So, what is the best beach in the world - Blackpool beach or Bondi? It all depends on what you want from your top beach. Here are a few top beach selections - let me know if you agree?
Anjuna Beach, Goa, India: One of the original ‘hippie hangouts’ from the sixties, Anjuna Beach is all about sun, sea and spirituality. Some of those who made the trip in the sixties still remain, giving Anjuna a lively alternative feel. Every Wednesday the market place behind the beach comes alive too, where the unique and beguiling Goan way of life is very much on display. The beach itself is long and white, perfect for those long lazy days, while at night the beach is famed for its pulsating nightlife, including regular techno-fuelled Full Moon parties.
Barbate, Costa de la Luz, Spain: The Costa de la Luz in South Western Andalusia is one of the last stretches of Spanish coastline not to suffer from overdevelopment. Lapped by the Atlantic Ocean, this area of Spain has some superb out-of-the-way beaches and picturesque fishing villages. Among the best beaches is Barbate, which is located in a unique beauty spot overlooking Brena Nature Park. Flanked by sand dunes and enticing pine groves it as far away from the crowded beaches of the Costa Del Sol as you can get.
White Haven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Australia: In a country blessed with more brilliant beaches than you can swing a kangaroo at, White Haven Beach, on the Whitsunday Islands, is really something special. Stretching for more than six kilometres and lapped by the most beautiful, turquoise blue sea, White Haven Beach is untainted white, consisting of 98% pure silica, the main ingredient in glass! The sand is so pure it has a striking all-white, dazzling, effect. Made up of seventy-four separate islands and set in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsunday Islands are a group of pristine islands, untouched by tourism, and offer a picture postcard paradise.
Thong Nai Pan Yai, Thailand: This palm-tree lined beach on the Thai island of Koh Phangan is located at the end of a rough dirt road through the jungle. Dotted with bungalow lodges, costing next-to-nothing to rent this is a superb spot to recharge the batteries. The beach itself is long and wide, lapped by a beautiful clear blue sea, with the occasional sight of a fishing boat or pleasure cruise to draw your attention. The beach is popular with backpackers and there are a number of bars to be found at the back of the beach. However, if this isn’t quite your scene, don’t worry; Thong Nai Pan Yai is accommodating enough to leave you feeling completely blissed out. And, if the mood takes you, there are regular boats available from the beach to one of Thailand’s legendary Full Moon Parties.
Clifton Beach, Cape Town, South Africa: This is the beach where the citizens of Cape Town flock to in the summer in order to see and be seen. Packed out with tourists and locals alike this is one of the best beaches in South Africa in terms of activities, with the bronzed and beautiful all around playing volleyball, Frisbee and football on the beach, while watersports and yachts rip it up on the sea; very much the South African version of Marbella.
Friday 19 December 2008
London Travel Guide: Get Stuffed - Eat Your Way Around London
From Gordon to Jamie, Harrods to local Markets, you can stuff your face in style - and take in some of the less touristy parts of London - when you eat your way around London. Check out Our Food Guide to Eating and Travelling around London.
London now boasts some of the best restaurants and eateries in Europe, catering for all tastes. From the curry houses of Brick Lane to the Michelin stars of Gordon Ramsay in Claridge’s, whatever you fancy, London does not disappoint. And, for seasoned visitors, there is no better way to experience the capital than on a culinary tour around some the city’s most popular food haunts.
On arrival in London I began my day with an early morning visit to London’s favourite department store, Harrods. Many of us have been here before, but no matter how many times I visit, my stomach is always eager to return to the spectacular Harrod’s Food Court.
If it’s pure indulgence you are after then Harrods is the right place to be: confectionary, biscuits and cakes are the store’s forte and although they may be a little on the expensive side, you’ll be hard pushed to find nicer pastries in London. After a mouth-watering wander around the food court and several delightful pastries, I could not help but start to think about lunch! I’m not usually such a glutton, but in the interests of journalism, I was determined to sample as much as I could of London’s superb culinary reputation. Thankfully, I did not have to go far to fulfil my luncheon ideas.
Just a short walk from Harrods is the world famous Berkeley Hotel, where none other than Gordon Ramsey has set-up shop with the Boxwood Café. The Boxwood, according to the Berkeley Hotel website is Mr. Ramsey’s take on the ‘upscale New York café scene.’ I’m not quite sure what that means to be exact, but on arrival at the Boxwood I found it to be a delightfully stylish restaurant, with stairs from the top reception area leading down to the main restaurant floor.
The light was low and the atmosphere very relaxed and laidback – perfect for those lazy lunches, where you don’t like to feel rushed. The menu is best described as modern British and is dependant on seasonal ingredients that could typically be found in a British market. To start I had a superb pickled arctic herring with new potatoes and crème fraiche, followed by braised English new season lamb, minted peas and broad beans. I lay off the dessert after my pastry extravaganza earlier in the morning, but did sit back and take in the ambience with a glass of superb 1997 Rioja. Starters were £8-£10; mains £10-£20, which for such a nice restaurant in central London is not too bad a price, but I did feel that the wine list was a little on the steep side, starting at £26 for a bottle of red wine!
After lunch, to aid digestion, I embarked on a relaxing walk through Hyde Park in the direction of Marble Arch. After hopping on the tube I made my way to London Bridge tube station and one of London’s best kept food secrets – Borough Market.
There has been a market on the site of Borough Market since before Roman times and although many things have changed, it is still a great place for food fans. Now in its 22nd Century, Borough Market is a thriving marketplace, popular with many of today’s well known celebrity chefs: if you visit the market very early in the morning you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Jamie Oliver selecting produce for his restaurant.
While historically a wholesale market for fruit and vegetables, the market has recently established a very successful weekend retail market with up to 70 stands selling a range of fresh produce, among them fresh fish, meats, cheeses, olives, breads, pastries and pies from all over the country. There is also a comprehensive beer and wine section, catering to all tastes.
Borough Market is at its busiest in the early hours of the morning, when restaurateurs and wholesalers from across London descend on the market to purchase fresh produce. By late afternoon the market is more laid back, but the atmosphere of a bustling market, with traders making good business, adds to the atmosphere and the market's appeal. As you wander around the market, sampling the many tasters on offer, it is easy to feel like you are a part of history, doing what Londoners have done on this site for over two millennia.
Later that day, as early evening approached and after sampling the brews in a nearby London pub, I made way over to Old Street in the hope of grabbing a bite to eat at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant, Fifteen.
Fifteen serves modern European food, and is split between an upstairs Trattoria and the main restaurant downstairs. As viewers of the Channel 4 documentary will be aware, the purpose of Fifteen is to inspire disadvantaged young people to build careers in the restaurant business. So far they have had 37 young people graduate and many of them now work full time in some of the world's best restaurants.
I didn’t have a reservation for the restaurant, which is usually booked three months in advance, but careful studying of the website beforehand informed me that if you are lucky you can find a spot at the Trattoria on a first come first served basis each day. To avoid disappointment I would recommend arriving early.
After three delicious courses – fried duck salad, followed by Pan-fried monkfish tail with a panzanella salad, followed by an orange and amaretto cheese cake – I was completely stuffed. At £10 a starter and £15 for a main course Fifteen is slightly cheaper than the Boxwood Café, and if I had to choose between the two I would probably opt for Fifteen.
Fully satiated and ready for home I made way back to Waterloo Station and slumped on a train homeward bound. If the thought of doing all the typical tourist sights when visiting the capital fills you with dread, you could do worse than be led around London by your stomach!
Links
London now boasts some of the best restaurants and eateries in Europe, catering for all tastes. From the curry houses of Brick Lane to the Michelin stars of Gordon Ramsay in Claridge’s, whatever you fancy, London does not disappoint. And, for seasoned visitors, there is no better way to experience the capital than on a culinary tour around some the city’s most popular food haunts.
On arrival in London I began my day with an early morning visit to London’s favourite department store, Harrods. Many of us have been here before, but no matter how many times I visit, my stomach is always eager to return to the spectacular Harrod’s Food Court.
If it’s pure indulgence you are after then Harrods is the right place to be: confectionary, biscuits and cakes are the store’s forte and although they may be a little on the expensive side, you’ll be hard pushed to find nicer pastries in London. After a mouth-watering wander around the food court and several delightful pastries, I could not help but start to think about lunch! I’m not usually such a glutton, but in the interests of journalism, I was determined to sample as much as I could of London’s superb culinary reputation. Thankfully, I did not have to go far to fulfil my luncheon ideas.
Just a short walk from Harrods is the world famous Berkeley Hotel, where none other than Gordon Ramsey has set-up shop with the Boxwood Café. The Boxwood, according to the Berkeley Hotel website is Mr. Ramsey’s take on the ‘upscale New York café scene.’ I’m not quite sure what that means to be exact, but on arrival at the Boxwood I found it to be a delightfully stylish restaurant, with stairs from the top reception area leading down to the main restaurant floor.
The light was low and the atmosphere very relaxed and laidback – perfect for those lazy lunches, where you don’t like to feel rushed. The menu is best described as modern British and is dependant on seasonal ingredients that could typically be found in a British market. To start I had a superb pickled arctic herring with new potatoes and crème fraiche, followed by braised English new season lamb, minted peas and broad beans. I lay off the dessert after my pastry extravaganza earlier in the morning, but did sit back and take in the ambience with a glass of superb 1997 Rioja. Starters were £8-£10; mains £10-£20, which for such a nice restaurant in central London is not too bad a price, but I did feel that the wine list was a little on the steep side, starting at £26 for a bottle of red wine!
