ABaC Barcelona is Quality, Luxury and Comfort

This ultra modern hotel is conveniently located near a metro station (just across the street). Located in a neighborhood, away from the main tourist area which was not a big deal for us since we had a car and with the metro being so close.

The neighborhood does not have many restaurants, but there is a nice bakery/cafe across the street that makes excellent cappuccinos, bread, croissants, pastries, and ready made sandwiches. Although the hotel offers breakfast with a nice selection of breakfast items, we preferred the cafe across the street for having coffee, croissants and fresh squeezed OJ every morning. There are also several small markets within a 5 minute walk for picking up fruit, wine, gourmet goodies, etc. I would HIGHLY recommend making a reservation for dinner at the hotel restaurant. It's a bit pricey, but well worth the experience.

There is seating available inside or outside on the garden patio. Although the patio garden is a beautiful setting, I would advise sitting inside due to loud traffic noise that somewhat distracted from the whole culinary experience. Also, we did get surprised by a rain shower later in the evening and had to be moved inside to finish our dessert course. Our room was very quiet despite the fact it was facing a busy street.

The accommodations are quite modern with tastefully appointed, generously sized rooms and bathrooms. The bed and down filled pillows were very comfortable and dressed in quality bed linens. The hotel is very private and secure with several gated entrances and a gated underground garage. Most importantly the staff was extremely nice and very helpful.

We spent 3 nights here in January- it was perfect from start to finish.

I booked a car transfer with the hotel and a smart uniformed driver was waiting for us at the airport. The check in was very efficient and Marien showed us around the hotel and explained all the gadgets in our suite.

We were in room 824- fabulous room, it was the best few nights sleep we have ever had!

The restaurant was amazing- relaxed, friendly, great sommelier, food was out of this world. Without doubt the best restaurant we have ever eaten in. And being able to watch the chefs at work in the kitchen was a wonderful experience.

Breakfast was innovative and different, and a relaxing experience, which is often not the case.

Marien and the team could not do enough for us- they were so friendly and helpful.
The hotel is just across the road from a metro station, taxi rank and tourist bus stop- very good links to the city centre.

Would recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Barcelona.

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Best Five Asian Safaris

The human race stands at the brink of an epic statistical milestone. The UN has set October 31 of this year as the date the human population is expected to surpass seven billion people. As our numbers swell, the wild animals that we treat like awkward guests have ever less legroom.

Take a look at some Asian survival outposts – conservation zones where animals take precedence over people.  The line-up runs the gamut from mouse hares to mighty Komodo dragons.

1. Langkawi jungle tour, Malaysia

This tour is run by the charismatic Dev Mahendra, a Malaysian naturalist in the mold of Irshad Mobarak [www.junglewalla.com], the “junglewallah” who similarly heads wildlife tours on that Malaysian island Eden, Langkawi. On Mahendra’s jungle tour, you have a good chance of seeing flying lemurs flying squirrel species. On Mahendra’s bird-watching tour, you may see one of Asia’s most striking birds, the pterodactyl-like giant hornbill. Another option Mahendra offers is a nooks-and-crannies mangrove kayak jaunt starring eagles and monitor lizards.

2. Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

A highlight of lush, luxuriant Thailand, Khao Yai National Park [www.khaoyai.com] lies three hours northeast of Bangkok in the Sankambeng Mountains. Thailand’s second-largest park after Kaeng Krachan in Phetchaburi province, Khao Yai consists of damp evergreen forest, mixed deciduous forest, and dry evergreen forest. The park contains more than 350 bird species, and a wide spectrum of animals. On this Khao Yai wilderness adventure, you might just see elephants, great hornbills, and Asiatic black bears, among other show-stoppers. A sidelight – Heo Suwat waterfall – was featured in the cult backpacker film The Beach. Several other waterfalls also enter the picture. Oh, and – off-track – for adventurers who go out on a limb, Khao Yai even has a dinosaur footprint, though you will have to trek a few days to get to it.

 3. Snow Leopard

Ladakh, the mystical Himalayan land of High Passes, hosts Hemis National Park: a 600 square-kilometer high-altitude protected zone founded in 1981 in the east of the desert. Inside Hemis, you can see one of the world’s most glamorous animals, the snow leopard, which is prone to making cameo appearances between November and March. In the park, you may also glimpse the wild horse and musk deer. Then there are marmots, mouse hares, stone martens, red foxes, golden orioles and more. Hemis offers extraordinary diversity – a riotous rainbow of species.

4. Wild Panda 

Everybody’s favorite mournful-looking animal is not entirely confined to the zoo. Venture deep into wild China and if you're lucky you might come face to face with a feral panda. Like orangutans, pandas are elusive and alert. If a panda catches your scent, it may bolt for cover. Still, even spotting panda prints or detecting a specimen on GPS is a coup. In pursuit of wild pandas and other intriguing animals, this tour takes you to the Tangjiahe Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province, then Foping Nature Reserve in Shanxi province.

5. Komodo Dragon

Fewer than 5,000 komodo dragons survive, making the species vulnerable to extinction. The dragon, a kind of Indonesian monitor lizard, claws on to four islands across the water from Bali: Komodo, Rinca, Padar, and Flores. Few other animals have more wow factor. The world's largest living reptile, it can sprint and climb trees. Thanks to its massive green body and long flickering tongue, it may well have been responsible for classical fire-spitting dragon myths. Atop its head, it has a light-sensing ‘third eye’.

