【推荐1】Many places around the world host marathons that aim to provide their runners with a special experience. If you’re planning to run a race，check out some of these beautiful marathon destinations.

Are you up for a challenge? Hosted at Cusco, Peru, the Inca Trail Marathon is regarded as one of the most difficult marathons in the world. With Cusco’s rich history of being once the capital of the Inca Empire, participants can explore several ancient archeological sites. During the run, participants will get to see the surprising landscape of the “Lost City of the Incas”, Machu Picchu, and the Sacred Valley.

Held in Greece, the Athens Marathon is perfect for those of you who are interested in history mythology (神话), and architecture. There are many tourist spots and historic sites to visit like the Parthenon and the Acropolis of Athens. During the race, audience will be cheering on the participants creating an atmosphere similar to the Olympics.

Held at Carmel，California，the Big Sur International Marathon is known as the world’s largest rural marathon. Before the race，participants generally visit the world — famous Monterey Bay Aquarium (水族馆), which owns rich animals. The Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is another attraction stretching from 3,000-foot mountain ridges (山脉) to underwater canyons and rocky seaside cliffs.

Located at Limpopo, South Africa, participants can explore and check out the wildlife of the African savannah. The marathon is held in one of the “Big Five” game reserves in Africa. There are no fences or rivers that separate the runners from the African wildlife. Make sure to keep your mind clear You might find an elephant or even find yourself running alongside giraffes.

【推荐2】The old saying of “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” perfectly voices the promise to deliver you the real Italy, and there’s no better way to do this than with hands-on activities that bring you closer to local people.

Italian perfume (香水) has been famous since the 14th century. Venice was the world center of perfumery for several hundred years, which is why this city is the obvious location to learn the perfumery craft. At Palazzo Mocenigo, a former noble residence turned museum, you’ll spend two hours being guided through the complex world of perfume and its history as you make your own personalized perfume to take home.

Explore Palermo’s streets on this wonderful, guided walking tour. Wander through the city’s street markets and historic squares in a small group as your guide entertains you with historic tales. You will be taken into public buildings favoured by locals, including bakeries and old inns, and given the chance to sample classic Palermitan street food.

Experience an amazing sunset with an evening tour of Mount Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano (火山). You and your fellow companions will be driven through lush landscapes that make way for lunar-like lava. As the road gets rough, switch to off-road vehicles. Your final leg is an exciting 30-minute hike with your expert guide.

Experience a half-day bike tour through Itria Valley. An experienced team will help you select a suitable bike and then you’re off on this guided bike ride!This is a 24-mile round trip where you’ll be taken along small country roads dotted with rural houses and through various small towns and villages.

【推荐3】Beach vacations

Home to 14 miles of sandy beaches and some of the best attractions in the entire state, Virginia Beach is dreamy—and a total dream for budget-minded travelers looking for cheap beach vacations. Apart from hitting the surf and sand, you’ll want to check out the Virginia Aquarium (水族馆) and the Ocean Breeze WaterPark, especially if you’re traveling with kids.

The best way we can describe Erie, Pennsylvania? It’s like the choose-your-own-adventure version of cheap beach vacation destinations. It’s a great destination for singles, couples or families—there’s really that much diversity here. The area is home to family-friendly attractions such as Waldameer Park & Water World and the Erie Zoo, but there are also wineries (葡萄酒厂) and museums in the region to appeal to adults.

Visitors to Wildwood enjoy all the same facilities you’ll find at expensive beach towns—without the high prices. Enjoy five miles of a very wide sandy beach and a two-mile boardwalk with shops and arcades (拱廊). Here, you can get cheap, delicious candy, slices of pizza, fries and a new airbrush T-shirt to remember your cheap beach vacation on the Jersey Shore.

Biloxi is not only one of the best beach destinations in Mississippi—it’s also one of the most affordable. The highlight here is Biloxi Beach, where the sand is soft and white, and the Gulf of Mexico’s barrier islands ensure the warm waters are quiet enough for swimming. Other draws in town include historical sites such as the Biloxi Lighthouse.

【推荐2】Done with Dragon’s Back and tired of the Twin Peaks? Check out these lesser-known hikes in Hong Kong with rewarding views and fewer crowds on for size.

 Tai Po Kau Forest Walk

Best for: Families

Tai Po Kau Forest Walk is located inside the Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve, a popular destination for nature lovers. It features different colour-coded trails (小径) which allow you to control the duration of your hike. This nature reserve is also home to various wildlife, so if you’re lucky, you might be able to see some resident owls or even fireflies. Another benefit is that Tai Po Kau has a thick forest which provides plenty of shade for the entire duration of the hike.

Distance: 3-10 km

Duration: 45 mins-3.5 hours

Difficulty: 2.5 out of 5

 Little Hawaii

Best for: A waterfall hike

Known as the easiest waterfall hike in Hong Kong, Little Hawaii was once the water reservoir (水库) for factory in the 1900s. Now, it’s the perfect spot for a leisure walk. Altogether, there are 3 waterfall spots. As the highlight of the hike, you can go upstream to view the waterfall from a different angle.

Distance: 2.5 km

Duration: 1 hour

Difficulty: 1 out of 5

 Wo Yeung Shan

Best for: Advanced hikers

As the fifth highest peak in Hong Kong, Wo Yeung Shan offers breathtaking views of the city. Those well-trained hikers who are up for challenge can even climb up the Wo Yeung Rocks for photos. You nay end the hike at Shing Mun Reservoir, where minibuses and taxis are available to return to the city.

Distance: 9.5 km

Duration: 4.5 hours

Difficulty: 3.5 out of 5

 Lai Chi Wo

Best for: Heritage and wildlife

Explore the northeast comer of the New Territories through the old Hakka village of Lai Chi Wo and the Double Haven Geo Area. Along the well-paved trail, you will also be impressed by hundreds of species of wildlife here. Don’t miss the chance to check out the wetlands and fishponds around Double Haven too.

Distance: 16 km

Duration: 4.5 hours

Difficulty: 2.5 out of 5

【推荐3】Volunteer Wanted!

Would you like to volunteer for IF Oxford, the Science and Ideas Festival this February? It’s our 30th anniversary this year, and it will include over 100 events, both digital and in-person, in locations across Oxford city centre and southeast Oxford.

When to join us?

This year’s Science and Ideas Festival takes place between Monday 7^th and Friday 25^th February. We have volunteering opportunities on weekdays, from 9:00 am to 12:00 am, or from2:00 pm to 6:30 pm. Even if you only have a few hours to spare, we can find something useful for you to do.

What to do?

You don’t need to have any scientific knowledge to help at our events, just a friendly personality, lots of enthusiasm and be over 18 years of age. You might be helping to set up a venue, welcoming or managing audience members, assisting a Q&A session, distributing literature, collecting feedback, helping to manage an event on Zoom or supporting our social media efforts.

What to expect?

Volunteers will:

·have reasonable local travelling expenses reimbursed(补偿).

·be covered by the Festival insurance

·get a Festival T-shirt.

·receive guidance and support from the Festival team, especially with our COVID security protocols(协议), ensuring we keep you and our audience safe.

You can see our full volunteering policy at www if-oxford com. To register your interest in getting involved with IF Oxford 2022, just fill in our simple registration form. We look forward to working with you in February to deliver another amazing Festival for thousands of people.