Monthly Archives: October 2013

Molise: Italy’s Culinary Secret

Uncategorized
You might not have heard of Molise, and considering it’s Italy’s second smallest region you can be forgiven for that (the absolute smallest is Aosta, by the way, a miniscule little patch of land that makes up the north westernmost part of the country), but if you visit Italy because you love the food, then Molise is one region that you should make a detour to visit. It’s located on the east coastline, just above the ‘spur’ that shapes the boot, and there’s a reason that this little region, Read more

The Seoul Scene – Five Reasons the Korean Capital Makes a Great Stopover

Asia
1.Themed cafes Korea not only has a strong tea tradition, but a serious addiction to coffee shops. This has given rise to an inordinate number of cafes, each doing its best to set itself apart with a novel theme. So far the city has seen everything from a Santa Claus coffee shop -- a Christmas grotto year-round -- to wedding cafes, where patrons dress up and pose in matrimonial get-up whilst sipping on sickly sweet drinks, with names like First Love and Marry. Cat and dog petting cafes, although Read more

Rihanna And The Memory Erasure Facility

Thailand
Have you ever said or done something that was not, how shall we put this, fully thought through, in a sober, responsible, and grown-up sort of way? Perhaps not in the best taste? I have. To put it bluntly, I have behaved like an absolute, fully certified and signed-up idiot. I’ve had ‘absolute prat’ moments. Let me give you an example (a carefully selected one, as I am holding back on the really, really bad ones). A couple of decades ago at a student party I met three young women from Bicester. Read more

Top Travelling Around Tuscany Tips

Europe
There's something magical about Tuscany. I have never met anyone who's been to this stunning part of Italy who hasn't reported on their rapture over the views, the wines, the food.....and everyone talks of their dreams of returning as soon as possible. Here are a few tips for you to maximize your own enjoyment of a trip to this amazing part of the world. 1. Drive Make sure that you hire a car from the airport, if you haven't already made the drive from another part of Italy. A small car hire for Read more

Top Five Airports to Spend the Night

airports
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The Guide to Sleeping in Airports -- yes, that does exist -- has just released its list of the world’s Best Airports of 2013. Places considered worthy of spending the night if you have a crack of dawn flight, a layover or… just really like airports. In fact, with some of the facilities on offer, from video game zones to replicas of city streets, you’d even be forgiven for making the airport a destination in itself. Founder of the guide, Donna McSherry, has 17 years’ experience crashing out Read more

Destination Leipzig, Germany’s Lesser Known City

Europe
There’s something unusual about Leipzig as a tourist destination, and it’s probably something to do with the fact that it’s not the most tourist-oriented place to visit. Tucked away on the southeast border of Germany, it’s conveniently placed for visiting Berlin and Munich, two cities that often rank high on tourists travel lists. Not so Leipzig, a conurbation many people would freely admit to having never heard of. In fact, a large proportion of people who choose to visit do so for specific Read more

Some (Not Entirely Serious) Thoughts About The US Shutdown

USA
So, at last the US government shutdown is over. After 16 days of political deadlock between President Barrack Obama’s Democrats and the Republicans, during which most non-essential federal employees were laid off (‘furloughed’ in American English) a deal has been done which pretty much gets everyone back to where they started in the first place. And the whole thing may start up again in a couple of months. In fact, there have been 18 shutdowns over the last 30 years: the longest lasted 21 days Read more

Sri Lanka’s Best Beaches

Asia
Best for… urban beach MOUNT LAVINIA Not the most beautiful beach, granted, but Mount Lavinia’s overriding advantage is its location – it’s right on the outskirts of the capital city, Colombo. Whilst you won’t want to spend the duration of your holiday here, there’s plenty to keep you busy for a couple of days. During the day there are beach and water sports to try out. Island Scuba can expertly guide you around the historical wrecks and tropical reefs in the area if you want to give Read more

Australia’s East Coast’s Last Port of Call – Daintree and Port Douglas.

Australia
Road trips up Australia’s extensive east coast are very popular with visitors wanting to take in as much of this sprawling nation in one journey, and while many opt to end their expedition at Cairns, the most northerly city on this coastline, others choose to go that little bit further. Those who do won’t be disappointed, as they are treated to some of the most breathtaking scenery the country has to offer in the form of the Daintree Rainforestand its surrounding areas. What to do: Port Douglas Read more

Koh Yao Yai: Eco-Homestay the Old Fashioned Way

Thailand
In Thailand, tourism is big business. For a country that relied so heavily on fishing and crop growing, making meagre money in the world marketplace and battling to retain a stable economy for years, its holiday industry is absolutely essential. It took off on the mainland, high-rise hotels appearing in major cities and local landmarks morphing into tourist attractions almost overnight. It eventually spread to the outlying islands, with the late 1980’s bringing the first intrepid divers and surfers Read more