After lunch, to aid digestion, I embarked on a relaxing walk through Hyde Park in the direction of Marble Arch. After hopping on the tube I made my way to London Bridge tube station and one of London’s best kept food secrets – Borough Market.
There has been a market on the site of Borough Market since before Roman times and although many things have changed, it is still a great place for food fans. Now in its 22nd Century, Borough Market is a thriving marketplace, popular with many of today’s well known celebrity chefs: if you visit the market very early in the morning you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Jamie Oliver selecting produce for his restaurant.
While historically a wholesale market for fruit and vegetables, the market has recently established a very successful weekend retail market with up to 70 stands selling a range of fresh produce, among them fresh fish, meats, cheeses, olives, breads, pastries and pies from all over the country. There is also a comprehensive beer and wine section, catering to all tastes.
Borough Market is at its busiest in the early hours of the morning, when restaurateurs and wholesalers from across London descend on the market to purchase fresh produce. By late afternoon the market is more laid back, but the atmosphere of a bustling market, with traders making good business, adds to the atmosphere and the market's appeal. As you wander around the market, sampling the many tasters on offer, it is easy to feel like you are a part of history, doing what Londoners have done on this site for over two millennia.
Later that day, as early evening approached and after sampling the brews in a nearby London pub, I made way over to Old Street in the hope of grabbing a bite to eat at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant, Fifteen.
Fifteen serves modern European food, and is split between an upstairs Trattoria and the main restaurant downstairs. As viewers of the Channel 4 documentary will be aware, the purpose of Fifteen is to inspire disadvantaged young people to build careers in the restaurant business. So far they have had 37 young people graduate and many of them now work full time in some of the world's best restaurants.
I didn’t have a reservation for the restaurant, which is usually booked three months in advance, but careful studying of the website beforehand informed me that if you are lucky you can find a spot at the Trattoria on a first come first served basis each day. To avoid disappointment I would recommend arriving early.
After three delicious courses – fried duck salad, followed by Pan-fried monkfish tail with a panzanella salad, followed by an orange and amaretto cheese cake – I was completely stuffed. At £10 a starter and £15 for a main course Fifteen is slightly cheaper than the Boxwood Café, and if I had to choose between the two I would probably opt for Fifteen.
Fully satiated and ready for home I made way back to Waterloo Station and slumped on a train homeward bound. If the thought of doing all the typical tourist sights when visiting the capital fills you with dread, you could do worse than be led around London by your stomach!
Links
Wild West Wales: Explore Carmarthenshire
Great countryside, great events and great place to visit - check out our indepth guide to West Wales.
Bread of Heaven A land of rolling green hills, woodlands, ruined castles, mountains and stunning coastline, Carmarthenshire in South West Wales is an easily reached and laidback short break destination.
Often ignored by holidaymakers in favour of the more apparent coastal charms and tourist hotspots of Pembrokeshire farther west, those who visit Carmarthenshire are seldom disappointed. Unlike Pembrokeshire it is a noticeably Welsh speaking area, too, where the language is still used in everyday life.
The small town of Llandeilo, in the heart of the county, is undoubtedly a hidden gem, with its beautiful single span stone bridge – the largest in Wales - a central feature. Nearby Dinefwr Park and Castle are also well worth a visit. The castle and park represent a unique and tangible link with a most illustrious phase in Wales’ history. Newton House, built in 1660, has an informative exhibition on the park’s history, while the ruins of Dinefwr Castle, the court of the medieval south Wales Kingdom of Deheubarth and powerbase for the powerful 'Lord Rhys,' who accompanied Richard III at the battle of Bosworth, can be reached through historic tracks and walk-ways rich in wildlife.
Indeed, Dinefwr is priceless in terms of wildlife. Its veteran tree community is, with the New Forest in England, one of the most important in the UK; the parkland is the most important site in South Wales for lichens and second most important in Wales for deadwood invertebrates.
Dinefwr Castle, strategically positioned overlooking the Tywi Valley, is part of three castles originally built by the Welsh, but extended considerably by the Normans to aid them in subduing the local population. The other two castles are Dryslwyn, to the South of Llandeilo, which has now been reduced to rubble. But if you can handle the short, but extremely steep climb to the top it offers extremely good views of the lower Tywi Valley. Near Dryslwyn Castle is The National Botanical Garden of Wales, which blends the design of Norman Foster's Great Glasshouse with a careful restoration programme of the original walled gardens of the Middleton Estate. It is one of the most fascinating gardens in the UK and is pioneering the protection of a number of rare plant-life. It is most definitely a must-see destination for all those with green-fingers.
The remaining Castle in the original triangular defence of the Tywi valley is perhaps one of the most spectacular ruins in the whole of Wales. Situated at the top of a rocky crag on the Western edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, Carreg Cennen Castle offers spectacular views of the Black Mountain and dominates its surroundings. Dating back to at least the 13th Century, although some archaeological evidence suggests that the site may have been used by the Romans, a walk around the ruins of Carreg Cennen Castle is to step back in time to feel a part of Welsh history.
The nearby village of Trap is also home to the famous Brecon Carreg mineral water, where you can visit a shop and tea rooms on the site.
Further West and the rolling green hills of Carmarthenshire give-way to Carmarthen Bay. Pendine, a small and popular holiday spot has one of the best beaches in the country, stretching for mile upon mile. So vast is the beach in fact that it was previously used for land speed record attempts. In 1927 J.G Parry Thomas was killed trying to beat Malcolm Campell's record of 175 miles per hour. There is a small museum in the town dedicated to Pendine’s motoring heritage.
Nearby is the small town of Laugharne, the famous home town of Dylan Thomas, which formed much of the inspiration for his play Under Milk Wood. As well as his former home, the boathouse (pictured), you can also visit Laugharne Castle, which is an excellent example of Norman castle building. In recent years Laugharne has gained much attention as the base of actor Neil Morrissey’s (Men Behaving Badly, also the voice of Bob the Builder) business Empire. He owns a number of properties in the area, notably Thomas’s old drinking haunt Brown’s Hotel, as well as the nearby exclusive retreat and restaurant, Hurst House.
North-east of Llandeilo the rolling green hills of Carmarthenshire make way for the bleakly beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park. The small market town of Llandovery, on the western edge of the National Park and close to the new-home of the Prince of Wales, is worth stopping at for a coffee and a walk around the castle ruins, although they are not as impressive as others in the locality. The remains of an Iron Age fort at Garn Goch, or ‘red hillock,’ due to the startling red colour of the fern covered hillock in the winter months is an out-of-the-way gem with outstanding views of the surrounding countryside.
Carmarthenshire is easily reached from England – simply get on the M4 and drive West until the very end and your there, and is only three and a half hours from London. If you are looking for a quiet retreat, with country walks, famous ruins and enjoyable hospitality, without any of the associated tourist paraphernalia of Devon or Cornwall, then Carmarthenshire could be the destination for you.
Where to Stay
Cwmgwyn Farmhouse B&B, Llandovery: A 17th century farmhouse full of character with exposed beams and plenty of country atmosphere on the outskirts of Llandovery. Cwmgwyn farm is a working farm rearing cattle and sheep and is admirably situated with splendid views across the river Towy. Price: £25 per person, per night and includes a full Welsh breakfast. www.cwmgwyn-holidays.co.uk
Hurst House, Laugharne: Neil Morrissey’s popular getaway hotel Hurst House, near Laugharne, has an enviable reputation in the locality for excellent food, superb facilities and a relaxed atmosphere. www.hurst-house.co.uk
The Cawdor Arms Hotel, Llandeilo: Recently renovated to bring the rooms into the twenty-first century, the Cawdor Arms Hotel is a Grade II listed building in the heart of Llandeilo and is well placed to be a relaxing base from which to explore the locality. Rooms from £65 per room, per night, with breakfast. www.thecawdor.com
Bread of Heaven A land of rolling green hills, woodlands, ruined castles, mountains and stunning coastline, Carmarthenshire in South West Wales is an easily reached and laidback short break destination.
Often ignored by holidaymakers in favour of the more apparent coastal charms and tourist hotspots of Pembrokeshire farther west, those who visit Carmarthenshire are seldom disappointed. Unlike Pembrokeshire it is a noticeably Welsh speaking area, too, where the language is still used in everyday life.
The small town of Llandeilo, in the heart of the county, is undoubtedly a hidden gem, with its beautiful single span stone bridge – the largest in Wales - a central feature. Nearby Dinefwr Park and Castle are also well worth a visit. The castle and park represent a unique and tangible link with a most illustrious phase in Wales’ history. Newton House, built in 1660, has an informative exhibition on the park’s history, while the ruins of Dinefwr Castle, the court of the medieval south Wales Kingdom of Deheubarth and powerbase for the powerful 'Lord Rhys,' who accompanied Richard III at the battle of Bosworth, can be reached through historic tracks and walk-ways rich in wildlife.
Indeed, Dinefwr is priceless in terms of wildlife. Its veteran tree community is, with the New Forest in England, one of the most important in the UK; the parkland is the most important site in South Wales for lichens and second most important in Wales for deadwood invertebrates.
