The Olinda Tea House is one of my favourite nearby award winning tea houses and restaurants. It’s probably no more than 20 minutes away! It’s not long been opened (landscaping is still underway) and the contemporary architecture, combined with its layout and building products, make it an environmentally sustainable venue. It brings the beautiful outdoors of the Dandenong Ranges, indoors!

If you’re ever in the  area to enjoy the attractions of the Dandenong Ranges, you must include stopping here for lunch or a cuppa.

Tansen is not only a medieval hill town but it represents a typical traditional Nepalese town. It’s located in the Palpa district and became an important trade route between India and Tibet (now occupied by China). Newari traders and artisans famous for their metal and dhaka (cloth) industry would stop in Tansen’s market centre to sell their goods. Tansen was also submitted to the UNESCO Tentative List during 2008.

Tansen is situated at an altitude of 1372 meters overlooking the Kali Gandaki River and surrounded by hills and mountains of the Himalayan region. The town itself is too steep for cars and made up of narrow, winding lanes which adds to its charm.

Lonely Planet Nepal

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Tansen

One Great Reason to Visit Tansen

One great reason to visit this travel destination, I’m sure would be for a sense of adventure!

A Tour of Palpa

For More Information

• Wikipedia

This is no easy decision to make, and it’s one you should consider carefully as it will strongly affect the kind of holiday you have. Here are some pros and cons to consider for each option…

Travelling alone

Pros

Going it alone holds a certain allure for many. You’re unencumbered, pleasing no one but yourself. There are no arguments about who misread the itinerary, no negotiations about when or where to go. In the great tradition of finding yourself while on the road, the journey is yours to chase however you wish – popular choices for solo backpackers include treks across Europe, south-east Asia or South America.

Cons

Loneliness. The cold hard fact is, if you’re travelling solo, while you do have the opportunity to meet fellow travellers in hostels, none of these people know you like a friend, family member or partner does. Additionally, you’ll lack that second opinion that can sometimes be invaluable when travelling – making decisions that much easier.

Travelling with a partner

Pros

There’s no better way of getting to know your partner than going travelling with them. You’ll learn new things that you didn’t know before, even if you’ve spent a lot of time getting to know each other online dating or working together. The things that make you strong as a couple will also make you strong as travel buddies.

Couples might like to opt for romantic hotspots such as Paris, New York or Venice, but look for the lesser-known places that might bring some romantic magic too: for couples dating Adelaide, Edinburgh or Dubrovnik are often overlooked yet truly distinctive travel destinations.

Cons

Pressure can certainly be intensified on the road, especially in a backpacker situation. You might find that minor disagreements can be taken personally, or that competing interests (should we go to the museum? the beach? shopping? to the pub?) might cause tension. And if you’re staying in hostels, your ‘together time’ will be seriously reduced.

Travelling with friends

Pros

Your mates are the family you get to choose – they know you best and share your interests and activities, dreams and hopes. Backpacking with friends can be a 24-hour party – especially if you go to somewhere that likes to party hard, such as Berlin, Ibiza or LA.

Cons

No matter how well you get along with someone in daily life, travel can reveal surprising things. You may discover that you’re keen to be active but your travel buddy wants to lie on the beach – and that can lead to friction.

You might now have a clearer idea of what each travel route might bring you, but the main thing to remember is to have an open discussion with any travel companions about what you want from your trip and to be honest with yourself about whether you would prefer to travel alone, with a friend or with a partner – or a combination of all three!

 Most of us find something stressful about travelling. Even without the added complications of taking to the skies, there can be a huge variety of things to remember as well as a great deal of potential problems and issues to take into account.

So to help out a little, here is a list of simple but useful tips for reducing the stress of flying and travel in general. These little hints are based on the advice and help of some of my friends and acquaintances who have experience as seasoned travellers, and who came to my rescue in order to help me enjoy every aspect of my future journeys;

Preparation, Preparation, Preparation

Again, it sounds like a cliché but you can never be too careful when planning and preparing for a trip. Make sure to do any research you might need for it including; potential risks in the country or city you’re visiting, health issues and vaccination procedure, culture, dress code and the general dos and don’ts. Not everywhere requires a great deal of research though and beware spoiling pleasant surprises through over reading.

