In a time when football stars don alice bands to offset their fresh blonde highlights and rockers turn to macrobiotics and prune juice rather than whiskey and hookers, the stag weekend may well be the last bastion of old school masculinity. Amalia Illgner takes a look at the modern incarnation of this rite of passage and discovers there’s a lot more to the modern stag weekend than just a boozy night of bonding and bristols.

Back when Michael Caine was a sex symbol, Michael Jackson still black, and Chicken Tikka was considered the height of culinary chic; the perfect stag night simply consisted of a case of beer, your best mates, a fully loaded Polaroid, and an amateur stripper named Bambi. How times have changed…

According to the office for national statistics we’re now far less likely to get married in the first place and if we do get dragged down the aisle it’s far later than ever before. In fact for men the average age has crept up to an all time high of 30 and a half years, so there’s little wonder that it’s not just a small cause for celebration when two people in this Bridget Jones world manage to step away from their work stations, microwave-meals-for-one and eBay auctions and actually commit to each another.

What this means for the stag weekend is that generally couples have more money to spend on their respective hen and stag weekends and what that means is that the stag weekends are getting more elaborate, adventurous and action packed. In other words the ante is being upped along with the expectations. Forget sitting on your rear and ordering the seafood special at your local, the typical 21st century stag weekend consists of action packed days filled with paintball army combat style, canyoning, quad biking, Munich beer halls, Estonian feasts and coasteering. For those of you who think crossing Piccadilly Circus during peak hour is about as rugged terrain as you’ve ever seen, coasteering is the fine art of scrambling around a coastline and leaping off cliffs into wave lapped coves below. It’s about as close to becoming Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as anyone who works in an office is going to get. Ever. And the guys are loving it. In fact, coasteering – as well as the trusty faithfulls like paintball and quad biking – is fast becoming the new black when it comes to planning the ultimate stag weekend. There truly is nothing like getting a bunch of lads together adding a strong element of fear, the smell of competition and the threat of ritual humiliation to bring out the dormant Evil Knieval within.

And it seems this chest beating machismo and daring even stretches into the cultural realm as scores of quintessential British stags are downloading Google earth, thumbing through a phrase book and heading off shore to experience far flung destinations for their weekend of freedom. The foreign office released a detailed survey at the end of last year and found that a staggering 70 per cent of young Brits “now prefer to travel abroad for hen and stag parties”. That sure is a giant leap from our parents’ night out in Bournemouth. And perched at the top of the destination pack is undeniable the cool of Eastern Europe. Riga. Vilnius. Tallinn. Bratislava. Moscow. They’re so cool they’re hot. The Iron Curtain is cool and the Eastern Bloc is rocking. This is principally from the recent expansion of the European Union making costly and irritating visas at thing of the past and the fact that flights are now cheaper than a ticket to see Rod Stewart’s Greatest Hits tour at Wembley. And let’s not forget the exchange rate. Ah the sweet exchange rate, where often one humble quid will be enough to buy more than one pint of quality local brew. This point is often argument enough to entice punters from expensive metro poles like London (where one quid may buy you a copy of The Sun and half a mars bar).

So 21st Century Stags unite! The options are as endless as your imagination. That really is the easy part. Now it’s just a matter of convincing her to marry you…

If there’s one city in the world that knows how to party, it’s Manchester. This isn’t exactly news to the hip and the cool – Manchester has been the center of hip for decades now. Trendy music, classic style, the original Pub crawl capital of the world and home to the Curry Mile – not to mention the Hard Rock Cafe – what more could you ask from a city if you’re planning a stag do? Stag parties were made for Manchester – or should that be the other way around?

But there’s more to Manchester than night life. By day, the cheeky city boasts some of the best sporting and active pursuits any man would be proud to admit to indulging. Stag parties in Manchester tend to run to full stag weekends of non-stop rousing and Arousing fun. Whether it’s a spot of paintball (or a whole lot of paintball spots!), a round of golf, a jaunt around the course in an armored tank or a walk on the wild side in Manchester’s hottest nightclubs, a Manchester stag weekend can boast something for everyone.

