everything. The Uyuni salt mine is just in front.

24. Jules Undersea Lodge (Key Largo, Florida)

To access this hotel, you have to scuba dive! This former investigation laboratory has been turned into the first underwater hotel – hosting only 6 persons at a time, unfortunately.

25. Ice Hotel (Sweden)

The biggest and oldest ice hotel in the world is located in Sweden, Jukkasjärvi. It’s rebuilt every winter and it will be opened this year for the 21st time.

26. Wanderlust Hotel (Singapore)

You love strong colors, origami or want to see how it would feel to sleep inside a typewriter? Or maybe outer space? Stay a night or two in this hotel and your dreams will never be the same.

27. Propeller Island City Lodge (Berlin)

Do you think you can handle a night in a hotel room decorated as a funeral shop? Sleep in a coffin or in a guillotine bed? Would you ever consider sleeping in beds suspended 2m above the ground or in surreal rooms where it feels like you’re sleeping under the floor? If you’re travelling to Berlin, you have to check out this hotel.

28. The Hobbit Motel, Woodlyn Park (Waitomo, New Zealand)

Are you a big Lord of the Rings fan? Then the Hobbit Hotel in New Zealand is definitely a place to check out if you’re travelling to Waimoto this year. The hobbit inspired bungalows are quite comfortable and fully updated to non-fictional characters’ lifestyles.

29. La Balade des Gnomes (Durbuy, Belgium)

Want to feel like Snow White, Robin Hood or Alice in Wonderland for a few days? The Balade des Gnomes Hotel in the Belgium countryside might be a lot of fun if you’re traveling with kids, but it’s a mysterious and magical place for anyone who enjoys a good fairy tale.

30. Three Camel Lodge (Gobi Desert, Mongolia)

The Three Camel Lodge Hotel is a glimpse into mongolian nomadic culture. The sleeping facilities are composed of gers, traditional herder tents made of felt and canvas and heated by wood stoves.

31. Hotel Qbic (Holland)

Take a walk on the futuristic side and sleep for a night in Cubi, a room with a bed shaped like a cube, decorated with silver and white. Turn on the yellow, red or violet lights depending of the mood you’re in.

32. The Whitepod Resort (Swiss Alps)

This suite complex offers an alternative for exploring the Swiss Alps. By using the igloo-like tents, Whitepod offers a type of winter housing that has a minimal impact on the virgin Alps. In 2005 the Whitepod Resort received the World Prize for Sustainable Tourism.

33. Sala Silvermine (Sweden)

This hotel has a dining hall and a suite located in the heart of the earth – in a mine. So you can sleep 155 meters underground in a cold, dark and rather scary place. Rather vampiresque, if you ask us.

34. Hotel Silken Puerta América (Madrid)

This is an unique project that has managed to reunite nineteen of the best architects and designers in the world.

35. Hotel Palafitte (Switzerland)

This is the only five star hotel built on a lake. Inside, luxury and technology are the stars.

36. Anak Ranch (Mongolia)

At the Anak Ranch of Mongolia, you will sleep in a ger, the traditional Mongolian nomad’s home. You can ride the open steppe and hills of the last great unfenced wilderness of the world. The Anak Ranch lies in the mountainous Orkhon Valley in the rugged steppe-taiga country near the Siberian border.

37. Hotel Giraffe Manor (Nairobi)

A hotel surrounded by 47 hectares of woods, in which Giraffes live in their natural habitat. We’re not saying sleep like a giraffe, but you might actually end up having breakfast with one.

38. Arte Luise Kunsthotel (Berlin)

With all its rooms designed by a different artist, this hotel is more of an an art gallery where you can also sleep.

39. Aerohostal (La Peña, Colombia)

This hotel is maybe one of the most unique hotels there are, because you are going to sleep in a floating house. It is hanging 20 meters high. You can reach the hotel by escalating or with cables. Also, they have many adventurous activities such as pendulum, rappel, hiking, hammock in the air, etc.

40. Hotel Marina Bay Sands (Singapore)

What’s really awesome about this hotel is probably the “infinite” pool that makes you forget you’re on top of a building

That’s our roundup for the unique hotels, folks.

Don’t forget to look for your hotel and enjoy your trip!

What are the strangest, scariest, most unique hotels you’ve ever stayed in?

The post Top 40 Weird and Unique Hotels appeared first on eDreams Travel Blog.

This year, why not read about how Easter is celebrated in curious ways from the comfort of your own home. For example:

• Dressing up as witches in Finland.
• Self-flagellation in the Philippines.
• Or even walking the town barefoot in Spain!

