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Tips for Travellers: Global Travel Destinatons
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401 Words : Posted 09.22.08

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1035 Words : Posted 09.16.08

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1209 Words : Posted 09.07.08

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412 Words : Posted 09.07.08

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706 Words : Posted 09.06.08

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352 Words : Posted 08.29.08

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2971 Words : Posted 07.15.08

<p><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></p><p><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></p><p><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></p><p><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:arial;">I had</span><span style="font-family:arial;">, until my recent trip, only ever been a transit passenger through Tokyo Narita airport. And had been wishing for a long time that I would get to Tokyo one day soon, as it all sounded so exciting. So I guess that it was almost inevitable that I was going to be disappointed when I finally got there.</span></span></p><p><span lang="en-gb" style="font-family:arial;">Tokyo Narita airport, even according the Tokyo Tourist booklet that we were given on the Virgin Atlantic flight I was on, is regularly voted one of the top 2 worst airports in the world by travellers apparently. The reason it gets this "honour" is because it is very far from Tokyo, and can be very expensive to get from into town. My driver told me when I got into the cab that it was about 80km from the airport to the hotel, which was in the financial area of the city. I went back to the airport on a shuttle bus from the hotel, which seems the popular way to do it as it is the most cost effective and very regular from all the major hotels.</span></p><p><span lang="en-gb" style="font-family:arial;">The process to get through immigration was very slow as they only had 2 people and very large queues of people as all the flights from Europe were arriving. There is a relatively new process where, like the USA, they take your fingerprints and photograph. </span></p><p><span lang="en-gb" style="font-family:arial;">As we headed into the city on the long drive, it did strike me just how complex the roads and signage seemed to be, especially once we got into the city. I realized that this was possibly partly as the motorways and roads have been built fairly high up off the ground directly above canals and river that weaves through the city. This is not a city that I think you can drive in without knowing it, and speaking Japanese!</span></p><p><span lang="en-gb" style="font-family:arial;">This huge city has 34 million people living in the Greater Tokyo area. That is like taking all the people who live in California and put them onto Hawaii – so very crowded!</span></p><p><span lang="en-gb" style="font-family:arial;">Tokyo, like many other cities bombed and wrecked during World War II, suffers from a post-war rebuild that makes it all a bit beige and uninspiring overall. There are some old buildings dotted among the mostly uninspiring blocks. They are all quite functional and ordinary. Of course while the city may not look great, it is one of the power house and modern economies. </span></p><p><span lang="en-gb" style="font-family:arial;">With the damage during the war, it also seems to make the tour options and sight-seeing of historical areas a bit redundant and the main sights listed and tours seem to focus mostly on visiting shopping areas. More about what the tour options are a bit later in the travel tips. But overall other than soaking up the Japanese experience there is not a lot of history to be able to explore. There is though a lot of shopping and entertainment, with Karaoke being a hot favorite of course.</span></p><p><span lang="en-gb" style="font-family:arial;">One thing that did surprise me was how much English was spoken and understood. At first I thought that this was because I was mostly interacting in a business/ tourist part of town but then was told that in schools English is a compulsory language for a time and again at college. </span></p><p><span lang="en-gb" style="font-family:arial;">So this helps English speaking travellers feel a bit more comfortable you do feel a bit isolated as the mobile phone system, like in Korea, is very different and not compatible with the system in Europe and the Americas and so Blackberry’s do not work either. In the many brochures in the hotel lobby and at most hotels they do rent out mobile phones.</span></p><p><span lang="en-gb" style="font-family:arial;">If you are travelling from Europe (8 hours behind Japan) and USA (at least 12 hours), you are likely to be fairly jet lagged. I do not usually suffer much from jet lag but did struggle this trip, and I guess it is fairly known as the award winning “Lost in Translation” was about people connecting suffering from jet lag.</span></p><p><span lang="en-gb" style="font-family:arial;">My overall impression of Tokyo was not as my expectation had been, and the jet lag may have added to that. This may have been influenced by staying more in the business part of town but there was a lot I learnt from this trip and so here are my tips for travellers visiting Tokyo:</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span lang="en-gb"><b>(1) Getting there and around</b></span><br /><span lang="en-gb">Very few countries seem to need a visa to go to Japan, though I did notice in immigration they also required visitors from some countries to undergo a health check a bit like used going into China.</span></span></p><p><span lang="en-gb" style="font-family:arial;">As mentioned earlier, Tokyo Narita airport is a long way from the city and so it is best to make arrangements to get into town before you arrive. The most cost effective and easiest seems to be the “limo busses” that go to certain hotels and costs around 3000 Yen (which is about US$30 per person). I suggest contacting the hotel you are staying at before you go. There is also a train service called the Narita Express which only runs about every hour or something every 30 minutes. But if you don’t speak the language and have just arrived from Europe or USA you are likely to be jet lagged due to the time difference and so best to have transfers arranged, even if a pick-up.