So you’re the bloke that gets to plan a stag party in Manchester? Here’s a handful of helpful tips to make sure you send your mate off on his wedding day with a photo album full of memories. (And you can’t blame us if they’re the sort he’ll pay to keep hidden!)

Start with a THEME. In a city full of college pranksters and swaggering Mancunians, you’ll need a way to make the Stag stand out from the crowd. Who could miss him strutting down the street in the midst of a dozen toga-clad Senators? Or if togas are a bit too Greek for your lot, why not hit the clubs wearing pith helmets and monocles for a jolly old night on the town?

Don’t forget the PRANK – the lynchpin of any stag party in Manchester or anywhere else. The best we’ve heard is a direct steal from MAS*H – get your guest of honor totally soused… then encase him from neck to knees in a plaster cast. All right – that one might be a touch rough to pull off, but it’s a bit more imaginative than hiding all his trousers and leaving him nothing to wear but a pair of boxers stamped with bright pink ribbons.

Even if you decide to do away with the theme and the prank, you’ll still find a lot of benefit in some advance planning for your Manchester stag weekend. In fact, say many professional tour operators, you’d do best to start making your plans and reservations as much as six months in advance, especially if you want to include popular activities like quad bikes, five a side football or hovercraft racing. If you’re feeling especially organized, you might even arrange a full weekend of spy games to entertain the man of the hour in his final hours.

A stag weekend in Manchester is just one example of the unique stag parties that a professional tour operator can help you arrange. If you’re looking for more unique ideas for stag parties in Manchester or any other city, contact a tour operator that specialises in unique and unusual stag nights, bachelor parties and stag weekends.

Ghost Hunters

With 800 years of experience, there are few cities that can boast the atmosphere that Riga offers for stag parties. A vibrant, modern city with a special love of music, Riga offers a blend of adrenaline-raising activities and heart-pumping night life that make stag parties in Riga the sort that you’re still talking about years later. The Old Town in Riga boasts clubs, live music, DJs, casinos and bars that cover the spectrum from posh to dodgy. And if shopping is part of your agenda, Riga’s city market is the largest in the world.

Shopping on a stag weekend? Stag parties in Riga find some unusual things to do, and shopping is one of them. The City Market is housed under four enormous renovated zeppelin hangars, and is a great place to test your Stag’s mettle in the face of the local ‘scenery’. It’s just a few minutes walk from Old Town Riga, where dozens of pubs and bars offer an excellent venue for a Riga stag parties pub crawl. If you’re not certain of the best watering holes in the city – and who’d expect a bunch of tourists out on a holiday stag jaunt to know? – you can turn the planning over to a tour organizer that specialises in arranging activities for stag parties in Riga.

One Riga stag parties activity that you won’t find in many other cities is an afternoon of – bob-sledding. Hurtling down an icy bobsleigh track at speeds approaching blurring, with no brakes to slow your downward descent – is there a better metaphor for the journey your mate is about to embark than that? Other daytime activities for stag parties in Riga include paintball, quad biking, off road karting and… wait for it.. bungee jumping! Let your stag literally take the plunge before he jumps off the cliffs into married life, eh?

Stag parties in Riga really hit their stride in the evenings, though, with dozens of clubs and music venues that offer a taste of every entertainment imaginable. Hit the nightclubs with a guide, or rent out a limousine for a bangup start to your night with a lapdance limo ride. If you make your arrangements in advance, you can end up your pub crawl in one of Riga’s lap dancing and strip clubs for a night of ogling the best girl flesh that Eastern Europe has to offer.

Bobsleighing in Riga is just one example of a fun stag parties activity that a professional tour operator can help you arrange. If you’re looking for more unique ideas for stag parties in Riga or any other city, contact Chillisauce.co.uk, a tour operator that specialises in unique and unusual stag nights, bachelor parties and stag weekends.

Fancy a stag do with exciting daytime activities and exotic night time adventures that do not burn a hole in your pocket? Yes! This place exists and it goes by the name of Budapest. For a mere 80p, you can get a pint of beer while a hearty meal will just cost you less than £5. Couple this with the service of a Chillisauce stag do operator, you will definitely be bound for some pure fun and lasting memories!

