Australia and Pacific

Australia and Pacific
Your visit to Melbourne is probably more likely to be dictated by an event – the Australian Open, the Comedy Festival or a new exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria – than the climate, which is notoriously changeable; locals say that Melbourne has “four seasons in the same day”. Just remember that winters here (June to August) can be bitterly cold, so wrap up.

Birthplace of Australian Rules Football, host of the 1956 Olympic Games, home of both the Australian Open and the Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne can rightly claim to be the sportiest city in a country where sport is the only true religion.

The Melbourne Cup may indeed be the horse race that “stops a nation” but the same could also be said of the traditional Boxing Day Test at the “G” (the Melbourne Cricket Ground) – or indeed, the AFL Grand Final when 100,000 fans pack the stands. Despite this obsession with sport, Melbourne is not a one-dimensional society.

Even Sydneysiders – its sternest critics – now concede that Melbourne has a superior restaurant and bar scene. The southern capital also sets the pace when it comes to fashion, theatre, design and architecture. It’s also quite funny. Remember a certain housewife superstar who hailed from Moonee Ponds?

Victoria is also Australia’s most compact state, which means the Great Ocean Road, the Yarra Valley and Phillip Island with its fairy penguins are right on the doorstep. So, after decades of playing second fiddle to Sydney, “Marvellous Melbourne” is recovering its lustre, with a thrusting city skyline, a new entertainment precinct and a pulsating Docklands area.

Stuffy? Old-fashioned? Nonsense. Caffeine-fuelled, sports-mad and outward looking, Melbourne is unquestionably Australia’s most exciting and diverse metropolis. Go now.
When to go?

Unlike Perth, Sydney and the Gold Coast, Melbourne has not given its soul to the beach. Theatre, fine food and competitive sport are really the dominant forces here – not the changing seasons.

La Résidence, Hué, Vietnam: hotel review

La Résidence, Hué, Vietnam: hotel review 2012
Overview

This former residence of the French envoy in colonial days is the place to stay in the city of Hué in central Vietnam. Hué is steeped in history, from the days of the imperial court to the Vietnam War, and La Résidence is perfectly located for getting around yet also nicely secluded. It was fully refurbished in 2011, when new wings were added. The 30m saltwater pool next to the river is fabulous and the spa is also first class (try the Monticelli mud wrap).

Location 8/10

Next to the Perfume River, on the opposite bank from the Citadel and the Imperial City (based on the Forbidden City in Beijing), within a pleasant riverbank stroll of the town.
La Résidence, in the Vietnamese city of Hué, resembles a landlocked ocean liner of the Twenties, says Nigel Richardson.

With 122 rooms and suites, La Résidence prides itself on being a boutique hotel. Rooms feature dark wood, silks, Art Deco features and Wi-Fi, and most have views across the river to the Citadel. The Resident Suite, on the top floor of the old governor's house, has a wonderful rooftop terrace with river views and isn't extortionate, at £235 per night.

Food & drink 7/10

Most tourists eat in town but if you feel like splashing out, Le Parfum restaurant – a stunning setting of black lacquer, old photos and tropical plants – offers high-quality French and Asian fusion dishes: rice rolls (about £3), duck foie gras (£12), Australian beef tenderloin (£18). Elsewhere on the ground floor, Le Gouverneur Bar sprawls rather and lacks intimacy.

Vietnam: a view from the train

Vietnam: a view from the train
It is one minute to 7pm at the main railway station in central Hanoi. The relaxed bustle of boarding is complete, and a palpable air of expectation hangs over platform 1. An electric bell rings, the locomotive hoots impatiently. Outside each carriage door, a uniformed attendant looks nervously up and down the train, holding a lantern aloft and waiting for the off.

