Monthly Archives: January 2014

A Bluffer’s Guide to the Sochi Winter Olympics

Russia
The 2014 Winter Olympics, held in Sochi, Russia are due to start on 7 February. Here are some questions and answers to help you prepare! Is there a problem with the weather? Possibly so. The events will be held in two main areas. Most snow events will happen around Krasnaya Polyana in the mountains. Indoor events are being held at the newly built Olympic Park in the Imeretinsky Valley on the coast of the Black Sea. There have been worries that rainy and unseasonal warm weather could lead to a lack Read more

The Revenge Of The Travel Agents – Strong Travel Services

Uncategorized
How do you organise your travel? In the good old days it involved someone called a travel agent. There was usually a shop on the high street with lots of holiday brochures, some big posters of tropical beaches on the walls, and a number of desks each with a smiling travel agent waiting to help you. You’d sit down, explain where you’d like to go and what your budget might be. The agent would suggest various options and prices, and tell you about special offers, usually checking availability on Read more

The (Little) Country of The Year – Uruguay

Uruguay
Just so you know what you are getting, this article is about cultural schizophrenia, memory, drugs, a small Latin America country, marketing, and tourism, with a little bit of literature thrown in.  You’ve been warned. Now I’ve got to try and string it all together in a way that makes some sort of sense. The starting point has got to be cultural schizophrenia. Because of my place of birth and my upbringing, I am convinced I have always been a cultural schizophrenic. For many years I was deeply Read more

10 Great Travel Websites – Online tools for better travel planning

Uncategorized
HIPMONKwww.hipmunk.comThe brainchild of a Reddit co-founder, Hipmonk surely offers the most aesthetically pleasing flight search out there. Results are shown on a helpful graph which you can sort and filter according to factors such as price, airline and number of stops. You can find hotels here too.  MEAL SHARE www.mealsharing.comLooking for a way to meet people on your solo travels? Try Meal Share, which builds on the inherently sociable nature of eating and currently operates in 425 cities Read more

A Racing Certainty For My New Year’s Resolution – logistics

Uncategorized
January is of course a time for New Year’s resolutions, and I have been half-heartedly considering mine. One potential is ‘to become a serious sports fan’. Let me explain. I consider myself to be an erratic, occasional, fair-weather, and downright amateurish sports fan. This means I love watching a good game of football or rugby, or a track and field event, as well as many other things, but I only see them when I stumble across them on television or the Olympics are suddenly staring me in the Read more

World’s Most Extravagant Hotels

Asia, Europe, USA
LUXE AS YOU LIKE Start the New Year off with a bang by staying at one of the world’s most extravagant hotels  The Upper House, Hong Kong Ranked the top hotel in Asia by Trip Advisor Traveller’s Choice Award 2013, The Upper House offers its own fabulous brand of low-key luxury. Designed by celebrated Hong Kong architect Andre Fu, the house was built in the vision of a serene private residence. In the Upper Suites, you can lounge around on bespoke furnishings in the living room and look out Read more