</span></p><p><span lang="en-gb" style="font-family:arial;">Once settled, it is worth working out how the metro system works as it is very efficient and comprehensive. If you do use taxis they are quite expensive and ensure that you get a card from the hotel with their address in Japanese, and get them to write your destination in Japanese as not all taxi drivers will understand you. Though overall the level and extend of English is fairly high as mentioned earlier.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span lang="en-gb"><b>(2) Keeping in touch</b></span><br /><span lang="en-gb">We are all so used to being able to use our mobile wherever we are and knowing that friends and family can reach us in case of any issues. Therefore, it was quite strange that mobiles and Blackberry’s do not work with the Japanese system. It is a good idea to hire one if that troubles you, which it did me, as the time difference is odd and you don’t want people calling you at odd hours. It is fairly expensive though calls are charged at the same rate for domestic and international calls.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span lang="en-gb"><b>(3) Electrical and other stuff</b></span><br /><span lang="en-gb">For visitors from the USA this is very simple as they have the same 2 pin plugs and voltage as in the States. Travelers from other regions need to make sure they have USA style plugs and if from the UK/ Europe as the voltage is lower things like hairdryers will not work at full force.</span></span></p><p><span lang="en-gb" style="font-family:arial;">Of course the other famous, or is it infamous, part of Japan is the toilets. The Japanese have quite complex toilets with bottom washing facilities as standard. Luckily for the less technical among us they also tend to just work as normal toilets if you avoid the buttons and control panel next to the toilet. Some of them also have warmed seats.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span lang="en-gb"><b>(4) Do a tour</b></span><br /><span lang="en-gb">It is a good idea to do one of the organized tours to get a feel for the layout of the city and then explore alone afterwards.</span></span></p><p><span lang="en-gb" style="font-family:arial;">Many of the tours are run by “The Gray Line”. There are 2 main tours which each last 4 hours each taking in sights including temples, Imperial Palace and shopping areas. There are pick-ups at most of the main hotels.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span lang="en-gb">There are a number of key areas of the city to visit, and the most recommend for tourists are:</span> </span><ul><li><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>Roppongi</b>. This is the area where the embassies and big shopping centres are. At night it is known for being a very buzzing part of town for entertainment. In this area is Tokyo’s equivalent of Paris’s Eiffel Tower called the Tokyo Tower with great views from the top.</span></span></li><li><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>Harajuku</b>. This is the trendy part of town where things like the remarkable Prada Building is, the Rock and Roll Museum and the Jingu Stadium which is home to the Swallows Baseball team.</span></span></li><li><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>Shibuya</b>. This is the part of town that many will recognize from films and travel shows as this is where all the neon lights are. It is known as being the center for youth culture and there are huge screens playing ads and pop videos. This is also where massive Starbucks, Tower Records and other stores are.</span></span></li><li><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>Ginza</b>. This area is best known for the many and varied restaurants and the famous Sony Store where you can try out all the latest gadgets.</span></span></li><li><span lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>Yokohama</b>. This is where the old Chinatown dating back to 1859 is, a large amusement park and Japan’s tallest building which has amazing views at night</span></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span lang="en-gb"><b>(5) Day Trip to Mount Fuji</b></span><br /><span lang="en-gb">This is a full day trip that leaves about 9am and gets back at about 7.30pm. It involves a train ride, lunch and a cable car ride. It is well worth a visit to the dramatic mountain.</span></span></p><br /><!-- Start of Flickr Badge --><br /><style type="text/css"><br />#flickr_badge_source_txt {padding:0; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif; color:#666666;}<br />#flickr_badge_icon {display:block !important; margin:0 !important; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;}<br />#flickr_icon_td {padding:0 5px 0 0 !important;}<br />.flickr_badge_image {text-align:center !important;}<br />.flickr_badge_image img {border: 1px solid black !important;}<br />#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper {width:150px;}<br />#flickr_www {display:block; text-align:center; padding:0 10px 0 10px !important; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif !important; color:#3993ff !important;}<br />#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:hover,<br />#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:link,<br />#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:active,<br />#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:visited {text-decoration:none !important; background:inherit !important;color:#3993ff;}<br />#flickr_badge_wrapper {background-color:#ffffff;border: solid 1px #000000}<br />#flickr_badge_source {padding:0 !important; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif !important; color:#666666 !important;}<br /></style><br /><table id="flickr_badge_uber_wrapper" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="10" border="0"><tr><td><a href="http://www.flickr.com" id="flickr_www">www.<strong style="color:#3993ff">flick<span style="color:#ff1c92">r</span></strong>.com</a><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="10" border="0" id="flickr_badge_wrapper"><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.flickr.com/badge_code_v2.gne?show_name=1&count=5&display=random&size=m&layout=v&source=user_set&user=8327374@N02&set=72157605959977723&context=in/set-72157605959977723/"></script><br /><tr><br /><td id="flickr_badge_source" valign="center" align="center"><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><br /><td width="10" id="flickr_icon_td"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tipsfortravellers/sets/72157605959977723/">