Keep on reading and find out the 7 most unique ways to celebrate Easter!

Painted egg championships in Romania

In Romania people normally spend Easter with the family. If you ever get invited to a Romanian Easter lunch, it will remind you of the North American Thanksgiving dinner.

The traditional Easter meal has 4-5 courses and includes a sour soup called “ciorba”, salad, pickles, roasted lamb stake, a meat pie made of lamb liver and lots of fresh parsley called “drob” and lots of painted eggs.

By far the most entertaining Easter tradition in Romania is the “egg battle”, an egg championship in which all friends and family participate. Each round of the game consists of knocking two hard-boiled eggs – the egg with the toughest shell wins and the loser has to eat all the boiled eggs the winner breaks.

On Easter Morning everyone in the family traditionally washes their face with the water in which a red-painted egg and a silver coin were sunk. The red egg symbolizes health and the silver purity.

Take me to Romania!

Easter Trick or Treat in Sweden

In Sweden, children dress up as påskkärringar (Easter hags), they paint their faces, carry a broom and go knock on neighbors doors for treats, much like North American children do for Halloween.

For Easter, the Swedish decorate their houses with willow or birch twigs and eat a smörgåsbord, a buffet-style meal that includes various dished, such as herring, salmon, potatoes, eggs, meatballs, sausages etc.

Fly me to Sweden!

Giant omelettes in Haux, France

Some people like to celebrate Easter with a ginormous omelette. In the town square of Haux, over 5000 eggs are used to make a huge omelette on Easter Monday and more than 1000 people are invited to join and for lunch. This peculiar tradition in France has been going on for over 30 years.

If you want to prepare a giant omelette in your own town, here is the recipe: 5000 eggs, 50 kg of onions and garlic and  4 kg of salt & pepper!

Take me to France!

Bonfires and Mämmi in Finland

The Finnish believe that evil spirits roam free on the Saturday before Easter, reason for which they light bonfires and dress up as witches. On Sunday children go looking for the chocolate eggs their parents and family members have hidden around the house (the gardens are still covered in snow).

Another sweet tradition in Finland is eating Mämmi, a baked desert made of powdered orange peel, dark molasses and rye flour. The preparation takes hours and needs to be chilled for three to four days before it can be served cold with milk or cream and sugar. Mämmi is mentioned for the first time in the 16th century and it is believed to originate from either medieval Germany or Iran.

Fly me to Finland!

Self-flagellation and self-crucifixions in the Philippines

In the Philippines, the Holy Week is commemorated with street processions and a traditional play called Sinakulo. During the processions, some devotees will self-flagellate and even have themselves crucified, as a way to share Christ’s pain.

On Sunday, Catholics carry palm leaves to church to have them blessed; they will later use these leaves to decorate their homes.

Search flights to the Philippines!

Lamb leg shaped cake and egg trees in Germany

Easter celebrations start on Holy Thursday (aka “Gründonnerstag”), and according to tradition, you can only eat green things. One of the typical dishes in Germany is the seven herbs soup, containing watercress, dandelion, chives, parsley, leek greens, sorrel and spinach.

For dessert, there are lots of chocolate eggs, but also Osterlamm, a lamb-shaped cake dusted with confectioner’s sugar. This dessert is also popular in Alsace.

Decorating trees with colored eggs is likewise a popular tradition. These trees, known as “Osterstrauch”, fill the streets and gardens with colour and announce the arrival of spring.

Fly me to Germany!

The masked men of Spain

In many cities of Spain and especially in Andalusia, brotherhoods hold processions and dramatic performances carrying the Cross of Christ.

The participants wear penitential robes, as well as pointed tip hoods and masks which conceal their faces. Known as “nazarenos”, the participants walk the city barefoot and sometimes wear chains on their feet as penance.

Search flights to Spain!

The post 7 Easter Traditions from around the World appeared first on eDreams Travel Blog.

Berlin

On December 31, Berlin, the night owl city par excellence, explodes into a massive outdoor party for New Year’s Eve. All the way between the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column you will find food and drinks stands of all types, as well as various stages where live rock and pop concerts are held. The fireworks display that takes place after midnight is awesome!

Rome

The New Year of the Roman Forum is now a tradition in Rome,one that gets more and more fans, not only from Rome, but all over the world. This year, to welcome 2016, an all-female trio will perform: Giorgia, Nina Zilli and Emma Brown, who will sing and dance until late at night.