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Alma Barcelona is Perfect Hotel for Couples to Get Away

We stayed at the Alma in Barcelona for three nights at the end of March based on the TripAdvisor reviews the property received and I am glad we did.

This hotel is a real gem; its location in the city is perfect just off one of the luxury retail areas/boulevards of Barcelona and within walking distance to the harbour and other attractions such as the Picasso museum. The Big Bus Tour (as well as the metro and regular public buses) stop two blocks from the hotel which is convenient too. As it's in a side street the rooms are really quiet which is great.

We stayed in an Executive Suite as we travelled with our 7 year old daughter (they don't allow an extra bed in their standard rooms) which was very modern, minimalist, spacious, quiet and comfortable. I am slightly surprised that they charge Euro 60 for an extra bed per night though which in my view is expensive, especially given that we already booked a more premium room category.

The room had free WIFI (slow at times), a free mini bar, complimentary water and nice Bulvgari amenities in the bathroom which featured a large walk-in rain shower, separate bath and separate toilet as well as a double sink.

Breakfast is not included and slightly expensive at 25 Euro per person, but worth it. It is served in the cosy lobby lounge which is very modern and you can sit outside in the courtyard when the weather is nice, a perfect start to your day. The offering at breakfast was good and included made to order eggs, pancakes, etc. so an extensive offering.

There is a gym and indoor pool, small but quirky design and has everything you need. The room access is cool too as it's done with your finger print or a regular keycard, whichever you prefer.

What makes this hotel really special is the service. When we arrived someone immediately came outside to greet and assist us and check in was smooth, personalised and friendly and the team used it as an opportunity to introduce us to all the services of the hotel, they made restaurant and museum bookings for us on the spot, all whilst we enjoyed a lovely glass of cava, courtesy of the hotel. All the staff were great and super helpful throughout our stay.

We would definitely return to this hotel when next in Barcelona and can highly recommend it to those that enjoy luxury boutique design hotels.

Room Tip: Executive Suite was very spacious and featured great design.

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7 Wonder of Thailand

The Thai tourist board slogan states ‘amazing Thailand’ and certainly the Land of Smiles offers endless opportunities for amazement.  Here we take a look at seven of the Land of Smiles’ most extraordinary draws – some big-ticket and well-known, others overlooked except by locals and the adventurous.

1. White Temple (Wat Rong Khun), Chiang Rai

Talk about minimalism. The most striking fact about this temple is simple: its colour. As its English name spells out, Wat Rong Khun is white, pretty much from top to bottom. One of Thailand’s most dazzling sights, the temple, which mixes Buddhist and Hindu influences, resembles a fairytale palace. A sidelight is the pop-art interior mural that visitors are barred from photographing.

2. Wat Pho, Bangkok

Thailand has a wealth of eye-catching temples in the capital alone. Bangkok’s Wat Pho is especially cool because it contains a giant reclining Buddha about the size of an airliner. The gold-plated behemoth that stretches 46 meters is designed to embody the Buddha’s transition into nirvana (heaven). The reclining Buddha’s feet and eyes are engraved with mother-of-pearl. The Wat Pho site includes a Thai massage school where you can be bent and flexed by the hour. You can also enrol in massage classes. 

3. Phu Kum Khao, Kalasin

This north-eastern museum’s remarkable lost-world line-up includes life-sized skeletons of the abundant dinosaur species found in the neighbourhood. Besides, the museum displays the archaeological dig-site where fossils of six dinosaurs were uncovered. Phu Kum Khao is said to be the most complete and biggest dinosaur museum in Southeast Asia.

4. Erawan Falls, Kanchanaburi

Erawan Falls is named after the erawan: the three-headed white elephant of Hindu myth. And the liquid landmark has elephantine proportions. Erawan Falls consists of no less than seven tiers. Reaching the top tier takes mountains of stamina and a solid sense of balance. Beware slippery muddy patches and tripwire roots.

5. Pai

The remote Thai village of Pai is enchanting. Pai feels like a slice of Switzerland, set at the end of an unrelentingly snaky uphill road, which is well worth it. Despite what you read online, only some travellers get motion sickness. The destination dishes up succulent food, lovely views and a wealth of wildlife, with butterflies whizzing merrily over the hills.

6. The robot building, Bangkok

No attraction in this list of marvellous Land of Smiles lures is simpler or more arresting than Bangkok’s Robot building. Yes, it is a building in the shape of a robot, towering over the Sathorn business district. You have to see the slice of sci-fi set in stone. You can see the robot building clearly from the sky train's Silom line between Sala Daeng and Saphan Taksin stations. On the other side of Bangkok is the Chang Building – kind of like a giant Lego elephant.

7. Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Seua), Krabi

Not to be confused with Tiger Temple, which boasts real tigers, this provincial oddity has no imposing predators strolling around and yet is far cooler – a uniquely eccentric spiritual complex. Tiger Cave Temple’s base is honeycombed with caves containing a wealth of morbid religious relics. The temple’s platform peak, reached by a giant staircase, hosts a dream-like collection of giant Buddhas and towers. Besides, the platform offers captivating views across the lush ‘enchanted province’. Just remember that, as with Erawan Falls, you must be fit to climb the 1237 steps. Go early in the morning with a litre of water per person.

