Seminar Inspires People To Take A Career Break And Travel The World

In 2010, BT compiled a list of the eight wildest and wackiest restaurants around the globe—from a Taiwanese eatery that swaps chairs for toilets to a NYC spot where ninjas descend on diners spontaneously through the evening. We had a tough time imagining the restaurant world outdoing itself—but then we got a look at Cheapflight.com's ranking of the Top 10 Weirdest Restaurants in the world. Some of our picks caught their eye as well—the aforementioned Modern Toilet in Taipei, as well as franchise Dinner in the Sky (your meal is served over 160 feet high—al fresco, mind you—after being lifted with you into the air via crane), Volterra, Italy's Fortezza Medicea (where Tuscan fare is prepared and served by former convicts—then eaten alongside armed guards; + 39 058-886-099), and Ithaa, a gourmet restaurant located in an underwater tunnel 16 feet below sea level at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. But six other eateries are doing their part to raise the bizarre bar: Los Angeles–based Opaque features a pitch–black dining room and staff with visual impairments. Guests have raved about a heightened ability to taste Opaque's cuisine. Chongqing, China's A380 (+86 23 6753 6117) is likely to earn a few new fans on a travel blog. The interior is a replica of an Superjumbo airbus, with flight–attendant servers and airplane tray place settings. Haijime Robot Restaurant in Bangkok is staffed by—you guessed it—robots. But these aren't just any robots—the million–dollar, state–of–the–art androids bus and serve tables, take orders, and even bust a move now and then. No robot chefs yet—but we're sure they're working on it. Clink, found in Boston's Liberty Hotel, doesn't try to hide the fact that it's housed in a former jail—the bar is even called the Alibi. But instead of gruel, you'll find fresh, quality seafood interpreted in creative plates. Nuremberg, Germany is home to 's Baggers, a space–age, waiter–free experience outfitted with touch–screens, chutes, and conveyer belts that bring your schnitzel to you. The main course at Disaster Café (+ 972 36 02 50), located in Llloret del Mar, Spain? A simulated 7.8–magnitude earthquake. For an appetizer (or a milder alternative), diners can opt for the extraterrestrial dining room located upstairs. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 12 Restaurants With Spectacular Views World's Weirdest Hotels A Few Appetizing Food Museums

Toronto's new breed of chef is sticking close to home, calling on centuries of Canadian culinary tradition. Take a cross-country trip—from the seafood shacks of Nova Scotia to the prairies of Alberta—without ever leaving the table. Acadia Those Cajuns didn't always live in the bayou. French-speaking settlers (Acadians) actually lived on the rocky shores of maritime Canada before they were expelled in 1755 by the British. Chef Matt Blondin invites them back above the border: His dishes dress North Atlantic seafood (like Yarmouth albacore or Northmberland Strait scallops) in the soulful flavors of the South (pickled watermelon rinds, chicken cracklings, and blackening spices). 50c Clinton St., acadiarestaurant.com, albacore $23 Bannock Named for a Scottish flat-bread that was adopted by indigenous people and settlers during 18th century fur trading days, Bannock opened last year in the flagship store of The Bay, retail brand of the Hudson's Bay Co. With a menu of comfort classics, the spot almost requires Canadian citizenship to catch all its nostalgic references. St.-Canut pulled pork tourtiere (meat pie), for instance, comes with a packet of Heinz ketchup, just like you'd find it in Quebec. 401 Bay St., oliverbonacini.com/bannock.aspx , tourtiere $16 Chantecler This "progressive Canadian" bistro takes its name from one of the nation's two heritage hen breeds. The bird shows up in Chef Jonathan Poon's signature consumme: More ph-like gem than sick-day snack, it's served with smoked breast and, appropriately, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms. Like the the multicultural city itself, the menu draws freely on Italian and Asian flavors. Gnocchi, for example, is topped with cod roe and red seaweed, harvested in New Brunswick. 1320 Queen St. W., restaurantchantecler.ca, gnocchi $13. Keriwa Café There's something exciting about a menu written all in English that still contains so many items you've never seen before: sea buckthorn, miner's lettuce, Saskatoon berries. Chef Aaron Joseph Bear Robe's "aboriginal-inspired" food pays homage to his youth in Alberta's Siksika Nation. Look for lots of rustic produce and that quintessential Great Plains protein-bison—in dishes like braised tail or tongue pemmican, a twist on a native Blackfoot staple. 1690 Queen St. W., keriwacafe.ca, bison tongue pemmican $15 SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: 10 Places You Would Rather Be on a Wednesday 15 Things You Didn't Know About Oktoberfest Airline Tweaks Baggage Policy After Too Many Complaints