From the station loudspeakers, a last urgent call in staccato Vietnamese fills the warm night air. As the second hand sweeps towards the 12, the attendants step smartly up into the train, removing the numbers hung outside their carriage doors. One long blast and one short toot on the horn, a muted hiss from the brakes, and train SE1 glides gently off into the night on its 33-hour, 1,070-mile journey to Vietnam's second city, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

This is the celebrated "Reunification Railway", a steel artery running the length of Vietnam. It was completed in 1936 in what was then French Indo-China, and its trains ran for 18 short years before the French pulled out and the country split into North and South. Hanoi station is still visibly a French colonial building, despite its stark concrete central section, an ugly reminder of a direct hit by American bomb in December 1972.
Not until 1976 did the north-south trains resume, and four or five air-conditioned trains now link Hanoi, Vinh, Hué, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Saigon every day, providing affordable and relatively comfortable transport for locals and visitors alike.

I had last visited Vietnam more than a decade before, and as the SE1 raced the frenetic road traffic through the Hanoi suburbs, it seemed that every cyclist then now owned a motorbike, and every motorcyclist a car. Tourism has also boomed, and I was travelling in one of two privately run Livitrans sleeping-cars aimed at visitors, a cut above the SE1's regular "soft sleepers" but still only $59 (£38) for the 494 miles to Da Nang.

Oxford city break guide

Oxford city break guide:
Oxford is an international city on an intimate scale. One minute you can be pushing through crowded shopping streets, the next diving down a serene cobbled alleyway, its ancient stone walls laced with wisteria, or stepping through one of the college gatehouses into an enclosed and enigmatic world.

Renowned throughout the world as a centre of learning, and latterly as the home of Inspectors Morse and Lewis, Oxford blends medieval charm with the buzz of a modern city. The city may have given her name to everything from a prestigious dictionary to a bitter marmalade, but it is the university that most people associate with the town. Over the past eight centuries eminent scientists, philosophers, authors, archbishops, explorers and politicians have emerged from its ivory towers.

You can walk across Oxford’s medieval heart in less than 20 minutes, though on your way don’t be surprised to find a famous face crossing your path, or to catch yourself eavesdropping on snatches of conversation that range from philosophy to politics to physics. Yet despite its lofty, intellectual air there’s a modern dynamism about the city, which bustles with small businesses, intriguing cafes, quirky shops and, nowadays, some of the best hotels and restaurants in the country.
When to go?

There is no best time to visit Oxford, as every season has its charms. In early spring the trees of North Oxford droop with blossom, though May is when Oxford perhaps looks her loveliest. The trees are in full leaf, the students are in celebratory mood and the famous “Bumps” (boat race) is taking place along the river. In summer the student throngs melt away, leaving the city to residents and tourists, and you can punt and picnic on the rivers Thames (or Isis, as it’s known here) and Cherwell.

Oxford has thrived not only because of its university but due to its connections. Unlike its great rival Cambridge, out in the austere eastern Fens, Oxford sits handily in the centre of England, with easy access to London and the international airports of Heathrow and Gatwick.

There’s an air of lazy romance about the city, although it’s also the time when crowds of boisterous foreign students clog the shopping streets. Autumn, when the university students return and the trees are burnished bronze, is mournfully beautiful and Christmas, when the streets are eerily quiet and the medieval buildings frosted in snow, can be magical.
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Edinburgh city break guide

Edinburgh city break guide:
The joy of Edinburgh is that you never need an excuse to visit. There is always something going on, something different to experience, something new to catch your eye. If you only think about the city at Festival time or Hogmanay, boy, are you missing out. You can get high just gazing at the architecture, from the craggy Castle to the mysteries of its Old Town medieval closes, from the Georgian splendour of the New Town to the contemporary tang of Leith. Then weather there’s the clutch of galleries – all nicely do-able in size – and fanfare of museums and attractions, offering a tantalising choice for even the pickiest family.

In truth, you don’t need to do the “arts-culture-history” thing to get a zing out of Edinburgh. Mosey around the streets – particularly just off-centre, say in Stockbridge or around Grassmarket – and you’ll chance on a quirky shop, artisan deli or laidback café. This is a city perfect for browsing, sitting back, or just doing nothing but blessing your cleverness for finding this little place. There are five Michelin-starred restaurants alone, while drinking options range from whisky-fuddled pubs to designer bars.And did we mention food?