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Casa Camper Hotel Barcelona is Absolutely Perfect for us

We departed on a mediterranean cruise from Barcelona and came a day early to experience the city a bit. My husband and I were traveling with our 3 daughters, ages 15, 14 and 11. We all wished that we had stayed longer. Casa Camper was awesome! 

Hotel staff arranged transportation from the airport for us and that was perfect. Our flight was delayed for a couple of hours, yet our driver was right there at the airport holding a sign with our name. Whew..

We had 2 rooms. The "lounge" room that came with each room was unique - and a great idea. Initially, we were a little unsure because the bedroom is on one side of the hallway and the lounge is across the hall but the he same key opens each door and our kids loved having their own spot to hang out. Each lounge room had a hammock, small couch, large TV and a window with a view. Each bedroom was very cool with a great shower area - very clean also (from a cleanliness standpoint, I loved that these rooms were not carpeted). If we had any doubts, we would have split up parents and children between the 2 bedrooms, but we felt very safe and secure. Parents stayed in one room and the kids in the other - each had our own lounge and it was a perfect setup!

The self-serve food and drink area off the main lobby was convenient and the food was delicious. There were small salads, unique sandwiches, desserts, yogurts, fruit, drinks and more that are available anytime. As our sleep schedules were off and we were trying to maximize our time in the city, this was ideal.

We loved being right off La Rambla. The staff was friendly and helpful. We received a call from them as we were boarding the cruise. They wanted to let us know that we had left some items there if we would like to come back and get them. It was only my daughter's shampoo and a couple of toiletries. Can't say enough about this hotel from our initial impression to our last!

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Lark Hill Quarry - A Unique Place

Few attractions can accurately be classified ‘unique’, but one that deserves that word is the offbeat Aussie attraction Lark Hill Quarry. An hour from the rural town of Winton, deep in the Outback of Australia's Queensland state, the site is well off the tourist trail.  

Frozen fear

Far from just a bunch of stones, the inland Queensland attraction has an amazing claim to fame. It served as the stage for the world’s only recorded dinosaur stampede, which unfolded some 95 million years ago.

Hence the surreally named Dinosaur Stampede National Monument, which features some 3300 dinosaur tracks set in solidified sandy sediment.

Buried by centuries of sand and mud, the tracks came to light in the 1960s when, while rummaging for opals, local station manager Glen Seymour found what he thought was just fossilized bird tracks. Only after scientists visited the area in 1971 did a far more intriguing story emerge.

Alpha predator

The theory of the dino stampede recounts an extraordinary episode in the primal life of a swaggering predator.

Meet the Tyrannosauropus. Apparently up to 10 metres long and equipped with 50-centimetre feet, the Tyrannosauropus was a cousin of one of the most fearsome predators ever to prowl the planet – Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Monster munch

One day at Lark Hill, a Tyrannosauropus came on some 150 weedy two-legged dinosaurs – Coelurosaurs – sipping from a lake. Cue panic. The potential prey stampeded back where they came from – a spit jutting into a lake in those humid pre-mammal days when lush rainforest swamped Australia.

Terror trail

The traces carved out by the stampede look straight from a cartoon. The Tyrannosauropus’ giant fossilised tracks go in a straight line until he spots the dinosaurs on the lake’s edge.

Then chaos. All the fleeing dinosaur tracks are heading the same way, some skidding across the old mudflat, presumably in terror.

Oops

Preserving the terror tracks for the benefit of cultured gawkers has been tricky. According to one blogger, a shelter erected over the tracks was adopted by various marsupials that gladly moved in, contributing to the footprints’ erosion.

Then a replacement structure partially collapsed. In a predatory loop, designer blamed the architect, who blamed the builder, who reckoned the designer was responsible.

Permanent pattern

Now, the tracks are safely housed in a shrine-like climate-controlled, solar-powered building. The pattern the footprints make is one of Australia’s most captivating sights.

According to the Australian government’s heritage department, the footprints ‘informed’ the stampede scenes in Steven Spielberg's 1993 blockbusterJurassic Park and the BBC's prize-winning 1999 series Walking with Dinosaurs.

Still, hardly anyone has heard of the random mosaic from a watery past. So, although it bogged down those two-legged dinosaurs, Dinosaur Stampede National Monument is far from a tourist trap. You must see the monument for the frame-by-frame drama and sense of history coming back to bite you. Unique.

Meet the Muttaburrasaurus?

Research by palaeontologists at Queensland University challenges the Tyrranosauropus theory. They say the large tracks belong to a vegetarian: the Muttaburrasaurus. At eight meters tall, this gentle giant would still have been a terrifying sight to the chicken-sized Coelurosaurs.  

Winton info:

The Dinosaur Stampede National Monument stands 110km south-west of Winton in Lark Quarry Conservation Park. The area has produced a number of dinosaur fossils and is where the famous Aussie bush ballad 'Waltzing Matilda' by Banjo Patterson was penned. 

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The Toren - Charming Location; Good Staff; Awkward Decor

The Toren occupies two old canal-houses on the Keizersgracht: a particularly charming location. The staff are very helpful, the breakfast is outstanding (but with an extra charge), and there's a comfortable if dark lounge where drinks and coffee are served all day. Due to these factors, I give it 4/5 stars. If it were not located here, it would get 3/5 stars, at most.