Dinefwr Castle, strategically positioned overlooking the Tywi Valley, is part of three castles originally built by the Welsh, but extended considerably by the Normans to aid them in subduing the local population. The other two castles are Dryslwyn, to the South of Llandeilo, which has now been reduced to rubble. But if you can handle the short, but extremely steep climb to the top it offers extremely good views of the lower Tywi Valley. Near Dryslwyn Castle is The National Botanical Garden of Wales, which blends the design of Norman Foster's Great Glasshouse with a careful restoration programme of the original walled gardens of the Middleton Estate. It is one of the most fascinating gardens in the UK and is pioneering the protection of a number of rare plant-life. It is most definitely a must-see destination for all those with green-fingers.
The remaining Castle in the original triangular defence of the Tywi valley is perhaps one of the most spectacular ruins in the whole of Wales. Situated at the top of a rocky crag on the Western edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, Carreg Cennen Castle offers spectacular views of the Black Mountain and dominates its surroundings. Dating back to at least the 13th Century, although some archaeological evidence suggests that the site may have been used by the Romans, a walk around the ruins of Carreg Cennen Castle is to step back in time to feel a part of Welsh history.
The nearby village of Trap is also home to the famous Brecon Carreg mineral water, where you can visit a shop and tea rooms on the site.
Further West and the rolling green hills of Carmarthenshire give-way to Carmarthen Bay. Pendine, a small and popular holiday spot has one of the best beaches in the country, stretching for mile upon mile. So vast is the beach in fact that it was previously used for land speed record attempts. In 1927 J.G Parry Thomas was killed trying to beat Malcolm Campell's record of 175 miles per hour. There is a small museum in the town dedicated to Pendine’s motoring heritage.
Nearby is the small town of Laugharne, the famous home town of Dylan Thomas, which formed much of the inspiration for his play Under Milk Wood. As well as his former home, the boathouse (pictured), you can also visit Laugharne Castle, which is an excellent example of Norman castle building. In recent years Laugharne has gained much attention as the base of actor Neil Morrissey’s (Men Behaving Badly, also the voice of Bob the Builder) business Empire. He owns a number of properties in the area, notably Thomas’s old drinking haunt Brown’s Hotel, as well as the nearby exclusive retreat and restaurant, Hurst House.
North-east of Llandeilo the rolling green hills of Carmarthenshire make way for the bleakly beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park. The small market town of Llandovery, on the western edge of the National Park and close to the new-home of the Prince of Wales, is worth stopping at for a coffee and a walk around the castle ruins, although they are not as impressive as others in the locality. The remains of an Iron Age fort at Garn Goch, or ‘red hillock,’ due to the startling red colour of the fern covered hillock in the winter months is an out-of-the-way gem with outstanding views of the surrounding countryside.
Carmarthenshire is easily reached from England – simply get on the M4 and drive West until the very end and your there, and is only three and a half hours from London. If you are looking for a quiet retreat, with country walks, famous ruins and enjoyable hospitality, without any of the associated tourist paraphernalia of Devon or Cornwall, then Carmarthenshire could be the destination for you.
Where to Stay
Cwmgwyn Farmhouse B&B, Llandovery: A 17th century farmhouse full of character with exposed beams and plenty of country atmosphere on the outskirts of Llandovery. Cwmgwyn farm is a working farm rearing cattle and sheep and is admirably situated with splendid views across the river Towy. Price: £25 per person, per night and includes a full Welsh breakfast. www.cwmgwyn-holidays.co.uk
Hurst House, Laugharne: Neil Morrissey’s popular getaway hotel Hurst House, near Laugharne, has an enviable reputation in the locality for excellent food, superb facilities and a relaxed atmosphere. www.hurst-house.co.uk
The Cawdor Arms Hotel, Llandeilo: Recently renovated to bring the rooms into the twenty-first century, the Cawdor Arms Hotel is a Grade II listed building in the heart of Llandeilo and is well placed to be a relaxing base from which to explore the locality. Rooms from £65 per room, per night, with breakfast. www.thecawdor.com
Tuesday 16 December 2008
City Break Idea: Rotterdam City Guide
Rotterdam travel information, including attractions, accommodation, nightlife and getting there.
Rotterdam, the Netherlands’s second largest city, is undoubtedly the place to go for a true refelction of modern Holland. Explore it now with our great online travel guide and tourist information.
The centre of Rotterdam was bombed by the Germans at the beginning of World War Two and completely destroyed.
In rebuilding, Dutch town planners taught their contemporaries in Britain a thing or two. As you would expect from a large city – population 600,000 – the centre has a fantastic shopping district, packed with all the usual chain stores that are so ubiquitous in the UK. But there are also plenty of smaller independent stores to be found, too, offering unique fashions at an affordable price.
Rotterdam is also home to one of the largest markets in Europe, too. On Friday afternoons, Saturdays and Tuesdays, a large market is held at Binnenrotte, the largest market square in the Netherlands. Visitors can buy fresh meat, fish and vegetables as well as plenty of clothes and other common market staples.
Rotterdam is a living, breathing Dutch city, not, as like much of Amsterdam, given over to catering to the whims of tourists from the US and Europe. The bars are one hundred percent authentic, catering to locals needs and tastes, but thankfully, due to the Dutch mastery of the English language, you can get by easily without running in to difficulty. Note: despite a mastery of English better than most Brits, the locals truly appreciate it if you attempt even a smattering of Dutch in conversation.
The food in Rotterdam is fantastic, too. Perhaps due to the fact that the Dutch are, on average, the tallest people in the world, food portions are often generous: ideal after a day pounding the streets sightseeing.
While out and out tourist restaurants are rare, there are plenty of fast-food outlets and kebab shops to sample, if you are that way inclined. If not, try fashionable eateries such as Stroom, in the heart of the The Creative Factory - the newest creative hub in Rotterdam, where startup company’s and well established companies innovate and grow. For lunch try the restaurant at the top of Euromast tower. The food is surprisingly good considering its prime location, and modestly priced to boot.
Rotterdam Attractions: Architecture
While you will not find the leafy canals that are synonymous with Amsterdam in the centre of Rotterdam, what you will find is a nicely laid out centre, plenty of wide avenues complete with cycle lanes, and some of the best modern architecture in Europe.
Thanks to the building of some fantastic skyscrapers over the last decade or so, the city centre has a distinctive skyline. Away from the centre, too though, in the old port districts Kop van Zuid and the Lloydkwartier, both up and coming areas packed with stylish re-developments of old port buildings and towering residential and commercial skyscrapers.
The Erasmus Bridge, opened in 1996, is a good symbol of the city’s architectural dynamism, but it also serves as an improved connection between the southerly old port area and the northerly city centre.
Nearby you’ll also find the The Kubus or cube homes, famed throughout the Netherlands. Designed by Piet Blom, whose idea was to design a kind of village within a big city, a safe oasis where various functions could come to fruition. The cube shaped homes are architecturally unique and can only be really appreciated after viewing one from the inside. The KijkKubus is the fully furnished museum home in the Blaakse Bos. The interior was specially designed to give visitors an impression of how you can live in a cube home. Models, photo panels and screens offer additional information.
To best appreciate the city’s skyline, however and to help you get your bearings and appreciate the sheer size of the port, a visit up the Euromast tower at the edge of Het Park is highly recommended.
Constructed between 1958 and 1960 and designed by H.A. Maaskant, it is a concrete tower that was originally 101 metres (331 ft) in height. In 1970 the ‘Space Tower’ was added giving an additional 85 metres (279 ft). If you have a head for heights you can take a seated glass lift to the top of the Space Tower. The seats slowly rotate so you get a full 360 degree view of the city and port below.
If you are uncomfortable with heights, or get a little claustrophobic at the thought of being trapped in a revolving green house 200ft above the ground, then I would probably recommend you pass on this experience – the lift travels up and down the tower quite slowly and you can only look out at the world below! Euromast prices: €8.30 Adults, €5.40 children.
Museums in Rotterdam
Lovers of art will not be disappointed by Rotterdam. The city boasts a plethora of museums and galleries and at any one time there are countless exhibitions taking place throughout the city. Some of the best museums include:
The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, specialises in art and has a regular list of exhibitions. Until 13th January, 2008, the museum plays host to Surreal Things: Surrealism and Design, featuring works by the likes of Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte and Max Ernst. From 16th February to 25th May, 2008 the museum plays host to Dutch Primitives: Paintings from the late Middle Ages, which features many early Dutch masterpieces. Visit: for latest listings
The Kunsthall, designed by controversial designer Rem Koolhaus, displays culture in the broadest sense of the word: traditional art, new art, design and photography, from elitist to popular. The exhibition hall houses some 25 exhibitions annually, and the subjects -ranging from Oriental flying carpets to mammoths – are certainly eclectic, but well worth exploring.
The Netherlands Photo Museum is also a must-do for those visiting the southern area of the city. The museum holds changing photo exhibitions from around the world, including some iconic images from the 20th century.
At the tip of Leuvehaven, in the old port district is the Maritime Museum Rotterdam. Detailing the history of the port, check out cranes, steamships and more for free and from April 2008 the 19th century ‘man o war’ De Buffel reopens after extensive renovation.
Rotterdam Nightlife
There is a saying in the Netherlands that money is made in Rotterdam, distributed in The Hague and spent in Amsterdam. Fuelled no doubt by its massive port – the largest in Europe and second only to Shanghai in terms of world port rankings - Rotterdam has a reputation as a working city.