Yes, it can get busy; yes, it can rain. But this city pushes so many buttons, you’d have to be a frigid Philistine to visit and remain unmoved.
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The Peloponnese from Homer to hadrian & beyond

The Peloponnese from Homer to hadrian & beyond
This is the land of Homer’s heroes and the great Bronze Age citadels from which they came. The home cities of Agamemnon, Menelaus and Nestor help us to put the Trojan War into its Greek context as a meeting with the world of the Hittites of Asia Minor, at a time when Greek colonists were hungry for land, and introducing their way of life to new territories across the sea.

In later times the Peloponnese was also home to major cities and sanctuaries of Classical Greece and, once again this part of Greece took centre stage in ancient world politics as the Peloponnesian War of the late 5th century BC brought the power of Athens to an end, and changed western civilisation forever.
Perhaps this was the memory immortalised by Homer in his epic poems. Certainly many aspects of the Mycenean culture rediscovered by Heinrich Schliemann clearly echo the world described by Homer.

We finish in Athens, and now spend two days here seeing not only the National Museum, but also the new Acropolis Museum, both with incomparable collections which illustrate all aspects of life and death in Ancient Greece.

Starting with the oracle at Delphi, as all great journeys should, we cross to the Peloponnese and travel through a beautiful countryside of mountains, plains and seascapes. Your journey follows the course of history through the coming of Rome, and then early Christianity, visiting the impressive Byzantine and Frankish city of Mistra.

South-west Turkey mountain cities and tombs by the sea

South-west Turkey mountain cities and tombs by the sea:
Hidden in the Taurus Mountain of south-western Turkey are some spectacular Classical cities, inaccessible and forgotten until recent roads, archaeological survey and excavation returned them to public view.

These mountainous cities of the ancient region of Pisidia have a long history, being mentioned in Hittite texts and by Herodotus. The remarkably good living their hardy inhabitants eked out of the seemingly inhospitable terrain saw expression in much monumental building during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Their subsequent decline, as a result of earthquake, plague and changing economies, causes modern visitors to wonder how such civic splendour could thrive so far from anywhere.
Few visitors venture there, and the rewards for those who do are outstanding ruins in breath-taking settings, with the sense of discovery enjoyed by 19th century travellers.

This is a journey through some spectacular ancient cities in this corner of south-western Turkey, with exceptional mountain and coastal scenery, and some rough walks.

Across the mountains lies the World Heritage site of Hierapolis, splendid spa city established by the Attalids, where the limestone formations made by the hot medicinal springs have been named Pamukkale - ‘cotton castle’ - by the Turks. From here we continue to the Lycian coast, and the ruined cities of Xanthos, Patara and Telmessos.

Santo Domingo

Rafting in the highlands, canyoning down waterfalls, biking down a mountain, experiencing Cabarete night life, exploring the fascinating colonial zone of Santo Domingo.
Description

For those with limited time looking to experience the best of the Dominican Republic, this comfortable week-long adventure offers a true taste of the region. On this active adventure, you'll go whitewater rafting on the Yaque del Norte River then really get your adrenaline pumping rappelling down a waterfall on a canyoning adventure. Tear it up on mountain bikes through the stunning scenery of the Septentrional Range and enjoy a dose of local culture in Santo Domingo. While plenty of activities are included, you'll always have free time to explore or relax—ensuring you a true once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Santo Domingo is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. The city is located on the south side of the island on the Caribbean Sea, and at the mouth of the Ozama River. Founded by Bartholomew Columbus (brother of Christopher) in 1496, it is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas, and was the first seat of Spanish colonial rule in the New World. Today, Santo Domingo is the Dominican Republic's major metropolis, and is the largest city in the Caribbean by population.
Day 2-3 Jarabacoa (2B,L,2D)
Guided walking tour of Santo Domingo Colonial Zone and half-day whitewater rafting on the Yaque del Norte River. Option to ride by horesback to the Jimenoa Waterfall or visit organic coffee plantation Finca Alta Gracia.

A beautiful adventure in breath-taking surroundings, carving through the “Dominican Alps” you will experience excellent class III rapids that will change your image of a Caribbean island forever. Experience jumping from the "El Cerrazo" rock and swimming through the "Crocodile" rapids. Rapids are gentle to start with, allowing time to learn skills and understand guide commands, leading to more challenging sections of river later in the trip. Rafting is followed by lunch and then transfer back to the hotel.