Now since this a premium-priced hotel, with room-rates among the highest in the area, my review compares The Toren with similar hotels that are slightly less expensive (such as 't Hotel and Hotel Fita)--and, as you'll see, I think these others are better value and more pleasant (if less chic).

Part of the charm of hotels in Amsterdam (at least in my view) is that most are fairly small (less than 10 or 15 rooms and they are owned by a single family--and while the service is impeccable (this is the Netherlands), there is a certain warmth and friendliness: you are greeted by someone who will remember your name and want to know how to make your stay more comfortable--their help with museum and tram tickets, bike hire, etc., will be done to be helpful and not to make extra money.

The Toren is run by a family, but it's a very corporate place. It's the only canal-house hotel I've ever seen that has a long registration desk that is manned by two people 24/7. This has advantages (someone's always there) and disadvantages (it's a colder experience). Since I stayed in the Annex, where there are no staff present, there was minimal interaction between me and those who could otherwise offer friendly advice. 

They charge far too much for bike hire (15 euros per day; the nearby shops charge half of that); they charge a premium for museum tickets, and that's just not fair. 

The decor, in my opinion, is awful: dark purple velvet and black everywhere; red walls; black tile. Furniture in the room is black. Walls painted black. Black bed spread. Coffeemaker is nice: it's black too.There's no "let the light in" and none of the clean lines and exposed wood that one normally finds in 18th-century buildings in the city. At one point I asked a member of staff if they could raise the blinds in the lounge: I was the only one in there and wanted read without candles at 3 p.m. on a sunny day. No, they don't open, it's not part of the decor, I was told. Charitable view: it's aiming for fin-de-siecle luxury. Uncharitable: it's brothel-chic. It's just not functional: I like to shave in the shower, but for some reason even the light in the shower is pale. I could hardly see my reflection in my hand-held mirror. I guess the place would be functional if you didn't want to look at the person you're with--

I stayed in room 404; the size was fine, but one wall featured a long window and glass door; on the other side is a "smoking deck" shared by another room. I did not like hearing my neighbours chatting out there until late at night, on both nights. Especially not at £170 per night. They were not loud at all--but it's just a window between them and my bed--whose mattress was far too soft by the way.

At checkout, I mentioned the loud smoking-deck, and was advised that I ought to have mentioned this earlier, so they could have done something about it. (I didn't like that reply: the correct reply would have been "we are sorry about that.") I said that there was nothing that could have been done--my neighbours were simply using the deck that was available to them. I was then told that she would have asked them to be quiet. I think that would have been unfair--the problem is with the hotel's design, not with guests who like to chat with each other: they too pay £170 per night (I assume). The hotel decided not to charge me for breakfast or a glass of wine (a 30-euro saving: around 7% of the total cost).

Not a hotel for families--these rooms are not for kids; not one that I'd choose over 't Hotel or Hotel Fita--unless I had a canal-facing room (thus more light and no shared deck) and at a competitive price. I am sure the staff forgot about me as soon as I left. But they were helpful while I was there.

The hotel should be brighter, "warmer" (remove the registration table; even some Hiltons are using desks rather than long counters these days), and reconsider that dark decor.

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It's Succulent Asian Fruit

Apples, bananas and oranges get boring eventually and start tasting like sawdust. If you struggle to eat such mainstream fruit and thus fail to ‘get your vits’, as Aussies say, join the club and discover some exotic species of fruit popular around Asia.

If you mix them up, these succulent fruits might just revive your jaded tastebuds and make consuming vitamins more enticing. You can always try them blended at increasingly common blender-powered Asian smoothie stalls.

Mangosteen

With its gnarly purple skin and dual-bump pale interior flesh, the sweet and juicy mangosteen looks straight from Mars. Its nickname is the Queen of Fruits thanks to Queen Victoria, who offered knighthood to any Brit who could offer her a mangosteen fruit in mint condition. Her subjects failed. The reason: it was near impossible to preserve the fruit during the weeks-long journey to England. So, oddly, the mangosteen’s majestic nickname stems from failure.

Durian

This oval spiny tropical fruit hosts a smelly, succulent pulp. Some people find it disgusting, like moldy ice-cream or kissing a cadaver. Why they hate it so much is a mystery. Durian actually tastes like creamy coconut with a mild whiff. In smoothie form, it tastes like nectar. Still, some Malaysian and Thai shopping arcades, buses and trains display signs banning durian consumption.

Rambutan

Rambutans look ugly. Small, red and spiny, they could be straight from a bad joke that asks what has those properties. But rambutans taste fine, a bit like lychees. And rambutans are appealingly accessible because those spines are surprisingly soft, like hairs. Give the loose skin a twist and it rips and the sweet flesh pops out.

Lychees

Increasingly mainstream a la Kiwi fruit, lychees are another seductively easy-to-eat fruit that you can rip open in seconds with a little fingernail action. The moreish orbs taste a bit like grapes. Watch out for the black stone inside that consumes excessive lychee real estate and does not go down well.