Edinburgh

The Hogmanay, the festival that takes place in the city from December 29 until January 1, is in fact the largest New Year’s Eve party in the world. Street performers, parties, fireworks and performances of all kinds await the visitors from the Royal Mile to Calton Hill Hill. But it is on December 31st that the party reaches its climax with the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party: thousands of people descend on the streets of downtown for a night of music and celebration, warmed up by several glasses of beer!

Madrid

For New Year, Madrid’s explosive atmosphere becomes highly contagious. On the 31st of December, after dinner, everyone heads to the Puerta del Sol, where thousands of people gather to welcome the new year. People bring grapes and bottles of sparkling wine and dress up using wigs, hats and masks.

Moscow

Every New Year, charming Moscow becomes particularly bright and welcoming. Regardless of the cold, the city is dressed up in lights and Christmas decorations and people pour into the street to celebrate 2016. In the Red Square, a traditional concert is the perfect party background until just before midnight, when the countdown begins, marked by the clocks of the Spasskaya Tower. The night continues with dancing, music, fireworks and lots of vodka!

Where are you spending your New Year’s Eve? Wherever you go, we wish you happy celebrations!

The post 5 Awesome Cities to Spend New Year’s Eve in appeared first on eDreams Travel Blog.

1. Evil Halloween Apples

This apple looks so scary your guests might not want to touch it at all, but it will make your other, more common treats look scary as well.

To prevent it from browning, spray some lemon juice on the carved parts.

2. Ninja Heads on a Plate

These cutesy ninja heads are nothing more than chocolate covered Buckeye Balls. Mix peanut butter with confectioners sugar and butter to make small balls. With a toothpick make two small holes for the eyes, then dip two sides in melted chocolate and serve on a silver plate.

3. Very Angry Marshmallow Spiders

You’ll need red jelly strings and an edible ink pen to make this Halloween snack. First make a hole through a marshmallow and push the jelly strings with the wrong end of a teaspoon, then draw the scariest face you can think of. Feel free to play and draw an entire set of gruesome emotions on your marshmallow’s powdered face.

4. Pumpkin PI

A pumpkin pie shaped as PI might not be as scary as the treats we’ve been showing you, but it will surely make dinner that night a much stranger activity than the usual pass me the salt, thank you.

5. Pretzel and Marshmallow Bones

Craft bones from pretzel sticks and small marshmallows and arrange them on a plate in a shape of a human skeleton. If you’re really crafty sculpt a marshmallow to make a skull as well.

6. A Little Brain Snack

Love hummus? What about mixing in a bit of food coloring and shaping it as a brain?  Your guests will be, if not horrified, at least disgusted. Just don’t tell them what it is.

7. Baby Mummy Dogs

Cut some store-bought dough (or make your own by mixing flour, baking powder and water) in strips and mummify some hot dogs. Bake them for a few minutes in the oven until they turn golden, then paint the eyes with mustard. They are mummy-licious.

8. Chocolate Toad Princes

Have you ever kissed a toad hoping it will turn into a prince? (Feel free to tell us all about it in the comments section:) In any case, to make these chocolate toads you have to get a plastic frog mold. Then melt your chocolate, pour it in the molds and keep it in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. For an extra touch of gruesome add some green food coloring to the melted chocolate.

9. Bloody Beet Soup

Want to get rid of those Bloody Marys this year? Switch to creamy, bloody beet soup. For an extra touch of horror skip the spoon and drink directly from the bowl, making sure to let some of it drip on your chin. Don’t do this if you’re going to wear your favorite t-shirt.

10. Scary monster fingers

A finger anyone? Cut a cheese-covered pizza in thin triangles and add olive halves as fingernails. Any extra touch of ketchup is welcome.

11. The Viking Watermelon

We know everyone is carving pumpkins, not watermelons, but why not give it a try? The flesh of the fruit is softer and easier to carve into than a pumpkin. Carve a scary face and add two bananas as horns. Scary!

12. Chocolate eyeballs

If you can’t find these chocolate eyeballs ready-made at the store, find some white aluminum wrapping paper and paint the green eyeballs on top. You could even try this with oranges for extra-large monster eyes.

13. Halloween donuts

Make or buy simple donuts, smudge orange icing on top and draw scary faces on them. Not the scariest of them all but a success for sure.

14. Scary Fingers Dip

Need an idea to dress up an otherwise not so scary yogurt dip? Arrange five carrots as they would be the fingers of a freshly chopped, horrific hand. If you mix some blue food coloring into the yogurt you can make this dip even more hair-raising than it already is.

15. Panna cotta skull with figs

This beautiful Day of the Dead skull can be easily made with a skull mold and fresh figs and berries. We’re warning you though, you’ll want to stop people from trying to cut into it.