Europe- Amsterdam

Partying across Europe, exploring historic cities, galleries and museums, discovering medieval towns straight from a fairytale, embracing a variety of cultures, sampling regional wines and delicacies.
Description

Ah, a relaxing week’s vacation in Old Europa. What could be finer? Don’t ask anyone who’s taken this trip! Our seven-day odyssey across five countries is a blur of beauty, culture and adventure from start to finish, with loads of optional activities to pick and choose from. From the varied architectural wonders of Prague to the nightclubs of Amsterdam and Berlin to romantic Bruges and classic London, this trip contains more European awesomeness per minute than should be permissible by law. (We won’t tell if you won’t.)

Amsterdam is one of the coolest cities in Europe. Beautiful, hip, and laid back, with lots to do, lots to see, many pubs, food from all over the world and friendly people. A visit to this stunning city can feel like stepping back in time, surrounded by the charming architecture dating back to the 17th century. But this city is far from old-fashioned and will be best seen on foot or like the locals, by bicycle.

If you only do one thing in Amsterdam, make it a canal cruise. Amsterdam's canals are its signature and cruising these criss-crossing waterways puts the city in perspective while offering unique views of dozens of spectacular Amsterdam sights in a short period of time. Afterwards, head into a cozy bruin café o “eetcafé” (to the Dutch what pubs are to the British and Irish), local spots where friends gather to catch up over a beer or glass of house wine.

Southern Islands

Since pre-Columbian times, the site of Quito has been inhabited by the Quitus, the Shyris and the Puruhas. The Inca reached this city before the Spaniards, but levelled it to the ground rather than give it up to the Spanish. The present capital was founded by the Spanish on December 6th, 1534. Quito is separated into two basic sections, the old and the new cities. The old city is full of historical buildings and churches. One of the more noteworthy is the Catedral de Quito, located on the Plaza de la Independencia. Built between 1550 and 1562, it was one of the first neoclassical works in Quito. La Compañía de Jésus Church is considered one of the most beautiful in the Americas. The decorations in the Compañía contain approximately one and one-half tons of gold, and construction of the church took 170 years (1605-1775).

Encounter the island chain that has enchanted explorers since Darwin first weighed anchor off its shores. Spend eight days exploring the incredible wildlife of the Galapagos archipelago in the company of an expert Naturalist Guide. In the evenings, return to the comfortable g4 to reflect on the day’s adventures. Retire to air-conditioned cabins with exclusive lower berths and private bathrooms. As one of the region’s largest operators, we understand the importance of controlling the onboard experience—that’s why you'll never end up on another operator's ship.

Arrival transfer and Continental breakfast while in Quito, 7 nights in the Galapagos Islands, Visit to Charles Darwin Research Station, Incredible wildlife encounters, Daily opportunities for swimming and snorkelling, Flights to and from the Galapagos Islands, Snorkeling equipment onboard Galapagos Yacht.

There are several excellent museums scattered throughout the city. The Casa de la Cultura Ecuadoriana has an interesting display of traditional musical instruments and Ecuadorian traditional dress, a large art collection, and a small natural history museum. For archeology the best museum to visit is the Museo del Banco Central with its well displayed pottery, gold ornaments, skulls showing deformities and early surgical methods, a mummy and many other objects of interest. The small, rounded hill dominating the old town is El Panecillo or 'the Little Bread Loaf,' a major Quito landmark. From here there are marvelous panoramic views of the entire city and surrounding volcanoes. You can easily take a trolley (streetcar) or a cab between the Old Town and New Town.

Bangkok Travel

Bangkok
Flying out to somewhere and seeing what happens is one of the best things I've ever done, I'd advise doing it but make sure you do have some knowledge of Thailand before you go, just to make things easier. Bangkok is pretty safe, and you should be okay there as a female. However, from what I saw in Bangkok, everybody mainly comes in groups and it would be difficult to make yourself apart of a group of people that already know each other.

I didn't see many lone travellers, but I guess if you look elsewhere you may find someone?

