Kev and I have always preferred to travel free and easy. But it involves a lot of time researching, planning and booking the holiday.
Here, I'd like to share with you a list of resources I normally use, and also some tips and recommendations on places we have visited or stayed at. We have photos on some of the destinations (see picasaweb links below).
Hope this will be of some help, and will inspire you to travel or keep travelling!
Travel guides: I highly recommend Rick Steves' guides for destinations in Europe. He gives lots of useful, practical tips, especially if you're only there for a few days and want to cover the main sights.
You also can't go wrong with the ever trusty Lonely Planet, especially for their city maps which show the main attractions and recommended places to eat (generally good).
Online resources:
For good bargains on last-minute accommodation: http://www.ratestogo.com/. Once you spot a hotel, check for reviews from fellow travellers on http://www.tripadvisor.com/.
For hotel bookings in Germany: http://www.booking.com/.
Rick Steves' online travel site: http://www.ricksteves.com/.
Lastly, I also use http://www.roughguides.com/ which is easy to navigate, short and concise.
Destination Tips and Recommendations:
Bali
See our photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/110776657145071773017/Bali2007
A friendly, obliging and very reliable driver: Pak Nyoman - HP (+62) 0812 361 8136, email: nadnyana@yahoo.com, website: http://baliasyouplease.weebly.com/nyoman.html. He speaks English and is not the type to hard sell things to you. Best to contact him via sms, he replies quite quickly.
Eat at the panoramic Dirty Duck Restaurant (Bebek Bengil) in Ubud: http://www.bebekbengil.com/
Eat at former Hyatt Bali chef's restaurant, Bumbu Bali, in Tanjung Benoa/Nusa Dua: http://www.balifoods.com/. They provide free transport if you are staying around the area (as do most of the spas there).
Go to the scenic Uluwatu temple for sunset Kecak dance performance, but watch out for the naughty monkeys.
For a peaceful version of white water rafting, try the Ayung river near Ubud.
Belgium - Ghent
See our photos here: https://picasaweb.google.com/110776657145071773017/Gent2011#
Stay at NH Gent Belfort - great location! Quiet and within walking distance of all the sights.
Visit the Design Museum Gent and marvel at all the beautifully designed furniture, ceramics and glass objects from the 17th century to modern day: http://design.museum.gent.be/ENG/whats-new.php
Take a walk around the city at night and see the historic buildings in a different light.
China
See our photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/110776657145071773017/ChinaHighlights2007
Beijing - Great Wall of China - there are several places from which you can visit the Great Wall. Go to the scenic and less touristy site at Si Ma Tai, which has a river running through it.
Xian - See the Bell Tower and Drum Tower at night where they are all lighted up.
Jiuzaigou - there is now an airport there, so you can fly instead of taking the long-haul bus. Just don't go any time in October (like we did!) when the rest of China is also visiting, and hotel rates are sky high. Go off peak in summer and stay at Jiuzhai Paradise Hotel.
England
[sorry, no digital photos]
2 must-see museums in London - V&A (Victoria & Albert Museum) of art and design http://www.vam.ac.uk/, and the Natural History Museum http://www.nhm.ac.uk/. Museums in London are all still free now under the present government (not when we went in 2001), so do visit them soon.
Bath - beautiful scenic city. It has a great fashion museum: http://www.museumofcostume.co.uk/
North Wales - visit the hauntingly beautiful Snowdonia region and drive around the country side to see the chain of 13th century castles and fortresses like Caernarforn and Conwy. We stayed at a B&B at the pretty but impossible-to-pronounce town of Betws-Y-Coed. We also visited the stunning Bodnant Garden and imagined what it was like to live in a place like that.
France
See here for some photos of our recent trip in 2009: http://picasaweb.google.com/110776657145071773017/Paris2009#
These don't cover the tips mentioned below, but we have some cool pics of the Citroen Pod on Champs Elysee.
Paris - see the Eiffel Tower at night when it is all lighted up. Fairy lights come on every hour or so.
Paris - Champs Elysee - eat yummy mussels and fries at Leon de Bruxelles: http://www.leon-de-bruxelles.fr/, and have dainty french pastries, macaroons and tea at the beautifully decorated cafes of Laduree http://www.laduree.com/.