There are two types of people in the world: those who can walk by a life–like statue of a pirate without taking a goofy picture with it, and those who can't. I decidedly fall in the latter category, whether it's a six–foot tall statue of an Italian pizza–maker with a crazy mustache in New York City's West Village or a life–sized replica statue of Fidel Castro standing in front of a cigar store in Cozumel. In fact, silly tourist photos are one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. And don't get me started on the leaning tower of Pisa. When my family traveled through Italy this summer working our way from Venice to Rome, we knew we had to stop by Pisa and take an iconic silly photo or two (or ten) of us trying to hold up the leaning tower. It was my father's first trip to Europe, let alone Italy, and he said he'd always wanted to do that since he was a kid, so we made time one afternoon as we traveled from the Cinque Terre area to Florence. From the Pisa Centrale train station, it's a leisurely 20 to 30 minute walk through Pisa and over the scenic Ponte Solferino bridge to the Campo dei Miracoli, a beautiful Piazza home to the Pisa Cathedral, Baptistry, and of course, the leaning tower. When we entered the Piazza, it was packed! You would not believe how many people probably just stopped by for a silly photo opportunity—us included. We quickly noticed that the side farthest away from the Tower was the most crowded because it was the best angle if you want to get that perfect shot of holding up the tower or, like we spotted some tourists doing, pushing it over. It was hilarious seeing the lengths some people would go to for the perfect angle—some climbed steps and poles to elevate themselves, others lay on the ground and held it up with their feet. What about you? Has the opportunity for the perfect silly travel photo ever crossed your path, leaving you helpless to resist it? It's not just us, I promise—check out this blog post I wrote last year about an entire website dedicated to those who appreciate and strive to take the world's tackiest tourist photos. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 25 Most Photographed Places on Earth 4 Tips for Tough Photo Scenarios 33 Most Beautiful Places In America

If you asked me on any given day whether I prefer to stay at a chain hotel or a mom & pop hotel or bed–and–breakfast, I’d probably answer that of course I’d rather support an independent business, especially a hotel that has lots of local flavor or that reflects the personality of the family that operates it. But if you’d asked me this past weekend, when I checked my family into an independent resort on the Jersey shore, I probably would have answered, with a touch of snark, just the opposite. In this case, the catalyst was simple: When we arrived at our room, the bathtub was filled with sand. Presumably, this was the same beautiful white sand that adorned the beach just over the dunes, but borne via bathing suit or bare feet, it had lost most (okay, all) of its appeal on its journey from beach to bathroom. I was torn. A little sand never hurt anybody, right? But what ELSE had the staff failed to clean before our arrival? Overreacting just a touch, I ordered my daughters, “Don’t touch anything!” We asked to switch rooms and were accommodated immediately. Well done, in terms of customer service, or at least damage control. But the minor insult stayed with me. We’ve been visiting this little shore town for about five years now. The beaches are gorgeous, the boardwalk is tidy and super–fun for the kids. The town has no chain hotels and, without exception, every stay has involved some kind of low–level inconvenience or discourtesy at a mom and pop establishment—mix–ups over check–out time, failure to deliver the complimentary breakfast they promised, or just ignoring our requests for extra towels. I found myself tossing aside my buy–local aesthetic and wishing that there was an affordable chain, like DoubleTree or Holiday Inn Express, on the beach. I would have gladly traded the homey décor and friendly staff for a measure of cookie–cutter predictability In Budget Travel’s annual Readers’ Choice survey, our readers consistently tell us they, too, prefer the big chains. We’d love to hear more. What is it about a big chain hotel that attracts you? —Robert Firpo–Cappiello MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 30 Hotel Chains Every Traveler Should Know 8 Cool New Tools for Finding the Perfect Hotel How to Get a Free Upgrade