But in recent years the city has spent time cultivating its fun side. Rotterdam has the youngest population in the Netherlands and if you like clubbing, particularly of the techno/electro variety then there are few better places to go. The city’s clubs and bars have a young, edgy, unique vibe about them and experimentation with different styles and sounds seems to be foremost in organiser’s minds; you won’t find the soulless chain pubs and clubs of your typical UK high street here, thankfully.
If nightlife with a difference appeals, then Worm, located in the historic East India Company building at Delfshaven – the historic port area - will appeal. Check out www.wormweb.nl to find out more.
Back in the city centre, other popular club nights include Catwalk (Weena Zuid 33). The club, located down an old tunnel underneath the city centre specialises in the best new electro from some of Rotterdam’s hottest DJs. The place doesn’t really get going until around 2am and doesn’t stop until day-break. www.catwalkrotterdam.com
Also worth checking out is the Bootleg DJ Café (Mauritsweg 33), something of a Rotterdam institution, acting as a meeting place for producers and DJs and a magnet for new talent. www.bootlegdjcafe.com
Off_Corso, located in an old cinema building in the centre of town, is also worth checking out. Young artists show their productions whilst trendy urbanites dance until the sun comes up. Visit: www.vvv.rotterdam.nl
And don’t forget, if you love clubbing, then the FFWD Rotterdam Dance Parade held each August is an absolute must. www.ffwdfitforfreedanceparade.nl
Rotterdam Travel Information: Essentials
Cheap Flights to Rotterdam
Direct flights to Rotterdam are available via Transavia.com departing from Standsted daily. Prices from £40 one-way including taxes. www.transavia.com.
Rotterdam is easily reachable from Amsterdam however, with a journey time from Schiphol Airport of less than 50 minutes. Flights to Amsterdam are available from: easyJet.com, Ba.com and KLM.
Transfer from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport: From Amsterdam Airport Schiphol you can take the train to Rotterdam Central Station, direct trains depart every 30 minutes with a journey time of 47 minutes. Cost of one way ticket is 10,20
Rotterdam by Boat
From the UK you can reach Rotterdam easily by boat. In Hook of Holland, the Stena Line from Harwich docks; travellers can be at Rotterdam Central Station within half an hour. P&O Northsea Ferries from Hull arrives on the Maasvlakte, where a direct bus to Rotterdam is ready and waiting for foot passengers. Once in Rotterdam, the Fast Ferry brings you to the surrounding 'Drecht' cities. A water taxi offers you the opportunity to travel easily within the cityscape seen from the water.
Rotterdam Tourist Information: website: www.rotterdam.info
Visit Holland:http://www.holland.com/uk
Where to Stay: Accommodation in Rotterdam
Bilderberg Parkhotel, a delightful hotel situated in the centre of the city, close to all amenities. Features a fantastic buffet breakfast. www.parkhotelrotterdam.nl
Hilton Rotterdam: Located off Hofplein square, the Hilton Rotterdam hotel is at the heart of the city's business and shopping areas. www.rotterdam.hilton.com
One for romantics and eccentrics alike in the middle of this city is this quirky hotel with themed rooms. Choose from Middle Eastern, South American and African. Check out the website to choose which room you like best – keep and eye out for the monster wooden bath! www.hotelbazar.nl.
Rotterdam, the Netherlands’s second largest city, is undoubtedly the place to go for a true refelction of modern Holland. Explore it now with our great online travel guide and tourist information.
The centre of Rotterdam was bombed by the Germans at the beginning of World War Two and completely destroyed.
In rebuilding, Dutch town planners taught their contemporaries in Britain a thing or two. As you would expect from a large city – population 600,000 – the centre has a fantastic shopping district, packed with all the usual chain stores that are so ubiquitous in the UK. But there are also plenty of smaller independent stores to be found, too, offering unique fashions at an affordable price.
Rotterdam is also home to one of the largest markets in Europe, too. On Friday afternoons, Saturdays and Tuesdays, a large market is held at Binnenrotte, the largest market square in the Netherlands. Visitors can buy fresh meat, fish and vegetables as well as plenty of clothes and other common market staples.
Rotterdam is a living, breathing Dutch city, not, as like much of Amsterdam, given over to catering to the whims of tourists from the US and Europe. The bars are one hundred percent authentic, catering to locals needs and tastes, but thankfully, due to the Dutch mastery of the English language, you can get by easily without running in to difficulty. Note: despite a mastery of English better than most Brits, the locals truly appreciate it if you attempt even a smattering of Dutch in conversation.
The food in Rotterdam is fantastic, too. Perhaps due to the fact that the Dutch are, on average, the tallest people in the world, food portions are often generous: ideal after a day pounding the streets sightseeing.
While out and out tourist restaurants are rare, there are plenty of fast-food outlets and kebab shops to sample, if you are that way inclined. If not, try fashionable eateries such as Stroom, in the heart of the The Creative Factory - the newest creative hub in Rotterdam, where startup company’s and well established companies innovate and grow. For lunch try the restaurant at the top of Euromast tower. The food is surprisingly good considering its prime location, and modestly priced to boot.
Rotterdam Attractions: Architecture
While you will not find the leafy canals that are synonymous with Amsterdam in the centre of Rotterdam, what you will find is a nicely laid out centre, plenty of wide avenues complete with cycle lanes, and some of the best modern architecture in Europe.
Thanks to the building of some fantastic skyscrapers over the last decade or so, the city centre has a distinctive skyline. Away from the centre, too though, in the old port districts Kop van Zuid and the Lloydkwartier, both up and coming areas packed with stylish re-developments of old port buildings and towering residential and commercial skyscrapers.
The Erasmus Bridge, opened in 1996, is a good symbol of the city’s architectural dynamism, but it also serves as an improved connection between the southerly old port area and the northerly city centre.
Nearby you’ll also find the The Kubus or cube homes, famed throughout the Netherlands. Designed by Piet Blom, whose idea was to design a kind of village within a big city, a safe oasis where various functions could come to fruition. The cube shaped homes are architecturally unique and can only be really appreciated after viewing one from the inside. The KijkKubus is the fully furnished museum home in the Blaakse Bos. The interior was specially designed to give visitors an impression of how you can live in a cube home. Models, photo panels and screens offer additional information.
To best appreciate the city’s skyline, however and to help you get your bearings and appreciate the sheer size of the port, a visit up the Euromast tower at the edge of Het Park is highly recommended.
Constructed between 1958 and 1960 and designed by H.A. Maaskant, it is a concrete tower that was originally 101 metres (331 ft) in height. In 1970 the ‘Space Tower’ was added giving an additional 85 metres (279 ft). If you have a head for heights you can take a seated glass lift to the top of the Space Tower. The seats slowly rotate so you get a full 360 degree view of the city and port below.
If you are uncomfortable with heights, or get a little claustrophobic at the thought of being trapped in a revolving green house 200ft above the ground, then I would probably recommend you pass on this experience – the lift travels up and down the tower quite slowly and you can only look out at the world below! Euromast prices: €8.30 Adults, €5.40 children.
Museums in Rotterdam
Lovers of art will not be disappointed by Rotterdam. The city boasts a plethora of museums and galleries and at any one time there are countless exhibitions taking place throughout the city. Some of the best museums include:
The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, specialises in art and has a regular list of exhibitions. Until 13th January, 2008, the museum plays host to Surreal Things: Surrealism and Design, featuring works by the likes of Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte and Max Ernst. From 16th February to 25th May, 2008 the museum plays host to Dutch Primitives: Paintings from the late Middle Ages, which features many early Dutch masterpieces. Visit: for latest listings
The Kunsthall, designed by controversial designer Rem Koolhaus, displays culture in the broadest sense of the word: traditional art, new art, design and photography, from elitist to popular. The exhibition hall houses some 25 exhibitions annually, and the subjects -ranging from Oriental flying carpets to mammoths – are certainly eclectic, but well worth exploring.
The Netherlands Photo Museum is also a must-do for those visiting the southern area of the city. The museum holds changing photo exhibitions from around the world, including some iconic images from the 20th century.
At the tip of Leuvehaven, in the old port district is the Maritime Museum Rotterdam. Detailing the history of the port, check out cranes, steamships and more for free and from April 2008 the 19th century ‘man o war’ De Buffel reopens after extensive renovation.
Rotterdam Nightlife
There is a saying in the Netherlands that money is made in Rotterdam, distributed in The Hague and spent in Amsterdam. Fuelled no doubt by its massive port – the largest in Europe and second only to Shanghai in terms of world port rankings - Rotterdam has a reputation as a working city.
But in recent years the city has spent time cultivating its fun side. Rotterdam has the youngest population in the Netherlands and if you like clubbing, particularly of the techno/electro variety then there are few better places to go. The city’s clubs and bars have a young, edgy, unique vibe about them and experimentation with different styles and sounds seems to be foremost in organiser’s minds; you won’t find the soulless chain pubs and clubs of your typical UK high street here, thankfully.
If nightlife with a difference appeals, then Worm, located in the historic East India Company building at Delfshaven – the historic port area - will appeal. Check out www.wormweb.nl to find out more.