Paris - Do not miss Versailles Palace and its grounds. Rent a bike and cycle around the canals: http://en.chateauversailles.fr/homepage.
Paris - accommodation: We needed a large(r) room due to our huge suitcases, so I booked us into Concorde Lafayette Hotel (www.concorde-lafayette.com/en). There are mixed reviews for this hotel but we got a nice big room (by Parisian standards). The hotel is not on the tourist belt but is only a few metro stops away from Champs Elysee. There is a metro station at the basement of the shopping centre adjoining the hotel. All in, a convenient place, with direct airport transfer.
Dordogne Valley and the Perigord region (sorry, no digital photos) - fairytale castles, medieval towns, vineyards and lush countryside. But I chose this place mainly because of Jean Auel and her prehistoric Clan of the Cavebears book series. We visited Grotte de Font de Gaume (http://france-for-visitors.com/dordogne/perigord-noir/grotte-de-font-de-gaume.html) - a cave first settled by Stone Age people during the last Ice Age – about 25,000 BC. The actual cave drawings of bisons and other animals are well-preserved. It was mind-boggling to think how old they were. Also memorable was Gouffre de Padirac (http://www.northofthedordogne.com/padiraccaves.php). Enormous underground chasm containing stalagtites and stalagmites. You take a gondola ride along the underground river to view the various chambers and formations. Out of this world. We stayed at a B&B recommended by Rick Steves in Beynac: Residence Versailles. The Fleurys were a friendly and helpful couple who did not speak much English, but the wife makes this amazing walnut pastry for breakfast every morning! And they did our laundry beautifully for a very small fee.
Germany - Black Forest Region
See our photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/110776657145071773017/BlackForest2010#
Stay at Hotel Rebenhof (http://www.hotel-rebenhof.de) or any of the other hotels in the scenic village. Address is Baden-Baden although the hotel is not actually located in Baden-Baden but is close to the village of Neuweier. It is a 10 minute drive from Baden-Baden. Eat at Zum Alde Gott restaurant in the same village: http://www.zum-alde-gott.de/.
Have a dip at the Caracalla Spa in Baden-Baden: http://www.carasana.de/home/en/caracalla.html. Bring your own towels and save EUR30 on towel rental and deposit. Also bring swimsuit and slippers. Don't miss the outdoor pool!
If you prefer more self-expression, go for the all-nude Friedrichsbad in Baden-Baden (http://www.carasana.de/home/en/roemisch.html), billed as the ultimate Roman bath experience with a total of 17 bath stages.
Germany - Mosel Valley
See our photos here: https://picasaweb.google.com/110776657145071773017/MoselValley2011
Stay at Cochem, a peaceful and picturesque old town in the heart of the Mosel Valley.
Visit Trier, the oldest city in German. Start at Porta Nigra and make your way through the medieval town square to the other UNESCO World Heritage sights.
Visit Cologne to gaze at The Dom, one of the tallest Gothic cathedrals in the world. It will literally take your breath away. Go to the Hohenzollen bridge which spans the Rhine and leave your own little love padlock there. Stay at Barcelo Cologne City Centre, convenient location with a basement carpark.
Greece
[sorry, no digital photos]
We went to Greece 10 years ago, way before the Olympics, and were not impressed with Athens. The infrastructure was really poor and the city looked run down and dirty. The only recommendation would be not to miss the Acropolis. Hydra is a nice peaceful nearby island that can be visited on a day trip. Not to be missed is the island of Santorini with its picture-postcard white domed buildings and blue, blue sea. The town of Fira hugs the cliff and you look out into the sunset. But be forewarned that it is very touristy. Matt Barrett writes a good guide for Greece: http://www.greektravel.com/.
Japan - Tokyo
See our photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/110776657145071773017/TokyoHighlights2004
[tips coming soon!]
Maldives
[check back for photos later!]
We enjoyed our stay at Club Med Kani, which had a reasonably priced package (second person pays 50% less, book through http://www.clubmed.com/). The resort occupied the entire island. It has a great lagoon for snorkelling. Water sports equipment (kayaking and sailing) were free, and there were 2 complimentary snorkelling trips per day. The accommodation was full board, meaning you don't have to worry about paying extra for meals, which were all buffets. Drinks at the bar were free and nightly entertainment was provided. Lots of other activities if you choose to participate, or you can just chill out on the beach. It was great!
