Advantages: Amazing
Disadvantages: Tiring

...This has to be one of the most spectacular places i have been. The trek to the top of the tepuis takes 3 days and for the final day it is pretty demanding, but when you reach the top it is more than worth it. Even before you reach the top the trek is amazing, the array of wildlife and flowers was amzing, from crabs in the river to rattle snakes in the bushes. However the tru beauty is on top of the mountain. Views are awesome and at one point it is possible to lie on the edge of the mountain looking down at a 100ft drop. The only place on top where it is possible to pitch a tent is inside the caves on top of there as the rest of the mountain top appears to be a landscape from Mars. There are also many other attraction on the table top such as lost valleys, unique orchids and crystal pools. However i would only undertake this trek if you... Read review

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Advantages: birlliant views, varied climate, challenging
Disadvantages: cold, hot, remote, altitude

...I travelled to the Andes in the summer of 2005 and it was one of the most exhilirating experiences of my life. I started by journey from the large town of Merida. I found this to be the perfect starting point as there is everything you could possibly want: many english speaking guides who are more than qualified and registered with reliable companies. The town itself is also quite nice with its meandering streets and bustling markets. However trekkers should be advised that it is very very hard to find any fuel for your stoves. After a short stay in Merida to stock up on the esentials we set off to the mountains. The trek itself lasted 5 days and was very strenuous in places. In particular the first day or so where tempertaures were in the 30s and the path was very steep. However after a day or so you reach a 'valley' in th mountains... Read review

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Advantages: Lots of amazing scenery, helpful people and a chance to see a truly different culture.
Disadvantages: The necessity to ride on antiquated and crowded public transport.

...Quetzaltenango, also known as Xela (shela) is located in western Guatemala, close to the Mexican border. It is in the Guatemalan Highlands, and home to awe-inspiring scenery. The highlands are quite simply spectacular. An excerpt from my travel journal: "Lots of brooding mist-enwreathed mountains covered in tropical bush, framing distant, hazy valleys and interspersed with cardamom plantations. To fall asleep on the bus is to miss this fiesta of scenery." From Xela, there are many ecotourism projects and adventures you can go on. I went on a 2 1/2 day trek up through remote mountain villages, where locals still wear traditional dress, using tracks made by the guerillas and soldiers during the war several years ago. The trek culminated with viewing a lovely sunrise over a picturesque lake. Xela itself is a cute, but not stunning town... Read review

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Advantages: Mountain backdrops, good ship-ship combat scenes
Disadvantages: didn't feature any significant enemies like the Romulans or Borg this time

...This is the 9th film in the Star Trek movie franchise and there's a new 11th instalment coming out later this year. Insurrection was a film about the crew from Star Trek:The Next Generation embarking on a mission that took the starship Enterprise to a planetary system in a region of space where communications with Starfleet (SOS calls) couldn't be established. I admit that it's a while since I've seen Insurrection so I'm not going to be able to describe more of the storyline but I remember elements of the film which I liked: 1) The scenery was the best I've seen in a Star Trek movie and much of the movie took place on the surface of a planet. There were some really nice real mountain backdrops filmed on location somewhere like the Alps or Rockies I'm not sure where. 2) The ship-ship combat scenes at the end were really good especially... Read review

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Advantages: Price, style
Disadvantages: For this price you don't get brilliance!

...I bought this bike in the summer of 2002 for £220. I was looking for a cheapish ride to get me to and from lectures. I wanted a reasonably good bike, but didn't think I needed (or could afford) anything too fancy. I also wanted a mountain bike, not because I cycle up mountains that much, rather because I think they look cool. The first thing I noticed as I looked around my local bike shop was that technology had seemingly come a long way in the last few years. It quickly became clear that £200 can buy quite a reasonable bike nowadays (unlike the days when a piece of junk Raleigh Activator would set you back about £250) Out of the bikes within my budget, the Trek 820 immediately caught my eye. It looks great (mine is blue/silver but I believe it also comes in red/silver). I was very wary of cheaper bikes that try a little too hard... Read review