16. A peas and toast graveyard

A graveyard in your kitchen for Halloween? Nothing easier: fill a square transparent dish with green peas, then add the tomb-shaped toast on top of the graveyard grass. Write RIP on the toast with balsamic vinegar or Marmite/Vegemite.

17. Vampire bitten cupcakes

To fake the bloody bite on these white glaze covered cupcakes dip a toothpick in strawberry jam or syrup.

18. Mummified cupcakes

If these cream-covered cupcakes look a bit sad, that’s because they didn’t know they were in for some serious mummification. Add jelly eyes and create the cream “strips” with a small butter knife.

19. Shortbread fingers

Maybe the scariest of them all: shortbread fingers! Add an almond previously dipped in red food colouring and serve warm. The temperature will add to the feeling that you are actually eating a finger.

20. Green slime muffin

Last but not least, an easy way to create scary-looking muffins is to add food coloring to the dough. Blue, green and anything neon colored is the best.

Tell us which one you’d like to try or if you have a recipe of your own!

The post 20 Scary Halloween Treats to Make appeared first on eDreams Travel Blog.

Now that we’ve covered the night’s menu and discussed the best Halloween costumes, let’s see how you can impress your friends this year. We’re discussing roasting some funky pumpkin seeds, making a pumpkin Tetris and even candy exchanging strategies and tactics.

1. Roast spicy pumpkin seeds

Were you really going to throw away all those delicious pumpkin seeds you’re left with after carving your scary Halloween pumpkin? What about roasting them with spices? Just wash and rinse them, then sprinkle them with salt, pepper or paprika, curry or even honey and bake for 15 minutes over medium heat. Yum!

2. Print a couple of awesome looking trick or treat bags

Make your own trick or treating bags with this free printable from Lula Louise. You only need a printer, a pair of scissors and a bit of tape or glue.

3. Hack a pumpkin to play Tetris

Ok, maybe this one is a bit more complicated to make without previous arduino and soldering experience but wouldn’t you want to have a pumpktris on your porch this Halloween? Nathan Pryor, the designer of this stem controlled, fully playable, pumpkin embedded Tetris posted a step by step tutorial on his blog.

4. Hang your last decorations

Halloween is all about getting creative! Instead of purchasing boring decorations and having your house end up looking like everyone else’s, make your own eco-friendly spooky crafts, like this  recycled milk jug skeleton.

5. Become a better candy trader

You might be tempted to think candy trading is a fun, innocent, Halloween activity. With this super complete candy trading guide from Ze Frank we suggest you think again. Best strategy: try trading sweet and sour mini snacks for full sized caramel and chocolate ones.

What about you? Are you trying anything new this Halloween? We’d love to know

The post 5 Last Minute Halloween Ideas appeared first on eDreams Travel Blog.

Munich beer only

Oktoberfest is, above all, a celebration of Bavarian traditions, so the only beer you’ll find during the festival is brewed within the city limits of Munich. Only beers that fit this criteria are considered Oktoberfest Beers.

Oktoberfest started as a wedding feast

The first Oktoberfest was held to honour the marriage of Prince Ludwig and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, in 1810. Now that’s what we call a wedding party!

Nobody raises their mug until the Mayor says so

Since 1950, the festival has only started after the official gun salute and the mayor shouting O’ zapft is! (“It’s tapped!”) and offering the first mug to the Minister-President of the State of Bavaria. Only after that, can the festival start.

The hairier the hat, the wealthier the wearer

During Oktoberfest, traditional visitors wear Bavarian hats (Tirolerhüte). The more tufts of goat hair on your hat, the wealthier you are considered to be. (Except nowadays the tufts are synthetic and everybody can look as wealthy or as poor as they like.)

Oktoberfest beer has from 0.6 to 1.1% more alcohol and sugar than the average german beer, making it even easier for people to forget all their worries, their hats, their names…

Honey, I might’ve lost the kids

Seems like losing your offspring is a rather common side effect of beer drinking. Fear not, however, there is a lost and found children office on the premises. Other lost and found possessions include wheelchairs, baby carriages, crutches and dogs (!).

You can’t stop beer pouring

In 200 years, Oktoberfest has only been cancelled 24 times. The causes were mostly war and cholera epidemics. On it’s 100th birthday 120,000 liters of beer were poured. That’s about 1500 bathtubs worth!

Beer makes you hungry

Even though 1966 was the year of the Horse, according to the Chinese calendar, it doesn’t look like it was a very happy year for German pigs. That year 903,474 pork sausages were eaten. In order to burn those calories, a person would have to spend 50 years and 4 months exercising.