If you stick to the main cities or touristy parts of Thailand you will be more than fine on your own, if you're going to go a bit more rural I'd advise dressing modestly. But Thais outside the main tourists places are more friendly too. So yeah, if you end up on your own you should be okay unless you do something crazy.. Although, if you really want to travel with someone then there are websites like travbuddy which may help you find someone.

I went last summer with a mate to Thailand/Laos/Vietnam/Cambodia. Most people were in a pair or as part of a tour i found when i was out there...

We flew out to bangkok with 0 plans other than attempting to get back to bangkok 9 weeks later. didn't even know where the city was from the airport when we landed or how to get there...

Basically i wouldn't reccomend travelling as a single female anywhere really. If you can get a friend to go with you then just go out there with no plans and blag it a little bit. Everything out there can be booked the same day for cheaper prices than you will get booking it from England. Go to this guy called "joe" just off Khao San road, behihng the temple, near my house guesthouse, he will sort you out all your travelling needs tbh. You can book it at the bus/train station yourself and save a dollar but by the time you spend $3 getting to the station and back and hours of your time, get other people to book it.

If you can't find a friend then sign up with one of the tours that STA recomended earlier. You'll be guaranteed an awesome trip with like minded people.

Travel to Hawaii

Hawaii is a land of curious paradox.

A place where the destructive force of volcanoes has created a fertile destination for you to discover filled with rainforests, waterfalls, warm turquoise waters, and black and white sand beaches. All these elements come together beautifully and form a romantic backdrop to your dream vacation. Imagine full days in the Big Island cities of Hilo and Kona, plus overnights on Maui and Kaua'i.

With all that time, you can drive the road to Hana, marvel at the rainbows in Waimea Canyon or stroll to a torch-lit lu'au. You'll see more of Hawaii for less on a Cruise!

The fresh, floral air energizes you. The warm, tranquil waters refresh you. The breathtaking, natural beauty renews you. Look around.

There’s no place on earth like Hawaii. Whether you're a new visitor or returning, our six unique islands offer distinct experiences that will entice any traveler.

Travel to Sardinia

Sardinia - Nuraghic Warriors and Phoenician Traders
Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
During the Bronze Age a dynamic society of warriors and traders developed on this rugged island, leaving behind them a staggering 7000 ‘Nuraghi’ - fortified round towers with associated villages. We also visit Megalithic, Phoenician and Roman sites and travel through beautiful countryside. The abundant and distinctive wildlife will delight botanists and bird watchers.

Until recently the importance of the island has been underestimated, partly because, one suspects, it was never colonised by the Greeks. Sardinia’s period of greatest prosperity and architectural splendour was BC, rather than AD. This was during the Bronze Age when a dynamic society of warriors and traders developed here, as shown by the presence of a staggering 7000 ‘Nuraghi’. The ruins of these splendid fortified round towers, some with outworks and associated villages, are a unique feature of the archaeology of Sardinia.

Sardinia has been popularly regarded as rather isolated, an impression encouraged by its rugged landscape and self-reliant islanders, who speak an obscure dialect and cling tenaciously to their customs and folklore. The archaeology tells another story, however, of rich prehistoric and classical cultures which were regularly in contact with other parts of the Mediterranean.

Together with the engaging bronze figurines - bronzetti - they provide an insight into an island society of intriguing complexity at an early date. We also visit earlier Megalithic sites, later Phoenician trading colonies and Roman cities as we traverse the island.

It is a wildly beautiful place - relatively poor and undeveloped except in pockets such as the busy capital of Cagliari, or the delightful Aragonese harbour town of Alghero.

Travel to New Orleans

New Orleans: back in full swing

The shop names say it all. Trashy Diva, Voluptuous Vixen, Constant Envy… Walk down Chartres Street in New Orleans's wilfully bohemian French Quarter, with its richly coloured houses and frilly cast-iron balconies gushing with flowers, and it is clear that this is a city where the sensual life matters.

Boutiques selling perfume, corsets and lingerie give way to handsome Jackson Square, lined with purveyors of hope. Fortune-tellers and tarot readers vie for attention with the pencil-point spires of St Louis Cathedral. A uniformed jazz band tunes up as a splendid white carriage with matching horse clip-clops off for a romantic ride through a bewitching ensemble of Spanish, French and Creole buildings.