Papaya

If any fruit might deserve durian’s reputation for tasting vile, it is papaya. Diced papaya has a baby’s nappy smell. But, if you liquidize the orange, melon-like black-seeded tropical fruit in a shake, its flavor calms down. In fact, it actually tastes nice. Better yet, if you have been eating too many flabby, colon-blocking pork baguettes and need a detox, papaya is superb on that front – a natural laxative. If you are daring, try the sweet, tart and spicy papaya salad (som tam): a popular Thai dish that is an acquired taste, you may find.

Dragon fruit

Also called the pitaya, this slightly mushy fruit is low in calories and high in vitamin C. Leathery pink skin with leafy green shoots encases soft white or red seeded flesh – an interior texture not unlike kiwi, though thankfully free of the tingle. The pitaya plant is a type of cactus – hardy and decorative. When in southeast Asia, keep a look out for the beet-colored juice from street vendors.

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Mauro Mansion - A Stylish Stay in a Great Location

Mauro mansion is located just a few minutes walk from the central station in Amsterdam city centre yet quiet and peaceful. The front of the hotel overlooks one of the city's many canals whilst interior rooms overlook a small courtyard. We had a courtyard room - what it lacked in natural light it made up for big style in terms of space (huge!) and stylish decor. As well as two comfortable single beds with Memory foam mattresses there was a funky plastic rocking chair and a huge white leather sofa. Plentiful storage space came in the form of industrial looking lockable metal cabinets. The mini bar is pre filled with complimentary goodies - a couple of mini bottles of prosecco, beer, juice, Pepsi and nuts - a very nice touch, and should you fancy a refill there is a well stocked honesty bar downstairs including a range of beers and wines as well as sweet and savoury snacks.

Prior to its current incarnation as a boutique hotel the property was a hotel catering to a rather 'specialist' audience, some reminders of which can be seen throughout the building (dungeon bars anyone?) which all just add to the quirky style of the place.

The pillows in the room were huge memory foam affairs - as a fan of small pillows these wouldn't be the most conducive to a good night's sleep for me but the owners happily gave me a low feather filled which fit the bill perfectly. Overall the Mauro team occur an impeccable level of service; personal and attentive without being intrusive. They offered great tips on where to eat and drink of an evening upon request - always good to get insider tips....

Breakfast is included and featured a tasty buffet of warm freshly baked breads, cereals, meats and cheese, accompanied with fantastic teas and coffees and freshly squeezed juices. Each day there would also be a freshly made treat delivered to your table - we enjoyed fruit salad, scrambled eggs and pancakes during our stay, all expertly prepared and very tasty.

This isn't the cheapest of options but overall I felt that it was good value for money. Along with the excellent hospitality of the owners, little touches like the minibar and being able to make yourself fresh ground coffee at any time really make this place stand out as something a bit special. Combining these features with a first rate location makes Mauro Mansion an excellent choice for any Amsterdam stay.

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Luna Park Sydney in Australia

You can see the eerie smiling face from Circular Quay, on the other side of the harbor. The face is enshrined at the entrance to that sprawling Sydney fun house, Luna Park.

Dizzyingly weird, Luna Park gives that better-known Circular Quay attraction, the Opera House, a run for its money. Hence the repeated interest of filmmakers, documentary makers and TV directors. For instance, an episode of the iconic Aussie TV series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo was filmed there.

Learn more about the retro attraction set at Milsons Point on Sydney’s elegant North Shore. The attraction, which dates back to 1935, has a rich, dark past that should mean it is haunted, if ghosts exist.

Seven Secrets of Luna Park

1. Sydney’s Luna Park takes its cue from the American version which opened on Coney Island, New York, in 1903.

2. Luna Park's beaming-face entrance is nine meters wide – even proportionally broader, you might imagine, than the Cheshire Cat’s smile inAlice in Wonderland.

3. During the Second World War, Luna Park drew droves of servicemen – some taking their girlfriends on a wild night out, others on the prowl for new partners.

4. The flood of Second World War servicemen brought a less-than-wholesome element to the park. Mass brawls between Australian home defense soldiers and American sailors on shore-leave regularly erupted.

5. During WWII, the park's outer lights were 'browned out' in case of a Japanese surprise attack on Sydney. The neon lights were unplugged and frivolous electricity use – mostly for ride façades – was curbed.

6. In 1979, the park's Ghost Train caught fire. The park’s fire hose system failed to cover the understaffed ride and six children and one adult perished. The fire was contained before it got the chance to engulf the nearby Big Dipper and River Caves. Controversy surrounded the fire, Australian artist Martin Sharp convinced it was the work of property developers looking to have the park torn down.

7. Subject to volatile swings of fortune, Luna Park has been repeatedly shut down and resurrected from the dead. The fun park’s last phoenix moment came in 2004. Since then, it has been going strong. Its most famous attraction, the Wild Mouse rollercoaster, which was first installed in 1962, has been disassembled and removed several times. The Wild Mouse remains in the picture, New South Wales’s only permanent rollercoaster.

More lunacy

Did you know that the word ‘lunar’ is related to ‘lunatic’? So the bizarre gateway smile that swallows you up makes a strange kind of sense. Perhaps even more maniacal is the slightly sinister façade of Melbourne's Luna Park (lunapark.com.au). The first of the four Luna Parks to be built in Australia (in 1912) and the only other one still standing, Melbourne Luna Park enjoys a far less storied past.

