Around the Planet

If you enjoy the luxury and facilities of a top hotel, such as spas, golf courses and children’s clubs, yet the freedom and privacy of your own personal space, then you may be interested in the great collection of villas available through exclusive travel company ITC Classics, covering some of the best and most sought after holiday destinations on the globe. Their brochure features carefully selected properties available for private rental, ranging from intimate retreats for couples to large, spacious properties for families and groups of friends. Naturally, all the villas feature a kitchen, and many have the option of a housekeeper, butler, or chef.

Highlights from the brochure include some lovely places in the Caribbean, such as Jumby Bay, a three hundred acre private island, two miles off the coast of Antigua, with six private estate homes, all situated on the beach.

Then over on Canouan Island, Raffles Villa & Residences, has two perfect white sandy beaches, a Jim Fazio designed 18-hole golf course, and an award winning Raffles Amrita Spa, which boasts the Caribbean’s two only over-water treatment rooms.

The chic, understated villas of the Parrot Cay Estates, of the Turks & Caicos Islands, have been designed by Donna Karen and are located only ten metres from the waters edge.

If you fancy some time on the lovely island of Crete, the Elounda Gulf Villas & Suites are situated on a cliff-top with views out over the Mediterranean.

If you want to enjoy the beautiful island of Mauritius, Beau Rivage features twelve beautifully designed villas, with private gazebo, perfect for having your dinner al fresco.

The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain has twenty-three private villas, each elegantly designed with their own canopied swimming pool and panoramic views overlooking the Arabian Gulf.

At Karma Kandara in Bali there are villas that each have their own infinity pool, with stunning views out over the Indian Ocean. Guests can dine in the resort’s own restaurant, which is high on a dramatic cliff top, or relax in the Chakra Spa.

In Thailand, nestling in the coconut forest hillside, the Four Seasons Resort Samui is a chic all-villa resort that provides the perfect getaway.

But the piece de resistance must surely be Richard Branson’s very own Necker Island, part of the British Virgin Islands. Richard’s stunning, unspoilt retreat can be your own private island hideaway for you and your friends. The staff of the island will create a truly individual experience, for parties of up to twenty-eight people, arranging almost anything from spa treatments and casino nights, to beach parties and water sports.

So, decided where to go yet?

If you are looking for a coastal resort that is relatively unspoilt by commercialism, then I recommend the ancient harbour town of Porec, which dates back to Roman times, and is stunningly located on the Croatian peninsula of Istria on the Adriatic Sea. Istria was once part of the Venetian Empire, and the Italian influence is evident, not just in terms of the architecture, but also the good food, wine and, last but not least, delicious ice cream.

Like many of the Croation coastal towns, Porec is built predominantly of white stone, with narrow stone paved streets, and there are fine examples of Gothic and Romanesque architecture.

Stretching out from the town on either side is a long road along the coast, and both routes are served by a little train, for those who do not feel like walking. On the north side of the peninsula the road is flat, and lots of people whizz past on skates. Outside of Porec it is just grass, trees, hotels and holiday chalets. The coastline is relatively unspoilt by commercialism and the woods run right down to the sea. There is no beach, but people sunbathe on the grass, or lie in the shade of the trees, and go into the sea from jetties.

If you don’t like excessive heat, Porec makes an ideal place for a summer holiday, as the climate of the area is very mild, with the August temperature averaging 30 degrees Celsius, with low humidity.

On my last visit there I stayed at the Hotel Pical, which is just outside Porec, a mere twenty minutes walk away along the coast. The hotel is clean and modern, with a large salt water pool. It is a half-board hotel with an excellent buffet breakfast to satisy every breakfast taste, and a wonderful buffet evening meal. There is even unlimited wine and beer at the evening meal included in the cost of the stay. Our room was pleasant and comfortable with a big balcony that looked out onto the woods, and beyond to the sea.

If you want to include a day trip to Venice as part of your holiday, then Pore? is the ideal place from which to do this – you can get the catamaran in the morning, and two hours later you are coming into Venice, taking in those fabulous vistas.

For good hotel bargains, some fabulous architecture, an unspoilt coastline and some truly worthwhile day trips, Porec makes a great holiday destination.

Here in the UK it’s still rather cold, and with Easter approaching, it’s great to contemplate an escape to the Mediterranean, and this could just be one of them: The Amathus Paphos Beach Hotel in Cyprus re-opens its doors this month after a refurbishment, and will feature the sophisticated new European restaurant Luna Rosa, improved suites, and lots of new packages and offers.