Set beside a venerable bend of the Mississippi, New Orleans has always been that dreamy, steamy place where Uncle Sam finally throws off his top-hat and goes lindy-hopping. Tennessee Williams, Mardi Gras, Dixieland, voodoo, gumbo – the call is exotic and hard to resist.

Strangeness is everywhere. New Orleans has stalls selling alligator burgers, and tribes of men who dress up as Indians in outrageous feathered costumes that take a year to make. There are bars that resound to the foot-tapping beat of zydeco, and there are fish named pompano and sheepshead. The locals confer using words such as lagniappe (a little bit extra) and po-boy, which is a sandwich, not an impoverished youth.

It seems to have been like this for ever. In 1920, when Prohibition arrived and agents were despatched nationwide to assess the severity of the problem, New Orleans was found to have 5,000 bars.

While it took an inspector 14 minutes to be offered an illegal drink in New York, here it was just 37 seconds – generously proposed by his taxi-driver.

Comparisons with Venice are appropriate. Both cities have ravishing looks, bags of atmosphere and a precarious relationship with water. As we all know, in August 2005 Hurricane Katrina triggered floods that devastated the city.

The verdict is that this was a man-made disaster – levees meant to provide protection failed. This view is banged home emphatically in David Simon's hit television drama Treme, which is named after the city's historic and culturally rich African-American neighbourhood.

Beginning three months after the disaster, the series shows its citizens struggling to transcend the tragedy, with a superb backing track of home-grown tunes. Many locals consider it "hyper-accurate", and a third season is now in production.

"Some say we are the northernmost city in the Caribbean," a resident suggests – which is plausible given the warmth, colour and laissez-faire lifestyle enveloping me. New Orleans is the only city in the United States where it is legal to drink alcohol in the street, with 24-hour bars and signs saying "Cocktails to Go". Every weekend the pedestrianised party-strip of Bourbon Street becomes a raucous, boozy mayhem filled with out-of-town drunkards festooned with coloured beads.

Travel ocity: Ancient Mexico

Travel ocity: Ancient Mexico
To date our Mexican tours have tended to concentrate on the better known giants of ancient Mesoamerica: Maya, Aztec, Teotihuacan, but Mexico was one of the world’s major independent cradles of civilisation. The varied landscapes and environments across this vast country produced a great range of adaptations and of fascinating local cultures, the focus of this new tour.
To date our Mexican tours have tended to concentrate on the better known giants of ancient Mesoamerica: Maya, Aztec, Teotihuacan, but Mexico was one of the world’s major independent cradles of civilisation. The varied landscapes and environments across this vast country produced a great range of adaptations and of fascinating local cultures, the focus of this new tour.

Peoples with exotic names such as the Totonacs, Toltecs, the Cholulans, the Zapotecs and Mixtecs shared the same calendar systems, held certain gods and views of the cosmos in common, practiced human sacrifice and played a game with a rubber ball in a special court that was of great ritual significance. Yet they spoke a range of separate languages and produced an array of different styles in art and architecture that display a striking individuality and vivacity.

The splendid achievements of some of these local cultures of ancient Mexico are becoming better known through the archaeological work of recent years: El Tajin, for example, in the steamy hotlands of northern Veracruz, was a great city with a unique architectural style and eleven ball-courts, and Cacaxtla with superb and intriguing wall paintings, flourished in the very different temperate environment of the valley of Mexico.

At other times it was part of the Hellenistic worldWe also fly south to explore a whole new and archaeologically rich area of ancient Mexico, the marvellous upland region of Oaxaca, land of the Zapotecs and Mixtecs, and still home to traditional communities of their descendants today.

Southhall travel- Anatolia & Cappadocia

Southhall travel- Anatolia & Cappadocia
The history and prehistory of central Anatolia has been an extraordinarily rich pageant. At times this was the home of her own culturally distinctive kingdoms and empires. At other times it was part of the Hellenistic world, the Roman Empire or at the centre of Turkish Empires. Some were led here by the Silk Road and the Spice Route, whilst others came from the Mediterranean.
The history and prehistory of central Anatolia has been an extraordinarily rich pageant. My wife lent me One Day.At times this was the home of her own culturally distinctive kingdoms and empires. At other times it was part of the Hellenistic world, the Roman Empire or at the centre of Turkish Empires. Some were led here by the Silk Road and the Spice Route, whilst others came from the Mediterranean.