A Fool Proof Check List

There’s no harm in patronising yourself when it comes to writing a comprehensive check list of everything you need to pack, plan for and sort out before or on the day of your flight. Everything should go on here, from what clothes you need to pack to picking up your passport on the day or evening of your trip. Each item or action should checked off as you complete it so as to avoid confusion and in this way the worries of forgetting important things should simply vanish with each tick.
Plan Ahead

Don’t forget that by planning ahead you can save yourself crucial spending money. For example booking your car in at a long stay car park for example Manchester airport parking online, as opposed to a rushed booking taxi the day before your flight. You can even save money by planning your route from airport to hotel/hostel and avoid those high rate tourist taxis upon your arrival.

Sort Cash Before Travel

It normally makes sense to change your over currency before a trip. It means you’ll spend less cash during the build up to your flight and it ensures a far less stressful time at the airport.

With your research done, your check list completed, your planning over and your currency exchanged you can now sit back and enjoy the flight. Even the airport will seem like a more tranquil place with all those horrible little worries removed from the experience.

What tips do you have? Please share below by leaving a comment.

Lake Garda in Northern Italy is the largest lake in the country and one of the most popular. Its turquoise waters are ringed with mountains, beaches and ancient cobbled towns, lying halfway between Venice and Milan. The northern part of the lake is quiet and serene, while the southern section boasts a theme park and sandy beaches, so Lake Garda holidays offer something for every kind of traveller.

1. Explore ancient towns, castles, and hot springs.

Holiday resorts share waterfront with ancient towns all around Lake Garda. Start off with the picturesque cobblestone lanes of Sirmione, a fortified Roman spa town in the south. It is situated on a peninsula in the centre of the lake, offering unrivalled views and photo opportunities. After a morning visit to the healing sulphur springs, explore the 13^th century Scaliger Castle and stop into the many restaurants and bars for a bite to eat. If you have more time, catch a ferry to explore the islands in the lake and spend a day at the popular Gardaland theme park as well.

2. Eat well.

The best part of holidays to Italy is surely the food and wine. The shores of Lake Garda are famous for their produce, particularly wine, olives and lemons. Catch a ferry to the colourful hillside resort of Limone, which is named for the yellow fruit. Stroll the waterfront promenade and stop into a café for a meal of fresh fish from the lake, or a hearty polenta dish cooked with local olive oil and a glass of Bardolino red wine which is grown in the area. Finish off with a tipple of limoncino for a totally local experience.

3. Get outdoors!

Lake Garda is a fantastic place to be active and get outside. The northern part of the lake is perfect for windsurfing and sailing due to the steady breeze coming out of the mountains, and there are many watersport centres that offer lessons and rentals. Explore miles of trails on foot or with a mountain bike, and you can even go rock climbing.  For families, peddle boats are available to rent in marked areas with lifeguards.

4. Take in the view.

The best view of the area is from the village of Malcesine in the northern section of the lake. Take the cable car 1750 meters up Montebaldo, a peak in the Italian Alps, for stunning views of Lake Garda below and the Dolomites behind. After taking pictures drop into the mountain-top restaurant or rent a mountain bike to explore the area.

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Lake Garda

One Great Reason to Visit

One great reason to visit this travel destination is to find that Lake Garda offers something for every kind traveller!

Exploring Lake Garda

For More Information

• Wikipedia
• Guide to Lake Garda

The Street

There is much to do here, but a particular magnet to visitors is Bourbon Street. Classy and seedy all at once, as well as cultural and over touristic in the same moment, it is a great starting off point for the wider French Quarter where it is located. Being just off Canal street means you can arrive here by the historic tram line which runs down the impressively wide road and is incredibly cheap for travellers looking to save money. The corner of Bourbon Street is a popular location for impromptu jazz performances kicking off, which regularly involve double digit numbers of performers and is an appropriate entrance to this lively street.

The Nightlife

By day the street is relatively empty and its messy appearance is all the more apparent in the absence of the bar night lights. New Orleans earns its seedy reputation from the presence of strip clubs down the road and there are often employees of said establishments hanging out of the front doors in various states of undress. In this respect, at night it lives up to its adult reputation, but it is not the sole focus of the street and you can easily avoid this aspect if you’re just here for a good time. Live music, jazz clubs, cabaret, comedy, breweries, pubs and dancing clubs; the list is almost endless for what can be found down here.