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Cq1DnKoADFQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Cq1DnKoADFQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><p></p><p>Watch video of my room on YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq1DnKoADFQ"><strong>click here</strong></a></p><p>What did I think of the Grand Palace Hotel in Tokyo, Japan? Not a lot.<br /><br />This hotel is so typical of what I find depressing when travelling on business. It is a large, very dated and beige hotel situated out of the main buzzing centre of town in a suburb full of uninspiring office blocks. It gets a busy and regular trade from people like me staying near the office and from busloads of tourists on economic packages. The hotel is very large and the 4 days I was staying there were hoards of tourist groups. I did feel a bit sorry for them staying so out of the way!<br /><br />The problem with the hotel is that everything is terribly average, especially for the price. Service, room, food and so on. As mentioned earlier, it is a very beige and dowdy decor that needs a lot of updating. The lobby is large but unimpressive and the bedrooms, while a decent size, feel cheap. There is a mini-bar, desk to work with free wired internet, the beds are comfortable enough. I also had a small seating area as had a king room. There is a small flat screen TV with very limited channel choices. The only English language channel was CNN.<br /><br />The bathroom was small with toilet, basin and bath with hand held shower.<br /><br />The buffet restaurant is ok, though has a fairly small range of food at each meal time considering the diversity of travelers staying. There was a good (but expensive) Japanese restaurant in the basement. There is also a Chinese one but did not try that.<br /><br />The hotel has very limited facilities, even more surprising considering the size. It has no fitness centre or pool and the "business centre" is 2 coin internet machines and a printer.<br /><br />There is a bus service to and from the airport. The service to the airport is 3000 yen and takes an hour and a half. As the airport is so far away it can be very costly to get to and from Tokyo.<br /><br />The hotel was near to a large garden that is worth a walk to.<br /><br />Overall I did not enjoy staying at the hotel and found it a bit of a "down" as was so average. </p><p>View my photos of the hotel and surrounding area: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tipsfortravellers/sets/72157605959977723/"><strong>click here</strong></a></p><p></p><br /><br /><div style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; PADDING-TOP: 3px; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tipsfortravellers/2633548299/">