Our programme provides the framework for a journey through a massive sweep of time starting with the earliest Neolithic city in the Near East at Çatal Höyük, and follows the story through the superbly-sited Hittite capital city of Hattusas, to the capital of the Phrygian realm of King Midas at Gordion and Kerkenes Dağ, a remote and utterly spectacular forgotten mountain city, which has been excavated for many years by your Guide Lecturer.

We discover hidden early Christian churches and monasteries cut into the strange rock formations of eroded volcanic tuffs - a fairytale landscape. Isolated cells were carved out of the pinnacles by ascetic monks and entire settlements were created underground. The elegant monuments of pre- Ottoman Seljuk Turkey we see as we travel provide a final chapter to our story through the millennia.

This year we fly into Konya, saving one day-long journey and enabling us to begin the story with the earliest site.

I regularly go on the net and research golfing holidays and Mauritius looks good. There are interesting things there such as the capital, Port Louis, and formal gardens and a zoo with giant tortoises, so there are things for all the family, I've checked. Eve has come to terms with my golf obsession.

Computicket travel- questions

Computicket travel- questions
Which was your worst holiday?

We once booked a horse-drawn caravan in Ireland. The pictures on the website were absolutely idyllic, but the reality was a horse that absolutely hated us. We don’t know anything about horses. It used to go really slowly, so we’d try to make it go faster – they’d said “Kick it on!” – but we didn’t know what to do and it used to kick and bite us and we were all really scared of it. It ended with our pulling it along, with people making rude gestures to us out of their cars. The Irish seem to hate people in gipsy caravans. The axle came off on the bridge to Ballykissangel [Avoca, in County Wicklow], it rained the entire time and it was really depressing.

What was your worst experience on holiday?

Years ago I sprained my ankle on the first day of skiing in Celerina , Switzerland. I had to watch the others for a long time. But then we decided to go and have a look at Venice, and that was perfect. So I was glad in the end I’d injured myself.

What’s the biggest packing mistake you’ve made?

When I went to Cape Town to film Kidnap and Ransom in 2011, it was sweltering in February – I was having to lie on the kitchen floor to keep cool because it had ceramic tiles. I didn’t have the right clothes. When I went back in 2012 for the second series, I just imagined it would be the same. It was cold and all I took was flip-flops and summer dresses, so I’d got it wrong again.

What’s the worst hotel you’ve stayed in?

We went to the Chelsea Hotel in New York City because of its bohemian past as the home of writers and musicians, and it was just horrible. We imagined we were being very bohemian, but all we wanted was clean sheets. I don’t want much from a hotel, but I do want clean sheets.

What do you avoid on holiday?

I avoid loads of people, because I’d rather have a bit of countryside and an experience that’s different from London, where I live.

What do you hate about holidays?
Nothing, although I always appreciate home when I come back. I always think this is the best place in the entire world. Britain gets a lot of things right; I worry for our future, but I think of the NHS and the BBC, our tolerance and our green belt and I just think we’re so privileged to live here. I’m always happy to come home.The feeding scheme was launched to help improve the nutritional status of the people of South Africa.

South hall travel- Which was your best holiday?

South hall travel- Which was your best holiday?

I always try to go somewhere historic in Britain at Easter with my partner [David L Williams, a filmmaker] and our three children. Last year we stayed in a really lovely b & b near Hadrian’s Wall and felt really free; there was nobody there and it was absolutely stunning. We’d walk the wall in the daytime with a lunch the b & b had packed. We’d think we’d done brilliantly, but after hours of walking we’d find out how far we’d gone and it would turn out to be a mile and a half or something! It was up and down, but it didn’t matter. It was fantastic.

I discovered Northumberland fairly recently – the beaches there are so beautiful, and it’s like the Fifties up there: unspoilt and with very few people. Easter’s good for holidaying in England; we seem to get the warm weather then, and a rainy summer.