This lively scene is made all the more enjoyable by the Open Container Law in the French Quarter, which means that you may carry alcoholic drinks around in plastic cups (not cans or bottles) in the street, creating the famous street scene that has become well known here, and reaches its pinnacle in Mardi Gras.

Bars, Food and Drink

Thanks to its shared American, European and African history there is an eclectic array of popular food and drink served in many of the historic venues down the street. For the foodie, make sure you leave in plenty of time to ensure you can stroll along and check out the menus outside the different restaurants. Bourbon Street has a range of Creole cuisine including Gumbo, which has Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French and African influences. There’s also the typical Southern and Cajun cuisine available such as Fried Shrimp, Catfish and Crawfish and even alligator.

For people who like to combine everything, many of the bars serve food as well as having out door areas to hang out making it popular to head to the bars straight away to get the evening started! Bourbon Streets party scene is underpinned by its reputation for serving up some extremely tasty local beverages. The famous Hurricane is a strong cocktail consisting of syrup, fruit juice and rum, and can be found at bars such as Pat O’Brien’s, which is popular due to it’s live music and dueling pianos. If strong drinks are your thing, then head over to Tropical Isle Original which serves the Hand Grenade, a drink known for its potency and recipe shrouded in secrecy. If you are interested in history, you will find the Old Absinthe House a must see, although it’s famous Absinthe House Frappe no longer includes the illegal Absinthe, instead mixing in Herbsaint.

A night down Bourbon Street truly does come alive at night time, creating a unique character that you won’t see anywhere else in the world. The street may appear slightly messy during the day, but when the bright lights come on, the music gets going and the crowds are out there is much to enjoy down a road who’s many buildings date back to the 18th century.

Author Bio: Guest Post written by Matt who is a regular travel blogger and enjoys venturing around the world. As well as America, he likes to explore the Mediterranean, and is looking forward to his Sorrento holidays.

Stourhead Garden was listed as one of ‘My 3 Best Kept Travel Secrets‘ largely because I’d never heard of it and on visiting, was mighty impressed. There is nothing more delightful than coming across a travel destination you know nothing or very little about and find it to be rather special – this was the case with Stourhead.

Stourhead is a vast National Trust garden surrounding a lake with bridges, temples, grottos and pathways which all form part of the Stourhead Estate located near Mere in southern Wiltshire. It’s an absolute picture during Autumn as this photo captures its changing colours.

Photo courtesy of Lavinia from Dorset.

What do Kos, Faliraki and Malia all have in common? That’s right; they have for a number of years been the top places for young and lively crowds to head to for some fun in the sun. But what are they really like? Where is the best place to visit if you have to choose and which one is more suited to your needs?

Once these three destinations are put side by side and compared in terms of the main needs and wants for people aboard, it becomes clear that they each have their own stand out features.

Best Beach: Malia

All three destinations have their fair share of beaches, most of which are busy and bustling full of people usually recovering from the night before. For these reasons, if you want a bit of peace and quiet it can become a bit of a challenge. However, Malia has a stretch of beach which is largely free from the commercial side of things and offers visitors the perfect place to laze in the sun. Potamos Beach is around 500 metres from the bigger beach where the vast majority of holidaymakers and travellers spend their time. If you want a quiet afternoon, Potamos Beach is the place to head to is you want a bit of peace on holidays in Crete.

Best Nightlife: Faliraki

All three of the destinations can claim to have the best nightlife, but many would agree that Faliraki just about comes out on top thanks to the fact that it has actually become less rowdy as it was back in the early 2000’s. The local authorities clamped down on the over the top antics which once upon a time were common place, with these days the bars being frequented by slightly older patrons just looking for a good time. Club Street is the aptly named strip of bars and clubs which most people head to and there is plenty to keep you entertained throughout the night and into the early hours.

Best Backdrop: Malia

There is a belief that these types of resorts are all the same, and let’s face it, a bit bland. But visitors to Malia may be a bit surprised when they drop by as the Old Town is a fantastically traditional place which offers an insight into how the area looked before mass tourism took over. The tight winding streets lead to all sorts of unexpected sights including hidden churches and small taverns. You could easily get lost here for a day or so – even if you spend the majority of your time elsewhere, make sure you head to the Old Town at least once on your visit.