1008 Words : Posted 07.04.08

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On Saturday, I flew with Virgin Atlantic out of London Heathrow for Tokyo Narita airport.<br />I had not flown with them since they started advertising their new "10 minutes from limo to lounge" based on the new check-in and security set up they have put in place.<br /><br />If you fly Upper Class you can get collected by a limo and taken to the airport. You get met at a special drive-in area in Terminal 3 and then there is a special passage that leads to a dedicated Virgin Atlantic security station and so usually no queue. You then come out next to the general security area. This is the first time you come into contact with the madness that is Terminal 3.<br />From there to the stunning Virgin lounge (<a href="http://mytravelreviews.blogspot.com/">see the posting on this and my photoset</a>) does not take long.<br /><br />The Virgin seats, which quite a few airlines are now using, are good as they give you a feeling of privacy and with the seat flipping over onto a smooth flat bed are usually good for a good sleep.<br />I went off Virgin badly after a bad experience where they handled things poorly, but this experience has put them back on the list (as it were).<br /><br />Once of the worst parts of flying these days is the airport experience, and while Heathrow is one of the worst as so busy, it is the security process that has had to be put in place that takes so much time and is stressful as queuing and time it takes is so unpredictable. So the added feature Virgin has added is a good marketing one in my book!
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532 Words : Posted 06.20.08

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/kRG7D6V5IJs' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/kRG7D6V5IJs'/></object></p><p>I am not sure of this ad for the UK airline BMI (British Midland) will actually make anyone want to fly with them - but it does (in an exagerated way) bring home how unglamorous business travel can be. So it has a good insight. <br /><br />The ad (as described on the airline website): " It is focused around a business man living the reality of the typical business traveller - visiting many countries such as Egypt, America, Jordan and Russia, staying in anonymous hotel rooms where he does not get to enjoy the local hospitality. During the scenes he is depicted on the phone to his loved ones and friends who are oblivious to his lonely existence and envious of his frequent travel to such exciting places. The end of the advert sees him relaxing, enjoying the comfort and familiar surroundings of our business cabin in the knowledge that he will soon be home."<br /><br />The ad can be watched on youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRG7D6V5IJs or on my blog</p></div>
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943 Words : Posted 06.15.08

This posting will be updated during the course of 2008 as I develop the good and bad things in travel in 2008.<br /><br />So far here are the Plusses and Minuses for the year to date<br /><br /><strong><em>PLUSSES</em></strong><br /><br /><strong>Eurostar Travel to and from London/ Paris from London St.Pancras</strong><br />As in my various postings, nothing quite beats the ordeal of flying to and from Paris than the civilized Eurostar from the stunningly beautiful St Pancras station in London. There is a lovely business lounge in St Pancras, it is easy to check in and get through passport control. The negative so far is the messy and over crowed check-in/ passport at Paris Gard du Nord. It is undergoing renovation but hard to see from what they are doing that it will actually speed up passport check-in.<br /><br /><strong>Tripadvisor.com</strong><br />Still the best way to research hotels and where to stay. I have found so many great places, like the Tongsai Bay Resort for our Thailand holiday, but also managed to avoid horrors!<br /><br /><strong>Addison Lee</strong><br />I have been using lots of different car services across the year here in London. Then someone suggested trying Addison Lee. They are fantastic. They are very cost effective, marginally more expensive than a black cab and you can book the car online and then 20 minutes before the car arrives they send you a text message with the car registration, driver’s name and number. Then when it arrives you get another text message saying they are outside. They are efficient, friendly and a great service.<br /><br /><strong>Hotel du Louvre Paris</strong><br />I have stayed there quite a few times so far this year. The staff is always welcoming and friendly and I have been upgraded to better rooms most times I have been there, including a suite and lovely corner room. To see the suite click here and the corner room click here. Part of the Concorde Hotel chain you also get free wireless unlike most hotels they still annoyingly charge for internet access.<br /><br /><br /><strong><em>MINUSES</em></strong><br /><br /><strong>Short Haul Flying in Europe for work</strong><br />It is stressful, chaotic and the size and gap between seats in economy seems to be getting tighter and tighter and smaller and smaller. A nightmare when you are 6’ 2” tall. And as the bulk of travelers are tourists it is noisy and frustrating. It is also impossible to do work on the flight. I hate having to fly for work on short haul, it is really not at all glamorous or pleasant.<br /><br /><strong>Pullman Rive Gauge Hotel in Paris Issy les Moulineaux</strong><br />Closest hotel to our offices in Paris, this 600 room hotel lacks customer service. I stay here a great deal and still they have no way of acknowledging that I am a very repeat guest even on greeting. Housekeeping is very slap dash and the food is terrible. And... don't get me started!<br /><br /><br />If you have any suggestions on Plusses and Minuses, leave a comment on this posting or email at <a href="mailto:gary@mytravelreviews.co.uk">gary@mytravelreviews.co.uk</a>
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1339 Words : Posted 06.07.08