Back in the city centre, other popular club nights include Catwalk (Weena Zuid 33). The club, located down an old tunnel underneath the city centre specialises in the best new electro from some of Rotterdam’s hottest DJs. The place doesn’t really get going until around 2am and doesn’t stop until day-break. www.catwalkrotterdam.com
Also worth checking out is the Bootleg DJ Café (Mauritsweg 33), something of a Rotterdam institution, acting as a meeting place for producers and DJs and a magnet for new talent. www.bootlegdjcafe.com
Off_Corso, located in an old cinema building in the centre of town, is also worth checking out. Young artists show their productions whilst trendy urbanites dance until the sun comes up. Visit: www.vvv.rotterdam.nl
And don’t forget, if you love clubbing, then the FFWD Rotterdam Dance Parade held each August is an absolute must. www.ffwdfitforfreedanceparade.nl
Rotterdam Travel Information: Essentials
Cheap Flights to Rotterdam
Direct flights to Rotterdam are available via Transavia.com departing from Standsted daily. Prices from £40 one-way including taxes. www.transavia.com.
Rotterdam is easily reachable from Amsterdam however, with a journey time from Schiphol Airport of less than 50 minutes. Flights to Amsterdam are available from: easyJet.com, Ba.com and KLM.
Transfer from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport: From Amsterdam Airport Schiphol you can take the train to Rotterdam Central Station, direct trains depart every 30 minutes with a journey time of 47 minutes. Cost of one way ticket is 10,20
Rotterdam by Boat
From the UK you can reach Rotterdam easily by boat. In Hook of Holland, the Stena Line from Harwich docks; travellers can be at Rotterdam Central Station within half an hour. P&O Northsea Ferries from Hull arrives on the Maasvlakte, where a direct bus to Rotterdam is ready and waiting for foot passengers. Once in Rotterdam, the Fast Ferry brings you to the surrounding 'Drecht' cities. A water taxi offers you the opportunity to travel easily within the cityscape seen from the water.
Rotterdam Tourist Information: website: www.rotterdam.info
Visit Holland:http://www.holland.com/uk
Where to Stay: Accommodation in Rotterdam
Bilderberg Parkhotel, a delightful hotel situated in the centre of the city, close to all amenities. Features a fantastic buffet breakfast. www.parkhotelrotterdam.nl
Hilton Rotterdam: Located off Hofplein square, the Hilton Rotterdam hotel is at the heart of the city's business and shopping areas. www.rotterdam.hilton.com
One for romantics and eccentrics alike in the middle of this city is this quirky hotel with themed rooms. Choose from Middle Eastern, South American and African. Check out the website to choose which room you like best – keep and eye out for the monster wooden bath! www.hotelbazar.nl.
New York Travel: NYC Travel Tips on What to See in New York
Travel information and city guide for those about to travel in New York. The only way to really explore New York is on foot - so get ready to pound the pavements with our fabulous travel information and online travel guide to New York City.
From the ubiquitous yellow cab to the Statue of Liberty, the towering Empire State Building to the neon lights of Times Square, much of what we think of as America is, in fact, New York. And if you are looking for a city that combines fantastic sights and an energetic buzz unrivalled anywhere in the world, then New York is the place to go.
New York City Guide
From shopping to sightseeing, musicals to martinis, delis to discotheques, New York caters to all tastes and undoubtedly the best way to experience the canyon-esque avenues and lively street life of this pulsating city is on foot. But when you are walking in one of the biggest cities in the world, where exactly do you start? Follow our walking New York City Guide for more travel information and ideas.
Well, conveniently, while New York is a large, sprawling city, the centre and main draw, Manhattan Island, is small enough to walk in a day.
Times Square, a sight to behold in its own right, is a good place to start. At one time a seedy, neglected area home to the city’s sex shops, in recent years Times Square has been rejuvenated and is now a sight to behold, particularly after dark when the neon lights are at full blast. A short walk north from Times Square is the entrance to New York’s garden, Central Park.
Consisting of 843 acres of parkland amid the hustle and bustle of middle Manhattan, Central Park is a beautiful landscaped area where it is easy to forget you are in the heart of one of the busiest cities on the planet. Although worth a visit all year round, the park is probably best in the summer months when cyclists, rollerbladers and joggers, along with numerous summer concerts and frolicking sunbathers give it a lively feel.
View our slide show of photos from New York, Click Here
On the southern edge of the park, on Fifth Avenue, is the famous Plaza Hotel and a short walk down Fifth Avenue brings you to Trump Towers, one of New York’s tallest buildings, built by Billionaire entrepreneur Donald Trump. Fifth Avenue is where the serious shopping begins. Famous labels such as Hugo Boss and Channel, as well as stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue can all be found here, and thanks to the strong pound, it’s all cheaper than what you’d expect to pay in the UK.
New York City Travel Guide
Many of New York’s museums are also in this area: The Museum of Television and Radio, with a collection of over 50,000 TV and radio shows; New York City Museum, dedicated to exhibitions on New York’s colourful history and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to name but a few. One of the best museums to visit though is the Museum of Modern Art, or MoMA as it is referred. The museum holds a fantastic collection of modern art; Van Gogh, Monet, Pollock, Rothko, Picasso and a legion more. What’s more, if you are visiting New York on the weekend, after 4pm on Fridays admission is free!
New York City Guide: Explore New York
Wander a few blocks south from MoMa along Fifth Avenue, passed an array of superb shops, boutiques and towering skyscrapers, the impressive Rockefeller Center among them, and the Empire State Building, deceptively elusive despite its size, is suddenly upon you. For $15 you can ride to the top and experience some awe inspiring views of the city. It is undoubtedly a must-do for anyone visiting New York for the first time. The queues for the Empire State Building can be long, but it really is worth the wait: to make the most of your trip arrive early when the doors open at 8am and view the city as it awakes.
If you continue south along Fifth Avenue, after a number of blocks you reach Madison Square Park. The park would not really be worth visiting, but for the fact that on its southern point it is flanked by the architectural wonder that is the Flatiron Building. A triangular building built to utilise the plot of land on which it stands, when it was completed in 1902 it was the tallest structure in the world and one of the first to be built using a steel-frame.
Explore New York: Walking Routes for New York City
Continue walking south to the very end of Fifth Avenue and you enter one of New York’s most romanticised and popular districts: Greenwich Village. ‘The Village,’ as New Yorkers refer to it, unlike much of lower Manhattan, has no high rise properties and has a feel all of its own. The Village, in particular the area’s main square, Washington Square Park at the bottom of Fifth Avenue, was the heart of the revolutionary counter-culture made famous during the 1950s and 1960s as the hang out of novelists, actors and music stars, Bob Dylan among them.
New York City Guide: Explore Greenwich Village
Today, Greenwich Village still retains its bohemian feel, but you are more likely to find a French market taking place, than any political protest. The area has done well out of gentrification. Restaurants and bars abound in Greenwich, with Dylan Thomas’ last drinking haunt, the White Horse on Hudson Street, a popular choice. For mouth-watering burgers American style, the Corner Bistro on West Fourth Street has what you are looking for.
From Washington Square Park, at the bottom of Fifth Avenue, New York’s capital-of-cool shopping and entertainment district, SoHo (South of Houston Street) is within easy reach. Here you’ll find smaller (but not often cheaper) and more downmarket shops, such as the Adidas store and, for all gadget freaks, the Apple Store, on Princes Street. It is a great place to walk around and shop for clothes and electrical items.
New York City Travel Information: Little Italy & China Town
Further south and the twin delights of Little Italy and China Town are well worth making the effort to visit. Little Italy is no bigger than a couple of blocks, mostly given over to Italian restaurants, but is a must-do for Godfather fans wanting to visit the iconic streets in which Don Corleone is gunned down.
Chinatown, the largest Chinatown in the United States, is much larger and is a bustling area of market stalls, electronic shops and clothes stores: it is also the best place in the city to sample Chinese cuisine.
Chinatown merges with the Financial District in Lower Manhattan and no visit to Lower Manhattan would be complete without visiting the site of the Twin Towers. Visitors will be surprised at how large an area the site occupies, and no one can fail to be moved by the experience. The perimeter fence has a memorial to those who died.
Further south on the southern tip of Manhattan Island is historic Battery Park, the oldest inhabited part of Manhattan. From here visitors can take the boat-trip over to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. On Ellis Island you will find an interesting museum on the history of immigration to New York and the unique role played by the island as the final destination for hundreds of thousands of European immigrants to the United States in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Since 9/11 visitors are no longer allowed to climb the Statue of Liberty, somewhat defeating the purpose of visiting. A good alternative is to take the Staten Island Ferry, which has a terminal nearby. The ferry is free and offers excellent views of the statue, as well as exceptional views of Manhattan on the return trip. It also provides a good point to rest your legs after all that walking!
Explore New York: City Travel Tips - The Staten Island Ferry
To the east of the Staten Island ferry is the old City Hall and Wall Street, home to the American stock exchange. Close-by, too, is the iconoclastic Brooklyn Bridge, which is well worth walking across (there is a pedestrian foot-bridge above the road), for the exceptional views of Manhattan Island and Brooklyn.
Whatever your interests, New York is a destination you will want to return to again and again, and thanks to the grid system of the streets, used throughout much of the city, it is a brilliant place in which to walk because if you can count to one hundred it is nigh on impossible to get lost. Honest, try it for yourself!
New York City Travel Information - Flights to New York
British Airways have regular flights to New York and often a number of special offers. www.britishairways.co.uk
Regular daily flights to New York from London. www.virgin-atlantic.co.uk
Top Travel Tips: With heightened security at International Airports travellers to the US can face delays getting through immigration. JFK Airport is one of the worst for delays. If you are travelling to New York, finding a flight to Newark, which is not as busy, may cut the amount of time you have to wait to get through immigration. It is just as quick to get to Manhattan from Newark as it is from JFK.
