![\"1_july_italy_2\"](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/1_july_italy_2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Want us to heap a few more travel ideas on top that ever-growing list?<\/p>\n
No, you cry? No, you\u2019ve already got waaaay<\/em> too many things you want to do and places you want to see?<\/p>\n Come on.<\/p>\n You can handle a few more.<\/p>\n They\u2019re good<\/em> ideas. I promise.<\/p>\n Ready? That\u2019s the spirit \u2013 read on for our eight favourite new adventures to book this July\u2026<\/p>\n Want to sail down the Amazon River? There are plenty of tours to choose from, but Liane and Lars of BoB around the World<\/a> wanted a more out-of-the-ordinary trip. So, they hitched a ride on a cargo boat from port town Yurimaguas all the way to Iquitos, discovering the river outside of the pre-packaged guided experience. We caught five minutes with them to find out how we could do it too\u2026<\/p>\n In comparison to a tour, the cargo boat is much more relaxed. You decide how you want to spend your day. There is often not much to do, so most of the time you just enjoy the laziness and take in the amazing scenery. Where else can you lie in a hammock and see the largest rainforest in world passing by?<\/p>\n We paid 100 soles per person, so roughly $35 for our 3 day trip from Yurimaguas to Iquitos. The price included three meals a day. We also rented hammocks for the night (20 soles per person) and brought our own drinking water and some food.<\/p>\n For the whole trip we spent around 200 soles per person ($70) including the entry fee, hammock, water, snacks, toilet paper and mosquito repellent.\u00a0 Not much for a one-in-a-lifetime experience! So yes, it\u2019s definitively cheaper than the usual three day tour through the Amazon Basin.<\/p>\n You\u2019re woken up around 6am by the rising sun. You spend some time in your hammock, reading a book, listening to music and taking in the passing rainforest. Once in a while the cargo boat will arrive at an isolated village, and supply villagers with food, beer, clothes and other supplies. It\u2019s unbelievable how people are able to live in such harsh conditions out in the middle of nowhere. The houses are often just basic shelters and kids will still be running around having a lot of fun.<\/p>\n Your day will usually end with an incredible sunset. The colors are so intense; they\u2019re reflected on the surface of the river and trees making the moment feel really magical.<\/p>\n All hammocks are very close to each other and privacy is hard to come by. But everybody is so relaxed, the atmosphere is positive. Some people slept very early, others played cards listened to music until late, but with earplugs we could sleep perfectly. The hammock was way more comfortable than we expected and gave us all the privacy we needed, you won\u2019t feel observed by other travelers.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re lucky you might see the pink river dolphin. They\u2019re very fast, so if you want to take a picture you have to be quick. We also spotted some beautiful birds in the trees.<\/p>\n It wasn’t really a problem, but yes we had a lot of bugs on the boat. The crew did clean the deck a few times a day and removed all the bugs, but be prepared to encounter cockroaches, giant moths and mosquitoes onboard – especially in the evening when the lights are on. Mosquito repellent is very important to protect yourself against malaria and dengue. You have to remember that these creatures are part of the Amazon experience, so don\u2019t be afraid of them.<\/p>\n The best part was socialising with locals. When you talk to them you realise how small your \u2018first world problems\u2019 are and how easy it is for\u00a0us to travel comfortably to faraway places. We\u2019re also very lucky to have supermarkets close by that stock everything we need. The people we saw living in remote villages feel content when the river grants them enough food for their family, and to buy something additional from the cargo boat is just a happy bonus. This trip will definitely make you see your own life with a fresh perspective.<\/p>\n The worst part was the toilets\u2026 they were probably the most disgusting toilets we have seen in our lives, and sharing with 200 other travellers didn\u2019t help. Make sure to pack your own toilet paper and some disinfectant for your hands and you\u2019ll be fine.<\/p>\n Even if a plane to Iquitos was cheaper and a hundred times more comfortable we would never<\/em> have chosen to fly over taking the cargo boat. It would have been fun to stay on the boat for a few days longer, and it was definitely the best way for us to experience the Amazon Basin.<\/p>\n Porto\u2019s one of those places that\u2019ve been on my to-go list a good few years now, but\u00a0Curiosity Travels\u2019 story on why you should visit Porto<\/a>, like now <\/em>has finallyconvinced me.<\/p>\n Her main reasons to go? Oh, you know, just the fact it still feels a bit \u2018off the beaten track\u2019 (this is a western European city in 2014 we\u2019re talking about), the Port wine is delectable, the pastels de nata irresistible and there\u2019s many a winding alleyway to explore. Did I mention it\u2019s cheap, too? Brb, booking my ticket.<\/p>\n Image via CuriosityTravels.org<\/em><\/p>\n Check out our beautiful hostels in Porto here<\/a>, starting at \u00a36.73 per person, per night.