The post 9 Curious Oktoberfest Facts and Traditions appeared first on eDreams Travel Blog.

Rio de Janeiro is like a painting int the strongest colors, it’s an explosion of sensations, an unconventional path that we challenge you to live in one single day.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSMIbwcIImg[/embedyt]

06:20: Are you still sleeping? Take a deep breath because you have things to do, people to see, flavours to discover!

07.20: Have a typical breakfast in Rio

Start with an injection of vitamins contained in the delicious fresh kiwis, papaya, banana, pineapple and peaches. To awaken your energy, don’t forget to ask for a strong cup of coffee and a hearty slice of bread.

09.00: Visit the Santa Teresa neighbourhood

Start your day trip in the north of Rio, in a neighbourhood that’s colorful, bohemian and unconventional. In Santa Teresa you can admire the noble, decaying buildings and the stunning views of the city and the cathedral from above. Wander the streets up to the famous stairs painted by the eccentric artist Selaron. If you’re lucky, you can meet the artist himself, sitting next to his work.

11.45: Take a walk on Praia Botafogo

It’s time to move south for a relaxing morning walk on the beach of Botafogo, located in Guanabara Bay, looking towards the Sugar Loaf. A strip of sand perfect for water sports thanks to its waves, where the Cariocas come from all parts of the city to play football, chatting and watching shows outdoors.

13.00: Have lunch at Cobal do Humaitá

Did the seawater make you hungry already? We know the perfect place for lunch! The Cobal do Humaitá (in the district of Humaitá, between Botafogo, Lagoa and Jardim Botânico) is an old train depot converted into a fruits and vegetables market, where today’s young people meet to drink and eat in small bars and restaurants. For lunch you can choose whatever you like and as much as you want to eat from a buffet with vegetables, meat, fish, fruit and even desert. You will pay for your food depending on how much your plate weights.

14.00: Visit the Botanic Gardens

If you are fond of plants and animals, this is the place for you. The Botanic Garden is a green area of ​​137 hectares of indigenous plant species, such as nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper. In all, it is a well guarded treasure that includes over 9,000 plant species, 300 species of palm trees and birds.

16.00: Sightsee in a helicopter

Christ the Redeemer, one of the 7 wonders of the world, the Forest do Corcovado, the Sugar Loaf, the sea, the immense streets and alleys smaller … Rio is beautiful, but it seems magical if you look at it from above. Fasten your seatbelts, we’re starting our helicopter tour in Lagoa.

18.30: Relax at the Ipanema beach

Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon beaches are not only beautiful, but also animated places where the Cariocas meet to play sports in the morning or to meet with friends in the afternoon. Drink a beer (“geladinha”), a caipirinha or the milk of a fresh coconut, eat some shrimp skewers with cheese. Can you imagine being more relaxed? And if you want a song for the occasion … listen to the “Chica de Ipanema”!

19:35: Watch the sunset from the Arpoador promontory

Arpoador is only a few steps away from the beach of Copacabana and Ipanema. The ocean view is idyllic and the atmosphere at sunset, when the sky dresses up in pastel colors, is dream-like. It’s also one of the best surf beaches in Rio!

20:35: Have a drink at Lapa

Lapa is the neighbourhood with the most intense nightlife where Brazilians and tourists mingle. Full of “botecos” (places), cachaçerías (places where drinking cachaça) and small stages for dancing the samba (it is not a cliché, Brazilians love the samba!) people in this neighbourhood turn the night into day. The beer must be accompanied with fried dumplings made of meat, cheese, vegetables or pieces of salami. They’re delicious!

21:40: Have a Brazilian dinner in LAPA

Try the “comida de boteco”, a dinner in which you will sample small portions of meat, vegetables, legumes, such as com farofa feijão pack (bean salad), accompanied by grilled chicken. Lapa is an area characterized by a fascinating ethnic and cultural melting pot.

23:15: Have a midnight drink at the “Os Minheiros”

For the last drink of the day, we suggest going back to Santa Teresa. The Do Mineiro bar is the meeting place of the neighbourhood. The white tiles, toghether with the black and white photos of famous musicians and the shelves full of strange bottles create a special atmosphere.

People come here for a beer or a caipirinha at one of the tables (be prepared to wait, it is always crowded) and chat with everyone around. If you want to eat, choose the feijoada, the frango com quiabo (chicken with vegetables) or empanadas de Feijao!

So, should we take the next plane to Rio de Janeiro?

The post 24 Hours in Rio de Janeiro appeared first on eDreams Travel Blog.