Also named as the Paris of the East, Budapest boasts of the Buda section that is the historic section of the city and the Pest, where all the modern malls, clubs and restaurants are located. With a total of 123 thermal springs and a selection of outdoor spas combined with 2000 hours of sunshine each year, your stag do in Budapest will definitely be one of your best experiences ever.

Possible unique daytime activities for a Budapest stag do include a taste of adventure sports in the nearby Pilis Mountains. These would include exciting rally driving experiences, Quad Bike racing and obstacle courses as well as uniquely different thermal spas and exotic Bacchanalian Spas. Unlike the ones in UK, the thermal spas here are located in buildings designed much like castles with fountains and pools of both warm and cold water, as well as bikini clad beauties. These are just perfect for recovery after the heavy booze and hangover from the previous night. Furthermore, other services that complement the thermal spa include steam rooms, sauna and massage services, all of which have been built to cater to your need to relax.

What other unique stag do activities can you expect from Budapest? Well, if you are in for some gambling fun, then there’s the Budapest casino. Chillisauce will take care of all the entry requirements for you so that you can just enjoy the Poker, Roulette and Blackjack, or even have a go at the Slot Machines.

Peruvian girl

Looking for a wild stag party in the heart of Europe? Try a stag do at Prague to experience a different party culture with a blend of medieval charm and cosmopolitan excitement. This city of 1.2 million has always been a favored for the uniquely ancient Prague Castle, drawing tourists from all over to revel at its unique architecture.

For the party animal with a different agenda, Prague offers a multitude of night spots offering a constant flow of cheap and world-class beer. This includes popular local beer brands such as Pilsner Urquell and Budvar, easily acquired anywhere in the city but more prominently in the night spots of the Old Town area of Prague.

If you don’t want to miss out the most exclusive clubs where only VIPs gain entrance, get a tour operator like Chillisauce to get you in. Specifically, Chillisauce will increase the fun level of your stag party with a clubbing experience that you will never forget! Marvel at the massiveness and uniqueness of the 14th Century nightclub located at the heart of Prague which incorporates 5 different dance floors. Whatever your taste in party music may be, you will be spoilt for choice with the variety of 5 different music areas.

That not good enough for you? Well, you will be definitely astounded when you discover the Roman Baths and pools here, which make this 14th century party haven no match for any other stag party venue in the city. Truly, this club must be at the top of your list before you even land in Prague!

Strip shows are also aplenty in Prague. With Chillisauce, you can be sure that you won’t mess up your itinerary and miss out on the ultimate stag experience. There is not anything more exotic than the opportunity to enjoy a sumptuous dinner while watching a strip show! You can be sure that good quality will not be compromised as your 3 course meal is served at one of Prague’s finest restaurants.

Cardiff combines old and new in a vibrant city scene that is like no other in the world. A stag night in Cardiff can take advantage of the vivid nightlife, dip into the pool of local comedy talent at a Cardiff comedy club, or stretch into the next day with a variety of exciting activities in and around Cardiff and its surroundings. Cardiff may not be the first city you think of when you think of a stag night, but it has some fantastic offerings for a stag party that will never be forgotten.

If you enjoy a challenge, you’ll find some spectacular stag night activities in Cardiff. The surrounding waterfalls and cliffs have given rise to the exciting extreme sport of coasteering, an amazing combination of swimming, hiking, cliff-jumping and traversing the cliffs that has been likened to whitewater rafting without the raft. Coasteering originated in Pembrokeshire in the early 80s, and has taken off as one of the hottest stag night activities in and around Cardiff. If that sounds just a wee bit TOO extreme, you can always compromise and take a canyoning jaunt through some of the most magnificent landscapes ever created.

Stag nights have matured along with the average age of the Stag. What was once a night out with the boys and a last hurrah replete with strippers, lap dances and far too much booze to be healthy has become, in many cases, a full weekend holiday that mingles active, extreme pleasures with a night of carousing in an unfamiliar town. A stag night in Cardiff offers a range of fun from comedy clubs to lap dancing, from archery and golf to dunesliding and abeiling. For your nighttime stag revels, you’ll find world class nightclubs, lap dance clubs and many tour operators running party busses and party limos with the accent on naughtiness.