This five star hotel is just two kilometres from the charming fishing harbour of Paphos, and is surrounded by lush landscaped gardens, lagoon style pools and stunning views over the Mediterranean.

The sheer atmosphere of the place is enough to give you a good appetite, and there is plenty of choice of cuisine. Candlelit, and decorated from floor to ceiling with tear drop crystals, Luna Rosa will be serving fine European and Cypriot dishes, offering both à la carte and an extensive buffet.

Luna Rosa will be just one of four dining options at the hotel. For those who love Asian food, and I am one of them, Asiachi, the new pan-Asian restaurant, which opened just last year, is proving a huge success not only with hotel guests, but also within the local community. This is hardly surprising given that head chef Kevin Chong has created a tempting menu of Chinese, Japanese and Thai delights, including a sushi bar. The restaurant is contemporary in design, surrounded by glass walls, and has been custom-designed with authentic Far Eastern touches to guarantee a sophisticated Asian dining experience.

The suites at the Amathus Paphos have been fully refurbished, designed in neutral colours of light creams, darks browns and soft silvers, and each junior suite now has its own 7m x 2.5m pool where you can cool off and relax undisturbed. The spacious rooms have contemporary furnishings, stylish glass finishes, and large flat screen televisions that fit neatly into the wall, for the ultimate viewing experience – if you find time to watch TV that is.

To celebrate the re-opening, Amathus Holidays are currently offering a week’s half board at the hotel for just £489 per person, and that’s including flights.

If I’m not around at Easter, you’ll know where I am.

If you are traveling on a tight budget, and, let’s face it, most of us inveterate travellers have at some time been backpackers, then one of the biggest drains on your finances is going to be accommodation. But fear not – this is where youth hostels come in, and the secret is that you don’t even have to be young to stay in them.

Hostelling International is a non-profit membership organization, and for a modest annual membership fee, ($25 a year in the USA, £16 in the UK), you have more than four thousand hostels in over eighty countries at your disposal.

Youth hostels started out providing cheap accommodation for young travellers, to encourage young people to get to know the countryside, and to visit other countries. However with the increase in popularity of travelling on a shoestring amongst all ages, it is now accepted that the HI hostels are for all budget travellers who want to enjoy the natural environment and see the world. The hostels are especially popular in Europe, Asia and Australia where travelling on limited finances with a pack on your back is often seen as a more authentic way to see the world than by luxury travel.

Most hostels offer a bed in a single-sex dormitory, use of a shared kitchen, and availability of reasonably priced meals. Many hostels also include breakfast in the cost of the overnight stay. The overnight cost is reasonable, and compares well with other alternatives, such as bed and breakfast places.

In France and the USA youth hostels are fairly spartan and austere, though friendly by virtue of the fact that they are full of international travelers. However in Belgium and Holland the hostels are truly outstanding, with smaller rooms available for two people, and friendly bars where you can mix with other people from around the world. Scandinavian hostels are full of enthusiastic outdoor types, and provide a great way of seeing these otherwise rather expensive countries. For those heading for Asia, I can also assert that Japanese youth hostels are good, providing a friendly atmosphere, delicious food and organized activities.

The UK has some hostels in very remote and beautiful parts of the British countryside, such as in the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District, as well as a number of hostels in London and other major cities.

Wherever you go, Hostelling International offers budget accommodation of a guaranteed standard, and a warm welcome.

Harbin is a delight to the senses for those who love architecture, and the amazing thing to reflect upon as you gaze upon its quintessentially European-styled structures, is that you are actually in China, in the northernmost major city of the ancient Middle Kingdom. But ancient Harbin is not - the city actually started life in 1897 as a camp for the Russian engineers and workers who were building the Trans-Siberian Railway, bringing in people from across Russia, Poland and from within Manchuria itself. The Russian influence on the city continued due to the fact that after the 1917 Russian Revolution monarchist refugees escaped to Harbin, and this is still clearly visible in many subtle and interesting ways from the architecture to the food.

During World War II the city was captured by the Japanese, and subsequently taken by the Chinese in 1946. Harbin has thus grown from a remote Russian outpost to the tenth largest city in China.

Often called “Oriental St Petersburg” or “Oriental Paris”, Harbin lies on the southern bank of the Songhua River, and is widely regarded as one of China’s most beautiful cities. One of its most impressive streets is Zhong Yang Street, which has a fabulous array of varied European architectural styles, including Baroque and Byzantine façades, traditional Jewish architecture, small Russian cake shops and bakeries and fashionable French clothes stores. It also has the somewhat less European, but nevertheless nowadays vital hallmark of cosmopolitanism, Japanese restaurants. Nearby is the Russian Orthodox St. Sophia Cathedral, which has now been made into a museum.