Of the various Concorde Hotels that I have stayed at in Paris in the last few months, this was my least favorite. But it is still overall a good hotel but a bit pricey for what it offers.<br /><br />The hotel is in a great location, especially for tourists, as it is right next to the large Saint Lazare station and metro station is right across the road with easy connections to all the main tourist parts of town.<br /><br />Like some of the other Concorde hotels in Paris, like the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lueticia</span>, this building is a glorious art deco building and styling inside. The whole reception area is quite spectacular and a real “wow factor” with huge ceilings and pillars. The main hotel <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">restaurant</span>, Terminus, is also very art deco. The food though is terrible, as is most of the food on offer in the hotel. This is a real pity. I had one of the most costly and awful meals at the restaurant.<br /><br />One thing that is generally good at Concorde hotels is that the staff is all very friendly and helpful, from the guys on the door through to the housekeeping teams.<br /><br />I was staying on the 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> floor. The corridors with their dark and art deco styling feel like you are walking down the corridors on a stately cruise liner from the time when cruising was glitzy and plush. The strange thing about the rooms is that the doors open out into the hallway, which creates a strange experience. The room (I was in 483) was a fairly good size with high ceilings and windows, and was fairly quiet considering it faced on the busy streets around the hotel.<br />The bed was large and very comfortable but the overall <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">décor</span> was very dated. The furniture was old fashioned and dark. The hotel is from a time before emails and although there is free wireless I needed to pull the heavy desk away from the wall to try and find a plug to plug my laptop into.<br /><br />The bathroom was bright and airy and perfectly fine.<br /><br />There is no fitness centre, which considering the status and cost of the hotel is not a great idea I thought.<br /><br />So overall, a perfectly fine hotel that is very popular it seems with more affluent tourists and lots of people from Asia with money. But not a hotel I would seek out to stay at again as I don’t think it is great value.<br /><br />Watch a video of Room 483 on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">YouTube</span>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s767sUBFZQ"><strong>click here</strong></a><br /><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-s767sUBFZQ&amp;hl=en"><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-s767sUBFZQ&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; PADDING-TOP: 3px; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tipsfortravellers/2558243736/">

411 Words : Posted 06.02.08

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1281 Words : Posted 05.29.08

I have written about this topic before, but as I sat on a series of flights (BA from Heathrow to Paris, Paris to Malaga on Air Europe, BA from Malaga to London Gatwick) the whole process and ordeal reminded me again of why it is so much better to go by Eurostar if you can. And in fact increasingly around Europe by train, than put oneself through the airport and pack-them-in short haul flights.<br /><br />I have been to and from Paris at least twice a month now for the last 6 months. All except this one has been on the Eurostar.<br /><br />My original posting on this with the case for and against: click here.<br /><br />I went through the new BA Terminal 5 at London Heathrow. It worked smoothly and efficiently with fast check-in (well bag drop as I had checked in online). The terminal is working well below capacity though as the long haul flight move has been delayed due to the problems on opening.<br /><br />It is a big bright terminal with a billion shops. The British Airways First Class Lounge is huge and impressive. Though it is slightly strange as the "First Class" lounge is really the lounge for people with BA Gold cards and people actually flying First Class use the "Concorde Lounge". This was also true of Terminal 4 before T5.<br /><br />Anyway, my tip is if you have to travel short haul in Europe and especially between London and Paris, the train should always be looked at as a very real and less traumatic option!<br /><br />Here though if you do plan to fly and have a Gold Card, is what the BA First Class Lounge looks like!<br /><br /><br />See all my photos of London Heathrow Terminal 5: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tipsfortravellers/sets/72157605214983142/"><strong>click here</strong></a><br /><br /><div style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; PADDING-TOP: 3px; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tipsfortravellers/2517294832/">