Cabs from JFK Airport or Newark International in New Jersey cost $45, plus tolls. The subway ride from JFK to any station in New York costs just $2 (subject to change), but can take a while and involves multiple changes. Alternatively, catch a bus outside the airport to Grand Central Station or Penn Station in central Manhattan from just $15 each way: faster than the subway, cheaper than a cab.
New York City Guide - New York Hotels -Where to Stay
Spalsh Out:
The Four Seasons Hotel: One of New York’s most opulent hotels the Four Seasons sits in the heart of Manhattan. www.fourseasons.com
Standard:
The New Yorker: A classic Art Deco building in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, opposite world famous Madison Square Gardens. Rooms are clean but basic. Great if you want a low cost hotel in a superb location in the heart of New York City. www.newyorkerhotel.com
Budget:
The Larchmont Hotel: Well placed for exploring Greenwich Village and much of Lower Manhattan. Shared bathrooms may not appeal to all, but they help bring the price down, especially due to the hotel’s superb Greenwich Village location. www.larchmonthotel.com
Sex and the City New York Locations
Magnolia Bakery at 401 Bleecker Street on the corner of West 11th Street in the West Village – where Carrie and Miranda devour cupcakes.
Jimmy Choo’s boutique, one of Carrie’s favourite shoe shops, is located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue.
The Louis K. Meisel Gallery at 141 Price Street – the Gallery where Charlotte worked.
O’Neal’s Speakeasy, 174 Grand Street in downtown Manhattan. This is where scenes from the girl’s local bar Scout were shot.
Down the Hatch Bar, 179 W. 4th St - where Samantha bought a joint from the barman
Bungalow 8, 515 West 27th Street. The hotspot Carrie’s date has a key to gain access to.
Tao - 58th and Madison – the popular night spot where Carrie bumps into Big and his supermodel date.
Tiffany’s, where Charlotte’s engagement ring came from - 727 5th Ave.
The Patricia Field store, 10 East 8th Street in Greenwich Village. Here you can buy stylish bargains from the famous Sex and the City stylist’s own shop.
The Church Around the Corner, East 29th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue, where Samantha met the Friar.
From the ubiquitous yellow cab to the Statue of Liberty, the towering Empire State Building to the neon lights of Times Square, much of what we think of as America is, in fact, New York. And if you are looking for a city that combines fantastic sights and an energetic buzz unrivalled anywhere in the world, then New York is the place to go.
New York City Guide
From shopping to sightseeing, musicals to martinis, delis to discotheques, New York caters to all tastes and undoubtedly the best way to experience the canyon-esque avenues and lively street life of this pulsating city is on foot. But when you are walking in one of the biggest cities in the world, where exactly do you start? Follow our walking New York City Guide for more travel information and ideas.
Well, conveniently, while New York is a large, sprawling city, the centre and main draw, Manhattan Island, is small enough to walk in a day.
Times Square, a sight to behold in its own right, is a good place to start. At one time a seedy, neglected area home to the city’s sex shops, in recent years Times Square has been rejuvenated and is now a sight to behold, particularly after dark when the neon lights are at full blast. A short walk north from Times Square is the entrance to New York’s garden, Central Park.
Consisting of 843 acres of parkland amid the hustle and bustle of middle Manhattan, Central Park is a beautiful landscaped area where it is easy to forget you are in the heart of one of the busiest cities on the planet. Although worth a visit all year round, the park is probably best in the summer months when cyclists, rollerbladers and joggers, along with numerous summer concerts and frolicking sunbathers give it a lively feel.
View our slide show of photos from New York, Click Here
On the southern edge of the park, on Fifth Avenue, is the famous Plaza Hotel and a short walk down Fifth Avenue brings you to Trump Towers, one of New York’s tallest buildings, built by Billionaire entrepreneur Donald Trump. Fifth Avenue is where the serious shopping begins. Famous labels such as Hugo Boss and Channel, as well as stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue can all be found here, and thanks to the strong pound, it’s all cheaper than what you’d expect to pay in the UK.
New York City Travel Guide
Many of New York’s museums are also in this area: The Museum of Television and Radio, with a collection of over 50,000 TV and radio shows; New York City Museum, dedicated to exhibitions on New York’s colourful history and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to name but a few. One of the best museums to visit though is the Museum of Modern Art, or MoMA as it is referred. The museum holds a fantastic collection of modern art; Van Gogh, Monet, Pollock, Rothko, Picasso and a legion more. What’s more, if you are visiting New York on the weekend, after 4pm on Fridays admission is free!
New York City Guide: Explore New York
Wander a few blocks south from MoMa along Fifth Avenue, passed an array of superb shops, boutiques and towering skyscrapers, the impressive Rockefeller Center among them, and the Empire State Building, deceptively elusive despite its size, is suddenly upon you. For $15 you can ride to the top and experience some awe inspiring views of the city. It is undoubtedly a must-do for anyone visiting New York for the first time. The queues for the Empire State Building can be long, but it really is worth the wait: to make the most of your trip arrive early when the doors open at 8am and view the city as it awakes.
If you continue south along Fifth Avenue, after a number of blocks you reach Madison Square Park. The park would not really be worth visiting, but for the fact that on its southern point it is flanked by the architectural wonder that is the Flatiron Building. A triangular building built to utilise the plot of land on which it stands, when it was completed in 1902 it was the tallest structure in the world and one of the first to be built using a steel-frame.
Explore New York: Walking Routes for New York City
Continue walking south to the very end of Fifth Avenue and you enter one of New York’s most romanticised and popular districts: Greenwich Village. ‘The Village,’ as New Yorkers refer to it, unlike much of lower Manhattan, has no high rise properties and has a feel all of its own. The Village, in particular the area’s main square, Washington Square Park at the bottom of Fifth Avenue, was the heart of the revolutionary counter-culture made famous during the 1950s and 1960s as the hang out of novelists, actors and music stars, Bob Dylan among them.
New York City Guide: Explore Greenwich Village
Today, Greenwich Village still retains its bohemian feel, but you are more likely to find a French market taking place, than any political protest. The area has done well out of gentrification. Restaurants and bars abound in Greenwich, with Dylan Thomas’ last drinking haunt, the White Horse on Hudson Street, a popular choice. For mouth-watering burgers American style, the Corner Bistro on West Fourth Street has what you are looking for.
From Washington Square Park, at the bottom of Fifth Avenue, New York’s capital-of-cool shopping and entertainment district, SoHo (South of Houston Street) is within easy reach. Here you’ll find smaller (but not often cheaper) and more downmarket shops, such as the Adidas store and, for all gadget freaks, the Apple Store, on Princes Street. It is a great place to walk around and shop for clothes and electrical items.
New York City Travel Information: Little Italy & China Town
Further south and the twin delights of Little Italy and China Town are well worth making the effort to visit. Little Italy is no bigger than a couple of blocks, mostly given over to Italian restaurants, but is a must-do for Godfather fans wanting to visit the iconic streets in which Don Corleone is gunned down.
Chinatown, the largest Chinatown in the United States, is much larger and is a bustling area of market stalls, electronic shops and clothes stores: it is also the best place in the city to sample Chinese cuisine.
Chinatown merges with the Financial District in Lower Manhattan and no visit to Lower Manhattan would be complete without visiting the site of the Twin Towers. Visitors will be surprised at how large an area the site occupies, and no one can fail to be moved by the experience. The perimeter fence has a memorial to those who died.
Further south on the southern tip of Manhattan Island is historic Battery Park, the oldest inhabited part of Manhattan. From here visitors can take the boat-trip over to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. On Ellis Island you will find an interesting museum on the history of immigration to New York and the unique role played by the island as the final destination for hundreds of thousands of European immigrants to the United States in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Since 9/11 visitors are no longer allowed to climb the Statue of Liberty, somewhat defeating the purpose of visiting. A good alternative is to take the Staten Island Ferry, which has a terminal nearby. The ferry is free and offers excellent views of the statue, as well as exceptional views of Manhattan on the return trip. It also provides a good point to rest your legs after all that walking!
Explore New York: City Travel Tips - The Staten Island Ferry
To the east of the Staten Island ferry is the old City Hall and Wall Street, home to the American stock exchange. Close-by, too, is the iconoclastic Brooklyn Bridge, which is well worth walking across (there is a pedestrian foot-bridge above the road), for the exceptional views of Manhattan Island and Brooklyn.
Whatever your interests, New York is a destination you will want to return to again and again, and thanks to the grid system of the streets, used throughout much of the city, it is a brilliant place in which to walk because if you can count to one hundred it is nigh on impossible to get lost. Honest, try it for yourself!
New York City Travel Information - Flights to New York
British Airways have regular flights to New York and often a number of special offers. www.britishairways.co.uk
Regular daily flights to New York from London. www.virgin-atlantic.co.uk
Top Travel Tips: With heightened security at International Airports travellers to the US can face delays getting through immigration. JFK Airport is one of the worst for delays. If you are travelling to New York, finding a flight to Newark, which is not as busy, may cut the amount of time you have to wait to get through immigration. It is just as quick to get to Manhattan from Newark as it is from JFK.
Cabs from JFK Airport or Newark International in New Jersey cost $45, plus tolls. The subway ride from JFK to any station in New York costs just $2 (subject to change), but can take a while and involves multiple changes. Alternatively, catch a bus outside the airport to Grand Central Station or Penn Station in central Manhattan from just $15 each way: faster than the subway, cheaper than a cab.