Harbin has an Old Quarter near the Songhua River which is mostly made up of buildings that were constructed by the Russians at the turn of the 19th century. Most of these are built in Baroque or Byzantine style with intricate spires and cupolas, and painted in eye-catching shades of yellow, white, green, and red.

Harbin is also famous for its Russian influenced cuisine, and, unlike the rest of China, has plenty of bakeries producing a variety of different types of bread. Harbin is also known for its tasty European-style sausages.

Utterly unique, and utterly interesting, Harbin is a little bit of China that you can’t miss.

The capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, takes its name from the Malay words for “muddy estuary”, and has grown from being just a small village to a major city of some seven million, in a mere half century.

Kuala Lumpur was for a long time a little off the major tourist tracks, though it frequently provided a good stopover point for those on long haul from west to east, or vice versa. But these days, the city is starting to become a popular place to visit in its own right. Here you will find both budget accommodation and top hotels, as well as excellent shopping and plenty of bargains. The food is also very good, and I have particularly fond memories of a wonderfully tasty vegetable curry eaten at an outdoor restaurant.

As in most of Malaysia’s big cities, about 55% of Kuala Lumpur’s population is of Malaysian Chinese descent, and this is reflected in the availability of excellent Chinese food, and a bustling Chinatown. A good proportion of the population is Muslim, and many Malaysian women wear traditional Muslim dress, with the younger women in particular wearing a variety that is very flowing and fashionable.

In the centre of this fascinating city you will find fabulous shopping malls, five-star hotels and good places to go for an evening out. A little to the south you will find Merdeka Square where there are some of the old colonial buildings, and going a little further south you will find the suburb of Bangsar which is famed for its restaurants and nightclubs.

At the northern edge of the city are the famous Petronas Twin Towers, which, until recently, standing at a magnificent 452 metres, were the tallest buildings in the world, and have only recently been superseded in height by the Taipei 101 building in Taiwan. Completed in 1996, the dazzlingly spectacular Petronas Towers are regarded by many as a symbol of Malaysia’s modernity. The Skybridge, that connects the two towers, is one of the highest suspended bridges in the world. If you want to get the wonderful view from the Skybridge, entry is free, but only to the first 1,200 people who show up, so be sure to arrive early. It is interesting to note that the Skybridge, which is not actually at the top of the Towers, is the highest point to which members of the general public can go.

If you would like to take in the view of the city from a point even higher than the Twin Towers, then you should try the observation deck on the top floor of the KL Tower. From here you can get really great city views, because the KL Tower is built on a hill, and you are actually a few meters higher than the Twin Towers. As a bit of extra fun, why not try the revolving restaurant which is just one floor above the observation deck. Here you can get a really excellent all round view while you eat your meal. Now doesn’t that make it worth a visit to Kuala Lumpur?

Berlin was dramatically divided from the end of World War Two, for the most part by the infamous Berlin Wall, up until German reunification in 1990, when the wall was torn down, and the city was reinstated as the capital of Germany. No longer split into two halves, Berlin is the place to visit for those who enjoy urban life, culture, music, and a buzzing, cosmopolitan environment.

With impressive architecture and a plethora of museums, educational institutions, and events covering everything under the sun, Berlin rightly deserves the title zeitgeist metropolis. Long popular with artists the city has hundreds of art galleries, and hosts an international fair of contemporary art known as the Art Forum. With its diverse nightlife Berlin has also become established as a center for popular, underground and counter-culture in Europe, making it one of the hottest spots for young people. The city has a number of world class clubs, such as arthouse Kunsthaus Tacheles, and techno venue Tresor, as well as varied pubs and bars.

Berlin has a staggering 153 museums, a number of which are located on Berlin’s Museum Island, an island in the Spree River. Amongst others, here you can find the Old Museum full of Prussian antiques, and the Pergamon Museum which contains stunning reconstructions of historical and ancient buildings such as the Ishtar Gate of Babylon. The museums of the island are themselves works of outstanding architectural beauty.

Berlin also has more than fifty theatres, three major opera houses, and seven symphony orchestras – so the choice of good things to go and see on any one night is wide and varied.

If you are a culture vulture, Berlin is the place to be.

I mentioned earlier in this blog that Sydney is Australia’s most expensive city. It is also the 21st most expensive city in the world, which immediately creates a problem for the numbers of backpackers who flock here each year, in search of culture, the outdoor life, beaches and fun. However help is at hand in terms of a budget place to stay, known as Sleeping with the Enemy.