Coasteering in Cardiff is just one example of a fun stag do activity that a professional tour operator can help you arrange. If you’re looking for more unique ideas for stag nights in Cardiff or any other city, contact a tour operator that specialises in unique and unusual stag nights, bachelor parties and stag weekends.

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If there’s one place you want to visit for extreme stag parties, it should be Birmingham. With the myriad of activities lined up for you, you can expect an exciting time even if you are a seasoned extreme party animal. In fact, with Chillisauce’s stag tour guide, you won’t have to waste time seeking for the best places to go! As a fully bonded tour operator, Chillisauce has conducted all the necessary evaluations and thus know which extreme Birmingham stag parties would be just right for you!

As one of the larger cities in the UK, Birmingham has a wide selection of stag bars and clubs including one of the largest lap dancing clubs in the world. Apart from that, prices here are pretty reasonable too as compared to other stag weekend destinations. With a city population of 2 million people, you can bet that they are a huge market for the coolest clubs here.

So, what are some of these exciting activities that have kept many stags coming back? Well, for one thing, the lap dancing here is one of most exotic you can ever find in the U.K. Other than the conventional lap dancing clubs, things here have become more creative than ever here with a relaxing limousine lap dance that lasts an hour! With one erotic lap dancer assigned to a luxurious Lincoln limousine taking a maximum of 7 passengers, you are bound to be entertained en route to more lap dancing at a local lap dancing bar.

If you are putting up in Birmingham for 2 nights, Chillisauce has an alternate agenda for your stag weekend in Birmingham. Your Chillisauce tour guide will lead to one of the most exclusive parties in the city. With a maximum capacity of a thousand, this deluxe club boasts of 8 bars spread over 2 gigantic dance floors. What’s more, you can also chill out at exclusive VIP rooms and also dedicated bars for champagne, vodka and cocktails.

As incomes rose in the UK in the 1990′s and into this decade, so the expectations of husbands-to-be grew for their stag party celebrations.

Low cost flights changed party planning from the local pub and club with alcohol and girls to a bar or club with alcohol and girls in Spain, Greece and Cyprus.

In fact, such was the demand for stag parties abroad that a niche travel industry has sprung up, specialising in making sure the long weekend turned out to be all the groom and his friends expected it to be.

The areas in Europe that benefitted most from the high spending alcohol fuelled weekends include Barcelona, Cyprus, Tenerife and Ibiza. New areas that sprung up as top pre wediing party destinations included Latvia and Estonia.

The bad news for these areas and the companies who get a share of the stag weekends abroad business from the UK is that the credit crunch is changing where stag parties are being held – and it’s not abroad as much as it was before talk of a recession came about.

Five years ago an amazing 58 per cent of pre wedding parties were abroad. This year that has dropped by more than two thirds to just 16 per cent.

And the shift away from long weekends abroad to long weekends at home has seen London rise to be favourite destination for the party-goers, followed by Manchester and Newcastle, with each party-goer spending an average of 370 Sterling (around US $’s 740).

With the number of traditional family holidays abroad also likely to be down from the UK this year, some areas are bound to feel the economic winds that are blowing through the European travel industry, but oddly some of the previously popular stag party destinations seem to be doing well – perhaps it’s now the married couples with their children from the last decade who are returning to where they enjoyed their last holiday while single!

Cyprus for example did have a good June with an 8 per cent increase in visitors compared to June 2007, but that was after four successive months of falling tourist arrivals.

And Tenerife is on course to beat 2007′s tourist arrivals, with May figures this year showing a 20 per cent jump on the 2007 figures.

Los Cristianos, previously a small fishing village, is now one of the largest resorts on the island and favoured by some of the stag parties. Located in the southern part of the island, it is home to mass-market tourism. The architectural feel of the resort town is very typical Canarian. The town centre is never crowded with vehicles, as the entire area is pedestrian only. Both small and large boats share the large port. A wide array of boats can often be seen docking or parked in the bay. The resort has two large beaches and lots of cafes, restaurants, bars and shops to choose from.