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Advantages: Lightweight, Durable, Value for Money
Disadvantages: No lock out on the forks, no disc brakes, poor quality chainset

...After a long break from cycling I decided to get back into mountain biking. My budget was limited and I wanted something lightweight and durable. After coming across the Trek 4300 my mind was quickly made up, lovely lightweight frame that wouldn't be out of place on bikes twice the price. A reasonable set of Shimano Alvio shifters and forks with adjustable pre-load. Perfect for what I wanted, something I could commute to work on but also give a good thrashing around the local MTB routes. The bike is versatile, the adjustable pre-load works well and although the forks aren't fantastic, they'll serve you well as long as you're not throwing it off 6 foot drop offs. The only things really letting this bike down are the Suntour SR cranks. Mine were poorly fitted and the pedals had been cross threaded which meant that when I went to fit... Read review

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Advantages: Good Price, Quality Groupset, Reliable
Disadvantages: Poor Fork

...I bought myself a brand spanking new Trek 4500 2004 edition as a foot into the door of mountain biking. Since purchasing the bike I been out on regular offroad expeditions (some of which have punished the bike quite hard, in the lakes & peaks) and my 4500 has stood up very nicely. The groupset is all good quality stuff, deore rear mech & shifters, Alivio front mech - all Mega 9 drivetrain (i.e. 27 gears). The brakes are competent, ok promax affairs however the real problem is the fork. The supplied ROCKSHOX Judy TT is a spring/elastomer fork and whilst its fine for tow path riding and light mountain-biking it really does lack on technical downhill sections. The pre-load adjuster does next to nothing and travel is sticky and unpredictable. However it is better than no fork at all and you can always upgrade! Pretty much all bikes... Read review

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Advantages: Very very cheap once you are there, something you will never forget.
Disadvantages: The price of the original flight

...is the most amazing tribesman I have ever met. We started the trek early in the morning driving to the national park aroung the Mae Taeng river. We stopped at a waterfall for a swin that must have been 100m high! Next stop was up in the mountains where we began to walk. We walked for about 3 hours until we arrived at the first Tribal village. What an amaizing experience! We generally did this day in, day out for about 3 days, moving from tribe to tribe with the occasional elephant ride chucked in. The most amazing experience for me came on the final day when we biult a raft from bamboo and headed down the river for the day through white water and beautiful scenery. I truly reckomend a holiday like this, you come back feeling incredibily fortunate for what you ahve got and humbled at what you have seen. It sure beats a fortnight in Spain!... Read review

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Advantages: One of the best Star Trek scores ever
Disadvantages: A bit repetitious at times

...and album. It is a model example of the usual type of song that is plastered on soundtrack albums in hopes that it would attract more people to buy it, but more often than not failing utterly. As a curious coincidence, of all the Star Trek movies with the original crew, the ones that utterly bombed were endowed with a Jerry Goldsmith score. Likewise the films that followed them (II and VI) are some of the best in the series and contain some of the best Trek scores as well. Not to mention both follow-ups were directed by Nicholas Meyer. Ironic that Goldsmith was stuck with the clunkers of the series, but thankfully managed to create something that gives the movies (especially the latter) something of value. Not particularly necessary to have but an enjoyable one to listen to. 1. The Mountain (3:54) 2. The Barrier (2:54) 3. Without Help (4:21) 4... Read review

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Advantages: Good price, Good looking frame, Smooth disc brakes
Disadvantages: Front Suspension Fork is very poor, esp for off road use

...TREK 4300 DISC I bought this bike around 4 months ago, in this period it has done 700 miles without so much as breaking down on me, that being said I only use for commuting to work, even though the cycle is classed as a mountain bike, if used off road it would be in need of repair within a couple of hours heavy use the 4300 is a really good bike for someone who is just getting back into cycling/exercising and does,nt want to buy a \"road bike\", I got my 4300 for £400 off the internet with free delivery, there are so many websites out there, so spend a few hours shopping around, you ll def get the deal your looking for, also in the winter months most bike shops online sell last years bike at knockdown prices, prob best time is jan, feb when only the select few are still bombing about... Read review