Now, a hostel with a name like that tends to grab your attention. Sleeping with the Enemy is in fact a collection of communal houses in Sydney, run in a manner similar to a hostel, offering “clean, safe and secure accommodation”. The houses are aimed principally at providing a base for travellers who want to stay in Sydney for some time, the minimum being one month. One house, known as The Zoo is within walking distance of Darling Harbour and has the luxury of its own swimming pool in the back garden. The house known as Number 69 is in the Bohemian village known as the Glebe, which has plenty of reasonably priced cafes, where backpackers and the like tell stories of their recent travels. Despite being so hippy-ish, the Glebe is only ten minutes away from Sydney’s central business district.

The houses have sleek modern furnishings, and clean, well-fitted kitchens – in fact they remind me of the Big Brother house.

With rates starting at only $120 (Australian dollars) per week, all bills inclusive, Sleeping with the Enemy offers a reasonable standard of accommodation at a budget price, which is handy if you want an extended stay in Sydney.

If you want to stay at Sleeping with the Enemy, then your first move is to organise a house tour – presumably at this you can then discuss arrangements, and perhaps they also decide whether you will fit in or not.

There is now a Sleeping with the Enemy in Cairns too, and there is one to open soon in Melbourne, which makes that budget tour of Australia all the more feasible.

A one kilometre stretch of golden sand, seven kilometres east of central Sydney, Bondi Beach is popular throughout the year. The sea there is particularly noted for its good surfing quality, with the northern end of the beach rated as a gentle 4 (with 10 as the most hazardous), but the southern side rated as a 7 due to the famous rip current there, which has become known variably as the “Backpackers Express”, the “Bondi Tram” or “Bronte Express”. The reason for this latter name is that you will probably end up at Bronte, two beaches south, if you get caught in it. There are in fact, possibly up to five rip currents operating along the beach, the Backpackers’ Express being the one closest to the designated swimming area. An underwater shark net is provided, which makes use of the water considerably safer – so that’s a relief then.

Bondi Beach is the end point of the City to Surf Fun Run which is held each year in August, with over 63,000 entrants completing the 14 km run from the central business district of Sydney to the beach. Other annual activities at Bondi Beach include the Flickerfest in January, which is Australia’s premier international short film festival, World Environment Day in June, and Sculpture By The Sea in November. Every Sunday there is a market at the beach, making it a good place to hang out. On Christmas Day Bondi really comes into its own, when a lot of people come to the beach to celebrate, it being a novelty for many visitors to enjoy a sunny Christmas by the sea.

Situated on Australia’s south-east coast, Sydney Cove was established in 1788, and was the first European colony in Australia. Sydney has come a long way since then, and the place has grown to be Australia’s most populous (and most expensive) city, with a metropolitan area of around 4.12 million.

As well as being a buzzing multicultural metropolis, and rival to Melbourne, Sydney is a city that also offers plenty of outdoor life, with good beaches, such as the famous Bondi Beach, and the proximity of the national parks which surround it.

But, as well as the great outdoors, culture abounds too in Sydney. Whenever people think of the city, chances are they also think of the iconic Sydney Opera House, and its sail-like structure. The Opera House has five theatres, is the home of Opera Australia, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Sydney hosts a number of festivals, including the Sydney Festival, Australia’s largest arts festival, which involves both indoor and free outdoor performances throughout January. Then there is the Big Day Out, a travelling rock music festival, which originated in Sydney, as did bands AC/DC, Midnight Oil, INXS, and Wolfmother. There is also the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the Sydney Film Festival, plus a number of smaller film festivals.

Not surprisingly, Sydney has an excellent nightlife, and the most popular areas for pubbing, clubbing and restaurants are Kings Cross, Oxford Street, Darling Harbour, Circular Quay and The Rocks.

Sydney is also popular for shopping, with many people travelling in from the more outlying areas to buy clothes and other items. Queen Victoria Building on George Street is good for shopping, and if you are looking for more niche products, try the areas around Pitt Street and Oxford Street.

Another icon of Sydney is the magnificent Sydney Harbour Bridge, from which you get some great views of the city.

Like most major cities, Sydney has a number of interesting museums. The Australian Museum is the place to see things related to natural history and anthropology, and The Powerhouse Museum is for aficionados of science, technology and design. For art, try the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Museum of Contemporary Art. And of course, being a harbour city, there is the Australian National Maritime Museum.

As one Sydney resident told me, “Sydney is a great city, because it has everything”.