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All The Comforts of Home

My family and I spent our Spring Break at Kingsmill Resort. This was our first time. I chose Kingsmill after reading some of the reviews on TripAdvisor and also because of its proximity to Busch Gardens and Colonial Williamsburg, less than 20 minutes driving. The propery itself was beautiful. It is located in a gated community which appears to include both rental and residential and is located next to the James River. You have to check in at the main building. When the gentleman at the front desk was ready for me, he waved me over. A "next guest please" would have been polite and preferred. He also did not tell me anything about the property except for the shuttle to the nearby attractions and about only one of the many onsite restaurants. I learned more about the property after again reading Tripadvisor. I would definitely suggest that the front desk take time to fill in first time guests about all the amenities of the property. 

The rooms are located in units throughout the property. We rented a guest room with 2 double beds which was located in the rear of the unit. The room was small. However, it was fine for 2 adults and 2 small kids. The room was clean and had a sliding door in the rear which had a grassy area where the kids played. We were located near the tennis courts which I thought would pose a noise problem. Fortunately, it did not. However, the units also have an upstairs and downstairs which appear to be for larger groups. There was a family of more than 6 staying at the adjoined portion of the unit. There was only a thin door separating the units which allowed us to hear them every morning so sleeping in was not an option. It was not the worse thing but I would have preferred not having to hear this family and their kids at 7am when I'm on vacation. The bathroom was immaculate and more than enough fresh, clean towels were provided. There was also terrycloth robes available which were a nice plus. Our room was cleaned each day and even one morning the young lady who cleaned the room mistook a note to myself to purchase a robe and body lotion as a request for her to supply more for the room which she was kind enough to do. This was definitely appreciated.

As for the property itself, located next to the James River the views are amazing. There is plenty to do for the entire family - golf, tennis, swimming (indoor and outdoor), game room, spa and bike riding. My kids loved the Sports Center where the pool and game room are located. Every thing was walking distance from our room. Although shuttles are available for travel within the property; something I did not learn until our last night. 

As for dining, there are a number of restaurants on site. We had dinner at James Landing Grille located at the Marina. The view was beautiful. Although it was not warm enough to eat outdoors, this is an option. The food and service was good. They have a kids menu which worked out well since my son does not like seafood. For breakfast, we went to Bray Dining one morning which is located in the main building. They offer a breakfast buffet which had a wonderful selection including an omelet station. For roughly $9 per person, it is a great deal. There are other restaurants as well but we ventured off property too. Check out Richmond Road and Pocahantas Trail for other dining options.

Like other reviews, I must speak of the staff which I have mixed feelings and honestly is my only issue with Kingsmill. Fortunately, most of the staff was very polite particularly Elliott, the gentlemen who delivered our room service, the older gentleman at the Sports Center, the grounds crew and Michael, at the front desk upon checkout. There were a couple of instances with the staff that did not sit well with me. When my husband visited The Mill where coffee and baked goods are sold, the woman at the register asked if he was working at the resort. Unsure why she found the need to ask if he was a worker and not a guest. Also, when you first gain entry to the resort at the security gate you're given a large, yellow pass (visible to the naked eye) to place in your windshield during your stay. We had no problem with the exception of one female security guard who both times she was there found it necessary to scrutinize the car before letting up the gate; whereas other securty guards waved us in without issue. I could only assume in this day and age that sensitivity and diversity training is provided to staff and if it's not, it definitely should.

Overall, my family especially the kids enjoyed themselves. As mentioned, most of the staff was polite and understood the importance of customer service. What I could only deem as ignorance among a couple of the staff would not prevent us from visiting again.

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Great location if visiting Colonial Williamsburg

This hotel had a few things going on that we liked. 1) It's very close to Colonial Williamsburg -- we could have walked -- yet in a quiet residential neighborhood, unlike other Hampton & Inn hotels in the area. 2) As a family with a young child, pool is always a great amenity. 3) Breakfast was included in the price. The food was your typical "free breakfast" fare, and not something you'd want to eat a lot of, but still, it's nice to know that you don't have to worry about food when you get up in the morning or have to get out of the building to get breakfast.

The few negatives we experienced: 1) The sofa bed was extremely uncomfortable when it was pulled out and used as a bed. The mattress was flimsy and we could feel the hardware -- too bumpy. Our son ended up sleeping in it not in the bed form, but in the sofa form. 2) The A/C was finicky and kind of noisy.

There was no exhaust fan in the bathroom, but that wasn't a problem. The vanity area is outside of the bathroom door, which made it easy for three people to share one bathroom.

It's fairly basic, it's not a luxury hotel, but the place was quiet and clean, the staff was all wonderful, it had the amenities we wanted, and overall very comfortable. At this price, we really can't ask for more.

Overall, very satisfied with the experience.

Room Tip: We had the double queen junior suite on the first floor.

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The City Insider - Malaysian Borneo

Of all the special places in Asia, the Malaysian state of Sabah, on the island of Borneo, has to be up there with the best.  It is multi-faceted, multi-cultural, safe, clean, accessible, and full of lovely, welcoming people. It also has great food.

Many travelers start their journey in Kota Kinabalu, a bustling highly organized town with a great location, ideally situated as a hub for so many of Borneo’s attractions.  This may read like a clichéd tourist brochure, but it’s true.  From KK, as Kota Kinabalu is universally known, you can visit not only the city and the offshore islands to see the turtles nesting, but also the iconic Mount Kinabalu.