New York City Guide - New York Hotels -Where to Stay
Spalsh Out:
The Four Seasons Hotel: One of New York’s most opulent hotels the Four Seasons sits in the heart of Manhattan. www.fourseasons.com
Standard:
The New Yorker: A classic Art Deco building in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, opposite world famous Madison Square Gardens. Rooms are clean but basic. Great if you want a low cost hotel in a superb location in the heart of New York City. www.newyorkerhotel.com
Budget:
The Larchmont Hotel: Well placed for exploring Greenwich Village and much of Lower Manhattan. Shared bathrooms may not appeal to all, but they help bring the price down, especially due to the hotel’s superb Greenwich Village location. www.larchmonthotel.com
Sex and the City New York Locations
Magnolia Bakery at 401 Bleecker Street on the corner of West 11th Street in the West Village – where Carrie and Miranda devour cupcakes.
Jimmy Choo’s boutique, one of Carrie’s favourite shoe shops, is located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue.
The Louis K. Meisel Gallery at 141 Price Street – the Gallery where Charlotte worked.
O’Neal’s Speakeasy, 174 Grand Street in downtown Manhattan. This is where scenes from the girl’s local bar Scout were shot.
Down the Hatch Bar, 179 W. 4th St - where Samantha bought a joint from the barman
Bungalow 8, 515 West 27th Street. The hotspot Carrie’s date has a key to gain access to.
Tao - 58th and Madison – the popular night spot where Carrie bumps into Big and his supermodel date.
Tiffany’s, where Charlotte’s engagement ring came from - 727 5th Ave.
The Patricia Field store, 10 East 8th Street in Greenwich Village. Here you can buy stylish bargains from the famous Sex and the City stylist’s own shop.
The Church Around the Corner, East 29th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue, where Samantha met the Friar.
Paris Travel Guide: Essential Paris Travel Information
Paris Travels: The Left Bank
All you need to know about exploring Paris - fantastic travel information and informative travel guide to Paris, concentrating mainly on the under explored Left Bank of Paris.
Paris’s Left Bank romanticised for generations as the hang-out of bohemians, poets, writers and intellectuals in everything from the musical Moulin Rouge to the novels of Ernest Hemingway, despite the hype, still manages to take hold of the imagination.
Populated by students, artists and art dealers, who frequent beautiful cafés, corner shops and enticing restaurants, the Left Bank has a local feel. Two Left Bank districts of Paris in particular – the Latin Quarter and St-Germain – stand out as must-see districts to explore.
Although popular with many tourists, part of the beauty of the Latin Quarter and St-Germain is that they are busy, without leaving you feeling as if you are in a tourist trap. Every street down which you turn holds something of interest to the inquisitive tourist; a bar frequented by Picasso, or the crypt of a famous philosopher such as Descartes. It is a place where rubbing shoulders with history and experiencing all the romance of the Parisian way of life is unavoidable.
What’s more all the sights everyone visiting Paris wants to see – the Louvre, Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower in particular – are all within easy walking distance.
With a number of Universities located nearby, among them the prestigious Sorbonne, the Latin Quarter is a popular student spot. There are a number of sights worth checking out in this area too though, among them the Pantheon and the Museum of Natural History. But perhaps the real draw of this district is in the varied assortment of restaurants and the lively night time feel, all of which is served up with a local authenticity sadly lacking from the more crowded Parisian tourist spots.
While the narrow streets of the Latin Quarter close to Notre Dame are unashamedly targeting tourists - with plate-smashing-on-the-street Greek restaurants and a plentiful supply of English menus flashed before your eyes at every turn - the deeper into the Latin Quarter you travel, the more authentic the experience. That said however, close to Notre Dame is a bookshop that does no pandering to tourists and is a place any aspiring intellectual or would-be member of the literati should visit – Shakespeare & Co. Opened by George Whitman in August 1951, the bookshop is a Left Bank institution that has encouraged many a young writer since opening. People such as Henry Miller, Lawrence Durrell and Alan Ginsberg have all stayed at the bookshop at one point or another.
But a particularly good street to explore if you are looking for an inexpensive meal away from the tourist throng, yet still want to feel as though you are somewhere with a buzz, is Rue Mouffetard, south of the Pantheon. This narrow street, day or night, is always a lively spot and is dotted with restaurants serving all sorts of different foods – Moroccan, Spanish, Greek, Argentinean, Tibetan, and, of course, French – all to varying degrees of expense and quality.
There are some expensive restaurants to be found in the Latin Quarter, but there are also plenty of places to eat cheaply, too, with numerous shop front stalls selling delicious crepes and a number of cheap-and-cheerful bars catering to the student crowds.
To the West of the Latin Quarter is the much-sought after district of St-Germain. Along with some outstanding restaurants and up-market shops, specialising in wine and clothes in particular, this area is in many ways the picture-postcard image of Paris; delightful white buildings with protruding balconies, art galleries, bookshops and corner cafés abound.
Another great Left Bank tourist attraction is the Luxembourg Garden, a 25 hectare landscaped garden containing statues and the impressive 17th century Luxembourg Palace, modelled on Florence’s Palazzo Pitti. It is a great place to take a stroll in the summer months.
St-Germain is an unashamedly upmarket area, with a distinctively more laidback feel compared to the bustling business streets surrounding the Champs Elysee or Galleries Lafayette on the city’s Right Bank. If you intend coming to Paris to shop, then this is one of the best districts of the city in which to let yourself go. For the best in upmarket shopping head for rue Jacob, rue de Seine and rue Bonaparte – you will not be disappointed. For Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, head for Place St- Sulpice.
Along with shopping, St-Germain is perfectly geared for eating and drinking, too. Café de la Mairie on Place St-Sulpice is a classy spot for people watching, but for inexpensive crepes and superb cider from Brittany, all served in an unpretentious setting, visit A La Bonne Crepe on rue Gregoire de Tours (near the Odeon Metro). But wherever you walk in this area you will be sure to find fabulous restaurants and snug café-bars, suitable for any budget.
All you need to know about exploring Paris - fantastic travel information and informative travel guide to Paris, concentrating mainly on the under explored Left Bank of Paris.
Paris’s Left Bank romanticised for generations as the hang-out of bohemians, poets, writers and intellectuals in everything from the musical Moulin Rouge to the novels of Ernest Hemingway, despite the hype, still manages to take hold of the imagination.
Populated by students, artists and art dealers, who frequent beautiful cafés, corner shops and enticing restaurants, the Left Bank has a local feel. Two Left Bank districts of Paris in particular – the Latin Quarter and St-Germain – stand out as must-see districts to explore.
Although popular with many tourists, part of the beauty of the Latin Quarter and St-Germain is that they are busy, without leaving you feeling as if you are in a tourist trap. Every street down which you turn holds something of interest to the inquisitive tourist; a bar frequented by Picasso, or the crypt of a famous philosopher such as Descartes. It is a place where rubbing shoulders with history and experiencing all the romance of the Parisian way of life is unavoidable.
What’s more all the sights everyone visiting Paris wants to see – the Louvre, Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower in particular – are all within easy walking distance.
With a number of Universities located nearby, among them the prestigious Sorbonne, the Latin Quarter is a popular student spot. There are a number of sights worth checking out in this area too though, among them the Pantheon and the Museum of Natural History. But perhaps the real draw of this district is in the varied assortment of restaurants and the lively night time feel, all of which is served up with a local authenticity sadly lacking from the more crowded Parisian tourist spots.
While the narrow streets of the Latin Quarter close to Notre Dame are unashamedly targeting tourists - with plate-smashing-on-the-street Greek restaurants and a plentiful supply of English menus flashed before your eyes at every turn - the deeper into the Latin Quarter you travel, the more authentic the experience. That said however, close to Notre Dame is a bookshop that does no pandering to tourists and is a place any aspiring intellectual or would-be member of the literati should visit – Shakespeare & Co. Opened by George Whitman in August 1951, the bookshop is a Left Bank institution that has encouraged many a young writer since opening. People such as Henry Miller, Lawrence Durrell and Alan Ginsberg have all stayed at the bookshop at one point or another.
But a particularly good street to explore if you are looking for an inexpensive meal away from the tourist throng, yet still want to feel as though you are somewhere with a buzz, is Rue Mouffetard, south of the Pantheon. This narrow street, day or night, is always a lively spot and is dotted with restaurants serving all sorts of different foods – Moroccan, Spanish, Greek, Argentinean, Tibetan, and, of course, French – all to varying degrees of expense and quality.
There are some expensive restaurants to be found in the Latin Quarter, but there are also plenty of places to eat cheaply, too, with numerous shop front stalls selling delicious crepes and a number of cheap-and-cheerful bars catering to the student crowds.
To the West of the Latin Quarter is the much-sought after district of St-Germain. Along with some outstanding restaurants and up-market shops, specialising in wine and clothes in particular, this area is in many ways the picture-postcard image of Paris; delightful white buildings with protruding balconies, art galleries, bookshops and corner cafés abound.
Another great Left Bank tourist attraction is the Luxembourg Garden, a 25 hectare landscaped garden containing statues and the impressive 17th century Luxembourg Palace, modelled on Florence’s Palazzo Pitti. It is a great place to take a stroll in the summer months.
St-Germain is an unashamedly upmarket area, with a distinctively more laidback feel compared to the bustling business streets surrounding the Champs Elysee or Galleries Lafayette on the city’s Right Bank. If you intend coming to Paris to shop, then this is one of the best districts of the city in which to let yourself go. For the best in upmarket shopping head for rue Jacob, rue de Seine and rue Bonaparte – you will not be disappointed. For Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, head for Place St- Sulpice.