Best Food: Kos

If you manage to drag yourself away from the local McDonalds, the resorts of Malia, Kos and Faliraki have some lovely restaurants with dishes made from the freshest ingredients on offer. The pick of the bunch are found on Kos though, where there are plenty of options open to you. Tigiaki has a number of budget friendly but vey well respected restaurants where you can try the local cuisine, which in typical Greek fashion centres on fresh fish, local vegetables and lugs of olive oil. The best thing to do is to avoid the restaurants which are geared towards the tourists and take to the side streets. Here you’ll find locals eating for usually a fraction of the price and in much more traditional surroundings.

All three islands have their attractions and in many instances it is hard to separate them. If you want a holiday destination where you can get all of the luxuries from home, you’ll be hard pressed to find places better than Kos, Malia and Faliraki. All three have their good bits – it is just a case of deciding whether you value beaches, nightlife, food or places of interest higher when on cheap holidays to Greece!

Guest post written by Ricky Durrance for Beat the Brochure.

Ego Lemos is a singer-songwriter from East Timor who sings in his native tongue, Tetum. Ego Lemos is most well-known for winning 2009 APRA Screen Music Award for “Best Original Song Composed for the Screen” – Balibo. Watching the sad and moving Balibo movie is when I discovered Ego Lemos.

Aside from his musical talents, Ego Lemos is also a permaculturalist and community development worker. He has been speaking to audiences across the globe with his inspiring enthusiasm for environmental and social revitalisation in his home country, East Timor.

Ego Lemos – “Tebe Hamutuk”

Ego Lemos – O Hele Le

For More Information

Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art

If you’re heading to Scotland’s biggest city for a weekend away, there are certain things you won’t want to miss. Follow this guide to the best things to see and do in Glasgow:

Culture

Named the European City of Culture in 1990, Glasgow has since strived to maintain its status as one of the most culturally rich cities in the world. It attracts over three million tourists a year from the UK as well as the rest of the world.

Most of Scotland’s national arts organisations are based in Glasgow, including the Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet and the National Theatre of Scotland. These organisations offer world-class events and performances at local venues such as the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the Theatre Royal and the Scottish Exhibition and Concert Centre.

Glasgow also has its own Poet Laureate, a prestigious title in the literary world, which was first held by Edwin Morgan and now belongs to acclaimed writer Liz Lochead.

Museums and Galleries

Cupola at Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art

The most famous of Glasgow’s museums is the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which houses one of Europe’s great civic art collections. Located in the West End of the city, it has one of the largest collections of arms and armory in the world and a vast collection of natural history.

The gallery is home to European masterpieces by the French Impressionists, Dutch Renaissance and Scottish Colourists, as well as the world-famous ‘Christ of St. John of the Cross’ by the Spanish Surrealist, Salvador Dali.

Other galleries to visit include the Gallery of Modern Art and the Burrell Collection, a purpose-built gallery that opened in 1984 to house a collection donated to Glasgow by Sir William Burrell.

Food

Glasgow is home to many incredible eating establishments, from Michelin-starred restaurants to cosy cafes. Most serve fresh local produce and elegant brasseries to their hungry guests.

Chardon d’Or is run by Brian Maule, who is the former head chef at Le Gavroche, a Michelin star London restaurant. Maule opened his delightful French bistro in the heart of Glasgow with the full backing of the Roux dynasty, and fuses traditional techniques with Scottish ingredients.

The French Mediterranean dishes of La Bonne Auberge are an excellent way to round up a night out in the theatre district. Light and airy, La Bonne Auberge offers views over the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, alongside excellent service and menus created by head chef, Maurice Taylor.

For a more traditional feel, Maggie Mays offers a contemporary Scottish menu, combined with an elegant wine bar. In the evenings the place transforms in to a theatre and music venue, with bustling entertainment all year around.

Booking a Trip

Glasgow is an excellent place to spend a weekend and there are regular flights to and from the city from major UK airports and abroad. Scotland is also accessible by car, train or coach if you’re travelling up from England.

Accommodation in the city centre can book up fast so reserve apartments for your recreation stay in Glasgow as far in advance as possible. Trying to book a hotel on the day can be expensive and stressful. Instead, why not go online and book holiday apartments via Wimdu who offer accommodation in Glasgow and many other worldwide cities.