You don’t actually 'climb' Mount Kinabalu, rather you walk and slog your way up through the rainforest during the day.  You sleep over at a very organized rest-house, and then you summit in the dark, hauling yourself up on a ropeway at one point.  Your reward?  The sun rising over Borneo.

It isn’t particularly difficult, but the fact that you go up and down in two days means you will spend the rest of your Borneo trip with sore knees and aching limbs.  For the next week, we recognized fellow climbers by their gait.

If you are a wildlife enthusiast, then Borneo is absolute heaven.

Top of the pops are the orangutans, which you can visit in Sepilok.  There are crowds, there are strict timings for visits, but when the orang utans swing through the jungle to the feeding platforms, the buzz is unmistakable.  As it is when one of these endangered creatures decides to take a stroll through the crowd.  People back off in awe, as the animal ambles through, and then leaps up into a tree and off into the jungle.

Another amazing inhabitant of Borneo is the bizarrely human looking proboscis monkey, with its long nose and big fat belly, which reminded the Malays and Indonesians of the Dutch colonizers.  Hence its cheeky local name 'orang belanda' or 'Dutchman'.

In Sungei Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary, you take a boat down the river in the relative cool of the evening, and sit and watch as these odd creatures go about their noisy evening business in the trees.

In the Tunku Andul Rahman National Park, you can go watch turtles laying their eggs on the shore, then watch the tiny hatchlings emerge.  We took a boat across, stayed overnight, and watched entranced as the damp weather encouraged the babies to hatch.

For scuba divers, Sabah is home to one of the world’s legendary dive sites, the island of Sipadan. 

We drove across country to the bustling port of Semporna, from where launches take you out to dive or, in our case, to our resort – a hotel on stilts.  The advantage of staying out on a resort at sea – a cool concept in itself – is that you get to the dive sites much more easily.

A quick skills refresher course, and we were off.  Turtles, rays, sharks, corals galore – all accessible in well-organized, strictly controlled dives.  You can no longer stay on the island and there is only a limited number of permits issued each day, to protect the eco-system, but every bit of (admittedly benign) paperwork is worth it, for that first sight of a turtle swimming lazily past you.

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Grosvenor House Dubai is Perfect Hotel with Some Downsides

My parents came to visit me to Dubai so I stayed with them here in this hotel for 3 wonderful days. I had read about this hotel and also heard that it is a nice property so the expectations were very high.

The location for this hotel is awesome since it is in Dubai Marina with walking distance to many places. Also the hotel itself got good restaurants and venues, which of some of them are very famous. When I got to the hotel, the concierge staff did their job very well by helping me with my bags and opening the door. In some of the 5 star hotels in Dubai I have not got that service, a service that is mandatory for a 5 star property!

I went to see my parents at the pool. This was one of the downsides of the hotel. Well, it was almost expected since most of the hotels in the Marina are so close to other buildings so that the sun will not shine at the pool at some point of the day. Also, the pool itself is very small. For persons who like to swim, this is not maybe the most ideal one for that purpose.

The room was very nice. We had a premium suite with my parents. The bed that was provided for me was very comofrtable and I loved the blanket! The room was big enough for 3 adults. However, some more downparts were that there was no door for the toilet in the bathroom, which is not that nice, concidering that one might want to do their needs while the other one wants to put on make-up etc.

One other thing was that there were not enough outlets. Imagine when everyone's got laptops, mobile phones and other gadgets, where are they going to charge them? It was especially annoying when you did not even have an outlet next to the bed and normally people want to charge their phones in the night time. However, this is unfortunately a normal phenomenon in many hotels. Also it took one hour to get an adapter. But otherwise the service was extraordinary.

The breakfast in the lounge on the 5th floor was really good and the ambience of the lounge was nice. However, they have not seen muesli in their life. The youghurt with the muesli was not really good. 

All in all, a very nice hotel that I would recommend for anyone who comes and visit Dubai. One day when I get fed up in my apartment and want to spoil myself, I will definitely stay here again.

Room Tip: 8069. It was a nice room in the corner. Not too much noise.

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Cape Town is One of the World’s Luckiest Cities

Cape Town, or the Mother City, as South Africans describe it, has it all. Literally.

Mountains, beaches, history, great food, great shopping, vineyards, a location to die for – and despite the mockery of people from Johannesburg, it actually doesn’t even have such awful weather.  It does rain, that’s true, but that explains why it’s all so lush and green.  It does get misty, but that’s what you get for living at the tip of Africa, washed by two oceans. 

Cape Town, when the sun is shining, with Table Mountain watching benignly over the sparkling sea below, is beyond fabulous.

Table Mountain is as good a place as any to start exploring the city, because from its peak you get a wonderful view over the city, with the mountains behind the city bowl, and, out to sea, Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 long years, under the apartheid government.

You can walk up Table Mountain – it’s a bit of a slog, but well sign-posted, and there is a certain smugness about doing it the 'hard' way. By far the easiest and most picturesque way up Table Mountain is via the cable car, which thoughtfully rotates to give everyone a fair chance of seeing the different views of the mountain and the sea.