What do you need for a perfect holiday?

A camper van and the open road. I just love the feeling of “We’re off!” We did own one until recently, but we’ve outgrown it. We hire them now because the big ones are very expensive. I had a lot of caravanning holidays when I was young with my parents and have very happy memories, and this is me trying to replicate that.

What do you always take with you?

A washing line and pegs, a tin opener and a couple of books for each of us. We take Scrabble or Boggle or Bananagrams, probably all three. Lately we’ve quite got into Carcassonne, a game where you build a medieval city out of tiles. We get really into our games and then we go off them, so it’s good to have a few.

What’s your best piece of travel advice?

Always have double the number of pairs of knickers of the days you’re away, because anything can happen. You don’t want to get caught short.

Where would you like to go next?

Somewhere in Britain within an hour of home. I think Britain is very underrated as a holiday destination. I’d like to do things like walk the Ridgeway through Oxfordshire. I think we might do a bit of canoeing and camping in the Wye Valley next.

Freshly honed after the successful first trip, we present a tour to some of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world, lying abandoned in dramatic terrain in one of the least-visited of countries. The museums contain breath-taking surprises, with artefacts and mosaics of the finest quality. The infrastructure for visitors is new and all tours to Algeria are escorted by a police presence.

Travel and leisure magazine: Turkey by charter

Travel and leisure magazine- Turkey by charter

turkey by charterI recently had the opportunity to travel to Turkey in a special way. I made the most of this tremendous occasion given of a cheap airfare given to me. I grasp this opportunity to discover new landscape and I flew to Turkey by charter.

Traveling by charter doesn’t have many requirements: A passport, a visa when needed and an airfare suffice for having an unforgettable journey to the Aegean Sea sunny beach.
The story of this amazing trip to Turkey

I was wandering in the street when I fall on travel advertising to spending a week in a sea resort in Turkey. I was in need of a few days escape abroad, so I grasp this opportunity to have a new journey.
The itinerary to Izmir in Turkey

I jumped in the charter in the afternoon and landed on in the city of Izmir in Turkey.
Then I get a bus with other passengers to the village hotel in the mountain.
It’s was late in the night when we arrived to our final destination. Just on time for a small rest before a new morning full of adventure.
My best records of Turkey

The discovery of the Aegean Sea was a tremendous experience. I even swim in the transparent water full of small fishes. Another great surprise was to know that the city of Izmir was the actual name of the Biblical city of Smyrna in the Book of Revelation.
And I learned that this city were located in few miles of Ephesus.
I spent an enjoyable week, and made the most of my trip to go shopping in the cheap market where leather clothes are not very expensive and tax free for small quantity.

Single travel- Berlin city break guide- Why go?

Single trave- Berlin city break guide
Why go?

Because since the fall of its world-famous Wall, Berlin has busied itself with becoming one of the most stimulating creative and cultural centres in Europe. These days it’s a city of many faces, known equally as a hedonistic hub (parties here often go on for days rather than hours), a magnet for history buffs (the city was at the heart of much of the turbulent 20th century) and, increasingly, as a destination for families – thanks to a wealth of green spaces (see the sprawling Tiergarten), lots of indoor and outdoor playgrounds plus plenty of attractions to keep the little ones occupied.

And despite the cheap rents and bohemian reputation (the city’s unofficial motto is “Poor But Sexy”), there’s also a lot on offer for well-heeled and business travellers, from ritzy hotels and classy boutiques to Michelin-starred dining spots. A grand European all-rounder? And then some…
When to go?
Tales of Berlin’s notoriously long and harsh winters send shivers up the spines of visitors before they’ve even arrived – but don’t worry, they’re not that much worse than those in Britain. Still, the preferred time to visit is in the warmer months (April-September), when you can explore the city’s waterways and parks, as well as the numerous lakes (and sights) that lie within striking distance of the centre.
You have now a unique opportunity to share your own travel to Tuscany story with the rest of the world!
Spring and autumn are also pleasant times to visit Berlin, and there are plenty of cultural events happening all year round. To paraphrase comedian Billy Connolly: there's no such thing as a bad time to visit Berlin, just bring the right clothing…