New Zealand - South Island
[sorry, no digital photos]
Christchurch accommodation: We stayed many years ago at an interesting boutique B&B called Dorothys, decorated in the style of Wizard of Oz. It was run by a nice gay couple and had a famous restaurant on site. I guess we should have realised the 'rainbow' association :) Unfortunately, the place has changed hands in 2009 and I note that it is now Beaufort House (http://beauforthouse.co.nz/). Oh well, glad we took some great pictures.
Moeraki Boulders near Dunedin: These are very surreal and look like they come from outer space. We don't have digital photos but I found this set on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/35025258@N00/sets/72157594172194853/
South Africa
NEW!
See our photos here: https://picasaweb.google.com/110776657145071773017/SouthAfrica
Sabi Sands Safari - We went on safari at the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, a private game reserve in South Africa with an area of about 60,000 hectares. The best time to go is in winter as it is the low season (cheaper rates), sparser foliage (easier to see the animals) and has the lowest risk of malaria. If you are concerned about malaria, there are malaria-free safaris in the southern part of SA.
Sabi Sands is adjacent to the Kruger National Park, which guarantees excellent game sighting due to the richness and diversity of animal life moving between the 2 areas. We stayed at Inyati, one of the more reasonably-priced private game lodges there: www.inyati.co.za. It was all-inclusive: nice accommodation, great food and 2 game drives a day in an open-air jeep accompanied by a ranger and a spotter. The spotter sits right in front and outside the jeep. We used to joke that he was the bait. Thankfully nothing happened to him.
Is it like visiting a zoo? Nowhere near it. There were no fences between us and the lions. From our rooms at the lodge, we could hear them hunt in the middle of the night. And the next day, we saw them savouring their kill. We had a very big and angry elephant giving us stern warnings to leave. And we couldn't because she would have chased us, so we just sat there and waited for her to finish her tantrum. We saw a mummy leopard looking for her lost cubs. We saw an old giraffe being ousted by a younger bull. And many more memorable encounters. A highly recommended holiday, at least once in your lifetime :)
The Garden Route - We rented a car and drove around this very scenic part of SA - lovely coastal towns, wineyards and mountain scenery. Reminded us of New Zealand.
We stayed at a lovely B&B in Hermanus called Francolinhof: www.francolinhof.co.za. It had gorgeous views of the nature reserve next to it, and a sweeping view of the coast. Hermanus is the whale-watching capital of SA, and the whales winter in the bay off Hermanus. We drove right up to the cliff side and could watch them without even leaving the car.
We ended our trip in Cape Town. We drove into Cape Town but not around it as we were concerned about safety. We rented a holiday apartment at the V&A Waterfront. It had nice restaurants and shops and was a safe place to walk around.
Spain
See our photos here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/110776657145071773017/Spain2005Barcelona
http://picasaweb.google.com/110776657145071773017/Spain2005Andalusia
http://picasaweb.google.com/110776657145071773017/Spain2005GranadaBilbao
Barcelona - immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Antonio Gaudi - his architectural creations around the city are must-sees: Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila (don't miss the alien sculptures on the rooftop, as well as the tour of the apartments), Park Guell, Casa Batlo.
Barcelona - visit Joan Miro's gallery in Montjuic for an afternoon of surreal art. Stay on until nightfall to catch the beautiful light and music performance of the Magic Fountain.
Bilbao - home of Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum. The building itself is an architectural wonder (don't miss the giant spider sculpture), and located on a surprisingly small site.
Cartajima - this hidden gem of a village is situated amongst the hills, 5km off the main highway close to Ronda. It is part of the white hill towns, total population: 100 people and completely untouristy. Stay at the small and intimate Hotel Los Castanos with Di Beach and her equally welcoming dogs and cats (www.loscastanos.com).
Granada - The legendary Alhambra is not to be missed. You can buy tickets online to beat the queue.
Seville - not quite the Alhambra, but the Alcazar palace is equally beautiful and fascinating.
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