Puerto de la Cruz, another favourite for stag weekends, is a large tourist resort on the northern part of the island. It is a mere 10 minute drive across beautiful countryside from La Oratava. The Puerto de la Cruz resort began as a port for La Oratava and the export of bananas from nearby plantations. La Oratava, Esperanza forest and Mount Teide offer amazing views from the variety of hotels in Puerto de la Cruz. Due to its volcanic origins, black sand beaches offer a very unique beach experience. It is not recommended that you swim in the ocean on the northern side of the island, especially in the small hours of the morning after a heavy drinking session, as there is no reef to protect the shores from harsh tides and sweeping currents. Instead, Puerto de la Cruz has a large open-air seawater swimming pool called ‘Lago de Martianez.’

But whether Cyprus and Tenerife ride out the travel downturn successfully or not, there will be clubs and bars on both islands who would welcome a new wave of stag parties!

The Slovakian capital of Bratislava boasts a mingled atmosphere of Old World Charm and up to the minute chic energy that isn’t found anywhere outside the old Eastern Bloc cities. The combination of hot girls and cool prices have made Bratislava one of the trendiest places for a stag weekend on the Continent. The incredibly cheap prices (50p for a brew in a local pub) attract the trade, and in true capitalist fashion, the steady inpouring of randy stag partiers has attracted more activities, which in turn attract more Bratislava stag weekend business.

The only problem you’ll be faced with when planning a stag party in Bratislava is which of the incredible array of activities to include on your itinerary. Let your Stag be your guide there. If he’s a fairly typical bloke, you’ll find all the traditional typical stag weekend activities in Bratislava. You can easily fill a Bratislava stag weekend with clay pigeon shooting, paintball tournaments, off track karting and 4×4 races.

But you can get a real adrenaline buzz going in Bratislava if your mates are inclined to the more extreme end of the danger scale. Show the soon-to-be wedded man what married life is really like by taking bungee jumping to the next level with bridge swinging – a leap off the end of a bridge in downtown Bratislava. Or leap off into space in a different way with an afternoon at the Astro Trainer, a unique outdoor facility that was originally designed to help astronauts get a feel for floating in 0-G.

And of course, no stag do is complete without the prerequisite night of clubbing till dawn. Every Bratislava stag weekend should include a brewery tour followed up by a night on the town in the company of scantily clad (and bound to get even more scanty) girls. You can dance the night away at any of the dozens of nightclubs and bars in the Old Town, or sit back with a drink and watch the tantalizing dancers put on a show just for you. If you’re in a gambling mood, you’ve even got your choice of five different casinos.

A Bratislava stag weekend is just one example of the kind of stag parties that a professional tour operator can help you arrange. If you’re looking for more unique ideas for stag dos in Bratislava or any other city, contact Chillisauce.co.uk, a tour operator that specialises in unique and unusual stag nights, bachelor parties and stag weekends.

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If you desire to lie down on a sunny beach, enjoying delicacies or want to visit some of the happening nightclubs of the UK, You just cannot resist Newquay. Especially if you are committed to get married in weeks, Newquay offers you some of the finest ways to celebrate your stag party.

Newquay: The Ultimate Destination

Newquay is one of the ideal destinations for celebrating stag weekends. Known as the perfect fishing spot, Newquay is becoming a happening tourist destination especially for enjoying stag party and hen party.

Fishing in Newquay can be a memorable experience. All fishing fanatic can take a day’s out at sea and organize a grand fishing stag party. For the entire day, men can lazing around on a boat and get a glimpse of marine life.

The city is a favorite destination for every groom who loves fishing. You along with your pals can take a tour of ocean and feel thrilled. When on a beach, you’ll forget everything behind and enjoy being a part of aquatic life. The evening view of Newquay from the ocean would be astonishing and marvelous. Sitting on a ferry, sipping your favorite drink, you and your friends can share your secrets and have a great time together.

Stag weekend in Newquay is one of the fulfilling experience for every groom-to-be. You can relax and feel excited to enjoy the spirit of this great city.

People who love to discover happening nightlife can check in to some popular nightclubs in Newquay. Dance and sing on the rhythmic beat of international DJs who play their music in Newquay often. You can take part in some of the challenging and interesting activities like cliff climbing and satisfy your daring soul.

Enjoy the last few days of your bachelorhood amongst fun, frolics and fishing. Newquay is waiting for you.