Robben Island should be on everyone’s To Do list.  Take a boat from the V & A Waterfront and experience a truly historic visit. All of Robben Island was a prison during those grim apartheid days, with Nelson Mandela the highest profile inmate. The guides who show you 'round the island today are ex-detainees themselves, but all political prisoners, not criminals, and they bring an added insight into an iconic place.  You see the cell where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned and the quarry where he was made to work; it was the glare and the dust from the years of labor in the quarry that has so affected his eye-sight in the years since his release.

The V & A Waterfront is one of the magnets of the city: shops, restaurants, brilliant craft markets, a boardwalk with views of the harbor, the mountain and with noisy sea lions lolling about by the fishing boats, and the Two Oceans Aquarium.  The Aquarium is truly excellent and has the added draw, if you are a qualified scuba diver and also a slightly lunatic seeker of thrills, of allowing you dive with the sharks in one of the huge fresh-water tanks. It is actually a lot of fun, though as you sit on the rim of the tank, looking down at the sharks circling below you in the freezing Atlantic water, you are forgiven for having a moment of 'What on earth am I doing here?'

There are many less stressful ways of enjoying Cape Town, of course.  Drive down the coast to Cape Point, on the tip of Africa, which is set in the Cape Peninsula National Park.  Seeing ostriches walking along the beach, among the sea weed, is a great thrill.

Drive to the pretty village of Boulders and see the Jackass Penguin colony there.  They wander pretty much at will, so there are signs reminding you to check under your car before driving away.  There is a boardwalk down to the beach, and as you walk down, look out for penguins, nests, eggs, and fluffy baby penguins at every turn.  And yes, there are massive boulders on the beach. And yes, the penguins really do bray like donkeys, hence their name.

Drive through the mountains, over Chapman’s Peak, visiting the string of pretty villages that constitute many of Cape Town’s more beautiful suburbs.  Visit the stunning Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, which nestle at the foot of Table Mountain.  The Malay quarter of Cape Town, called Bo-Kaap, is well worth exploring, with its brightly painted little houses in eye-popping colors. At 12 o' clock every day, the Noon Gun is sounded from the Observatory above Bo-Kaap, in a centuries-old tradition.

Cape Town is surrounded by vineyards, and each one seems more picturesque and beautiful than the other. Many of the wineries offer tours and wine tasting, amongst the most famous being the gorgeous Vergelegen estate, which dates back to 1700.  Vergelegen has not only vines and peacocks that wander around the open-air restaurant, but also an avenue of exquisite old camphor trees, which are actually national monuments, and therefore protected.

Shopping, excellent sea-food, world class wines, mountains, beaches and history, with fabulous views in every direction – the Mother City truly has it all.

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Courtyard 7 - A Gem Amongst Hotels

Visiting Beijing, as a tourist you owe it to yourself to visit this hotel for a few nights, it's a gem, if a little difficult to get to by taxi.

Situated in the middle of the hutong part of Beijing, this traditional courtyard dwelling has been tastefully turned into a small and very comfortable hotel. It's not difficult to find, but be prepared to walk or take a rickshaw as the normal taxis can't, or more truthfully won't enter this district. Not due to anything you should worry about, just the streets are small and often crowded so driving is difficult.

The hotel is comfortable and pretty traditional, the decoration fits the hutong style and the rooms are compact but well fitted, the bathrooms are excellent. From the outside you'll wonder what you are in for, from the inside the staff are warm and friendly, they can't do enough for you and they speak pretty good english too. Through reception is the first courtyard with restaurant and bar to one side, immaculate toilets to the end(been to China? You'll understand the importance of this once you have) and then a secure gate allows you through to the two traditional, spacious and quiet courtyards which are well laid out for summer use with seats and tables. Off these are the rooms, with modern electronic locks, though security here is never and issue.

Each room, some with private courtyards too, has a traditional four poster bed, which can be a little hard for some, tiled floors which are heated, air conditioning, fridge, coffee tray, guides, complimentary water, and somewhat old but functional phone system. On the whole very comfortable, but a little cold in the midst of winter.

The bathrooms are modern with lots of tiles and wood. Well laid out, everything you need including shaver points, hair dryers, comfy robes, towels, flushing European WC, and large shower with heat lamps and lashings of hot water generated via a ground source heat pump system... Green credentials too at Courtyard 7.

Food is provided via a small restaurant and bar. I never ate in the evening, preferring street food and local restaurants which are many and excellent value. The breakfast is comprehensive, fresh fruit, meats and cheeses, cooked (sometimes cold) and also fresh cooked eggs and omlettes. Cereal, coffee, tea and fruit juices are also included, so you won't go hungry in the morning. Service is good and friendly. In the evenings the bar is pretty well stocked and prices very reasonable, but there are plenty of small bars and tea shops close by too worthy of a try.

Within 2 minutes you are in the heart of the local tourist street and there is plenty to see and buy. Its a little tacky in places, but for the most part good fun and great to people watch and explore. Good bargains can be found, but if you really want to bargain hunt try else where. We tried a number of street food outlets and never suffered, plus even though it can be very busy at the weekend, we never felt unsafe, China and particularly here is tourist friendly if you obey the normal rules.

The hotel can offer trips to the Great wall and Ming tombs, via a private car and driver. Worthy every yuan, they take you in comfort to the wall, water included, and the tombs over about 8 hours for 150yuan per person. Easy to arrange and charged to your bill.

All in all a gem of a hotel if your prepared to venture from the centre and big corporate hotel chains. Give it a try!

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