Along with shopping, St-Germain is perfectly geared for eating and drinking, too. Café de la Mairie on Place St-Sulpice is a classy spot for people watching, but for inexpensive crepes and superb cider from Brittany, all served in an unpretentious setting, visit A La Bonne Crepe on rue Gregoire de Tours (near the Odeon Metro). But wherever you walk in this area you will be sure to find fabulous restaurants and snug café-bars, suitable for any budget.
Sardinia: Travel Guide & Information on Sardinia
Sardinia visitor tips and Sardinia travel Guide - find out all you need to know about taking a holiday or extended trip to Sardinia.
If you are travelling to Sardinia from the UK by budget airline then you will either fly into the North or South of the island. Ryanair fly into Alghero, in the North, from London Standsted, while easyJet and British Airways fly into the capital, Cagliari, in the South, from Luton and Heathrow respectively. But wherever you are on Sardinia, the second largest island in the Mediterranean, there is plenty to offer stressed out Brits in need of a little rest and relaxation, with a good meal, great beaches and warm welcome never far away.
Travel Guide: Northern Sardinia
Alghero Travel Information
Served by Ryanair, Alghero is often overlooked by travellers eager to head East to the resorts and beaches of the more glamorous Costa Smeralda, but for those who opt to stop, Alghero rarely disappoints and is undoubtedly a great base for anyone on a short getaway. The old centre of the town is filled with bars and shops, and has a bustling feel in the peak summer season, but enough local authenticity to be an interesting place to all year-round. The harbour retains much of its original character and is flanked by the old fortifications of the town, originally built to defend Alghero from Moorish invaders in the thirteenth century and modified by the Aragonese who conquered the town in 1353, and are largely responsible for the town’s Spanish influence. The town is easy to navigate on foot, with good restaurants, café bars and shops, and, for those looking to top-up the tan on a whistle-stop break, there are also some good beaches a short walk from the town centre. Alghero is the ideal destination if you do not want to hire a car or have a limited amount of time to explore the island.
Bosa Travel Information
Twenty-five miles south of Alghero, along the Western coast, is the beautiful medieval town of Bosa. Although regularly picked out as one of Sardinia’s gems, Bosa, situated along the banks of the river Temo, Sardinia’s only navigable river and surrounded by steep hills, overlooked by an imposing castle, is not the tourist trap it could be if it were on the Italian mainland. The multi-coloured buildings and picturesque piazzas, fantastic restaurants, many of which are tucked away down winding, unpretentious alleyways, and laidback café bars are reminiscent of many towns along the Italian Lakes. While tourism is undoubtedly a mainstay of the town’s economy, Bosa has a friendly, local, atmosphere. Bosa castle, erected by the wealthy Genoese Malaspina family in 1122, is a worthy visit, as much for the great views of the town and the coast, as for the history, while Bosa Marina, about two kilometres away and easily within walking distance from the town centre, has a fantastic beach in a crescent-shaped harbour. The rear of the beach is lined with a few bars and shops, but the entire Marina, although popular in the height of summer, is refreshingly non touristy.
Southern Sardinia Travel Guide
Depending on what you are looking to get out of a short break – a city or beach break – Southern Sardinia can offer you one or the other, with tremendous beaches, beautiful scenery and a lively capital city where shopping, eating out and nightlife are unrivalled on the island.
Cagliari City Guide
The capital and by far the largest city in Sardinia, anyone with any preconceptions of what they think Cagliari will be like should be prepared to have their minds severely changed on arrival. The old town centre referred to as the Castello, sits atop a hill and has numerous medieval churches, including the impressive Cagliari Cathedral and look-out towers, which offer breathtaking views of the Gulf of Cagliari. Beneath the Castello there is a large pedestrian street of clothes shops, many high street names among them, as well as more specialist boutique stores. And when it comes to nightlife, not only does Cagliari have some of the best restaurants on the island, with sea-food a speciality, but it also has some great uber-cool nighspots, playing energetic house music for a laidback clientele. Check out the open-air bar on the square in the Castello area, which has hammocks, cheap cocktails and excellent views of the city below. But beach lovers are well catered for in Cagliari, too. Poeto beach, just outside the city, is over thirteen kilometres long; giving you plenty of room to top up the tan should it be required. Cagliari is the ideal city break destination for those looking for some sun too, and don’t want the hassle of hiring a car.
Villasimius Travel Information
Forty kilometres East of Cagliari, close to the Costa Rei, is the beautiful and lively resort town of Villasimius. With as many brilliant beaches as you can count on two hands, all within a short distance from the resort centre, the main draw to the area is undoubtedly the outstanding beaches. Pristine white sand, clear blue seas and not a burnt Brit in sight are the order of the day on whatever beach you choose to encamp. Villasimius lagoon, flanked by a long stretch of white beach is also home to migrating pink flamingos, which add something more to the phrase ‘checking out the birds on the beach,’ while the town of Villasimius itself has a number of laidback bars, pizzerias, hotels and restaurants, catering to all tastes and budgets.
If you are travelling to Sardinia from the UK by budget airline then you will either fly into the North or South of the island. Ryanair fly into Alghero, in the North, from London Standsted, while easyJet and British Airways fly into the capital, Cagliari, in the South, from Luton and Heathrow respectively. But wherever you are on Sardinia, the second largest island in the Mediterranean, there is plenty to offer stressed out Brits in need of a little rest and relaxation, with a good meal, great beaches and warm welcome never far away.
Travel Guide: Northern Sardinia
Alghero Travel Information
Served by Ryanair, Alghero is often overlooked by travellers eager to head East to the resorts and beaches of the more glamorous Costa Smeralda, but for those who opt to stop, Alghero rarely disappoints and is undoubtedly a great base for anyone on a short getaway. The old centre of the town is filled with bars and shops, and has a bustling feel in the peak summer season, but enough local authenticity to be an interesting place to all year-round. The harbour retains much of its original character and is flanked by the old fortifications of the town, originally built to defend Alghero from Moorish invaders in the thirteenth century and modified by the Aragonese who conquered the town in 1353, and are largely responsible for the town’s Spanish influence. The town is easy to navigate on foot, with good restaurants, café bars and shops, and, for those looking to top-up the tan on a whistle-stop break, there are also some good beaches a short walk from the town centre. Alghero is the ideal destination if you do not want to hire a car or have a limited amount of time to explore the island.
Bosa Travel Information
Twenty-five miles south of Alghero, along the Western coast, is the beautiful medieval town of Bosa. Although regularly picked out as one of Sardinia’s gems, Bosa, situated along the banks of the river Temo, Sardinia’s only navigable river and surrounded by steep hills, overlooked by an imposing castle, is not the tourist trap it could be if it were on the Italian mainland. The multi-coloured buildings and picturesque piazzas, fantastic restaurants, many of which are tucked away down winding, unpretentious alleyways, and laidback café bars are reminiscent of many towns along the Italian Lakes. While tourism is undoubtedly a mainstay of the town’s economy, Bosa has a friendly, local, atmosphere. Bosa castle, erected by the wealthy Genoese Malaspina family in 1122, is a worthy visit, as much for the great views of the town and the coast, as for the history, while Bosa Marina, about two kilometres away and easily within walking distance from the town centre, has a fantastic beach in a crescent-shaped harbour. The rear of the beach is lined with a few bars and shops, but the entire Marina, although popular in the height of summer, is refreshingly non touristy.
Southern Sardinia Travel Guide
Depending on what you are looking to get out of a short break – a city or beach break – Southern Sardinia can offer you one or the other, with tremendous beaches, beautiful scenery and a lively capital city where shopping, eating out and nightlife are unrivalled on the island.
Cagliari City Guide
The capital and by far the largest city in Sardinia, anyone with any preconceptions of what they think Cagliari will be like should be prepared to have their minds severely changed on arrival. The old town centre referred to as the Castello, sits atop a hill and has numerous medieval churches, including the impressive Cagliari Cathedral and look-out towers, which offer breathtaking views of the Gulf of Cagliari. Beneath the Castello there is a large pedestrian street of clothes shops, many high street names among them, as well as more specialist boutique stores. And when it comes to nightlife, not only does Cagliari have some of the best restaurants on the island, with sea-food a speciality, but it also has some great uber-cool nighspots, playing energetic house music for a laidback clientele. Check out the open-air bar on the square in the Castello area, which has hammocks, cheap cocktails and excellent views of the city below. But beach lovers are well catered for in Cagliari, too. Poeto beach, just outside the city, is over thirteen kilometres long; giving you plenty of room to top up the tan should it be required. Cagliari is the ideal city break destination for those looking for some sun too, and don’t want the hassle of hiring a car.
Villasimius Travel Information
Forty kilometres East of Cagliari, close to the Costa Rei, is the beautiful and lively resort town of Villasimius. With as many brilliant beaches as you can count on two hands, all within a short distance from the resort centre, the main draw to the area is undoubtedly the outstanding beaches. Pristine white sand, clear blue seas and not a burnt Brit in sight are the order of the day on whatever beach you choose to encamp. Villasimius lagoon, flanked by a long stretch of white beach is also home to migrating pink flamingos, which add something more to the phrase ‘checking out the birds on the beach,’ while the town of Villasimius itself has a number of laidback bars, pizzerias, hotels and restaurants, catering to all tastes and budgets.
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