<\/p>\n A Mediterranean island between Sicily and North Africa, Malta is small in size, big on history, as Becki from Borders of Adventure shows in her ultimate Malta road trip<\/a>guide. A hotchpotch of cultural influences courtesy of rule by the Roman Empire, Knights of St. John, France and Britain makes for stunning architecture, and there are beautiful beaches galore. Becki provides a handy drivers\u2019 map so you can plot your trip from Valletta to make a 360 sweep of the island.<\/p>\n Image via BordersofAdventure.com<\/em><\/p>\n Wanna follow in Becki\u2019s footsteps? Search for Malta hostels<\/a> now.<\/p>\n WWOOFing has taken off in a big way in New Zealand. It stands for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, but in NZ it\u2019s a catch-all term for exchange of work for accommodation. If you fancy saving a bit of money and getting into local life in a meaningful way, WWOOFing is for you \u2013 and eTramping\u2019s article on how to do it in backpackers\u2019 paradise New Zealand<\/a> is full of helpful resources. Click to find out how to make those work\/travel dreams a reality.<\/p>\n Image via Travelshutter<\/em><\/p>\n Beaches, boat tours, biking, hiking\u2026 Australia\u2019s Sunshine Coast is well set-up for adventure-addicts. The Aussie Nomad gives a rundown<\/a> of the best things to do and see this summer, including hitting the trails at national parks Kondalilla the Glass House Mountains, cruising up the Noosa River and bike tours to Mt Tinbeerwah. He also gives food and shopping recommendations for when you need to slow down.<\/p>\n Image via TheAussieNomad.com<\/em><\/p>\n Berlin is multi-cultural, cheap and filled with hipsters (just don\u2019t call<\/em> them that): in other words, the perfect storm for a foodie destination, and it sure lives up to the label. Farsickness gives a nicely thorough list of Berlin bites<\/a> to munch your way through, covering everything from coffee to currywurst. I\u2019m particularly inclined to check out the Vietnamese restaurant options, considering Berlin\u2019s apparently the capital of cheap Viet cuisine in Europe.<\/p>\n Image via Farsicknessblog.com\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Ready to go? Find a cool hostel in Berlin by browsing here<\/a>.<\/p>\n You should click to see pics from professional photographer Kirsten Alana\u2019s trail ride outside Las Vegas at Red Rock Canyon<\/a>. Book a tour with\u00a0Cowboy Trail Rides<\/a> and you too could traverse the desert on horseback, watch the sun set and eat steaks and s\u2019mores followed by a campfire sing-along with cowboys. Yeehaw.<\/p>\nTravel inspiration of the month: Take a cargo boat down the Amazon<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"2_BoB](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/2_BoB-around-the-world_-cargo-boat-Gilmer-V.jpg\")
<\/p>\n1. You chose to explore the Amazon river on a cargo boat instead of an organised tour because you thought it would be more adventurous, did this turn out to be true?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Did you have to pay an entry fee to board the boat?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Describe a day on the cargo boat\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"3_BoB](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/3_BoB-around-the-world_amazon_sunset.jpg\")
<\/p>\n4. Being in a small space with other travellers must have been difficult\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"4_BoB](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/4_BoB-around-the-world_amazon_hammocks.jpg\")
<\/p>\n5. Did you see any cool animals?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. What about bugs?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
7. And finally, what were the best and worst parts of the trip? Were there any moments when you wished you\u2019d just booked a tour?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"5_BoB](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/5_BoB-around-the-world_village-in-the-amazon.jpg\")
<\/p>\n7 more trips to inspire you in July\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1. Explore Porto, Portugal\u2019s coolest city<\/strong>
\n![\"6_Porto\"](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/6_Porto.jpg\")
<\/h4>\n2. Hit the road in Malta<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"7_Malta\"](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/7_Malta.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n3. Work in New Zealand<\/strong><\/h4>\n
4. Find an outdoor adventure on the Sunshine Coast<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
![\"8_Sunshine](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/8_Sunshine-Coast.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\n5. Eat your way through Berlin<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"9_Berlin](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/9_Berlin-food.jpg\")
<\/p>\n6. Take a trail ride through Red Rock Canyon, Nevada<\/strong><\/h4>\n
7. Trek Machu Picchu<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
![\"10_Machu](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/10_Machu-Picchu.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nLost Incan city Machu Picchu is probably really <\/em>high on your list of places to go next. How do I know? Well, it was the most voted-for destination in our My Awesome Escape competition<\/em> by a country mile. We put together a list of the ten most important things to know before you go<\/a> to help you prepare for what could be the most rewarding hike of your life.<\/div>\n