408 Words : Posted 05.28.08

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872 Words : Posted 05.26.08

<div style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; PADDING-TOP: 3px; TEXT-ALIGN: left">It is always great to get feedback on the podcast and this blog, so was great to get this email from a chap called Aaron in the USA<br /><br />"Mr. Bembridge:<br /><br />I am a 27-year-old traveller living in the US (Oklahoma, to be specific) and fell in love with travel at a very early age. I have made it a point to get away often and to get as far as my budget will take me. As such, I have been working my way through your podcasts these past few months, and have found them to be of remarkable value. I really appreciate your hard work, and I think what I like best is your approach. Too often, when I read travel "advice", it often comes across as someone trying to sell me on the destination-- either because they're in a position to make money on my trip, or that they're so in love with the location that they simply no<br />longer see things objectively. Your tips are neither-- you simply go to these spots, mention some things based upon what you've seen and experienced, and leave it at that. Maybe some of your advice sticks, maybe not. I like that.<br /><br />While I greatly enjoy your podcasts, I have to wonder why you do them. What do you get out of it? I can tell you have a passion for travel, but I<br />know from personal experience that dedicating yourself to something like a podcast can take the fun out of something you once enjoyed. What motivates<br />you to do a podcast so often, and keep it fun rather than a chore?<br /><br />Also, have you ever considered doing a show just on travel-related technology? As someone who does a podcast, I figure you have at least a passing familiarity with mp3 players, laptops, wifi, GPS units, and so on. Perhaps some of your listeners would like a breakdown of what you'd consider to be useful things for a traveller to have?<br /><br />Thanks again for all your hard work. Happy travels.<br /><br />Aaron"<br /><br />HERE WAS MY REPLY:<br /><br />Aaron<br />Hi there and thanks for taking the time to drop me this email! Great to hear that you enjoy the podcasts, you may also want to check out/ sign up for my blog:<br /><http:><br />I started the podcast as a hobby really, I have always been a frustrated radio announcer I guess and this was a fun way to do that. I started doing them while on my travels for work. I tend to research up places before I go and plan what to see in the limited free time I get between meetings etc - and so thought I would capture them. It does take a lot of time and so I started to only do new ones once a month.<br />Good idea on the technology front!<br />Hope you keep listening! And sending thoughts, as it is great to get feedback!<br />Gary</div>
<p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/TFTblog?a=kmrxUd">

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WPigo3WJOS4&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WPigo3WJOS4&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>The thought that comes to mind about the Hotel Barcelo is: why?</strong><br /><br />I cannot imagine why one would chose to stay here. I was here to attend a work conference, but not sure why the hotel would be high on anyone's choice (with a possible exception of anyone desperate to play and be near to a golf course next to the hotel).<br /><br />The Hotel Barcelo is located in the suburbs of Marbella but is designed like a beach hotel. It feels a bit like someone forgot to mention to the architects it was nowhere near water.<br /><br />It is an innocuous hotel that is easily forgotten. It is neither good nor bad. I had a large room as was allocated a suite on the 4th floor which was very pleasant. It had a large entrance area, great lounge area with chairs and sofa (and desk to work at), the bedroom was a good size (though with my current pet hate - twin beds... I am sure when on a corporate deal you get allocated twin beds versus the more comfortable doubles). The bathroom was large with separate bath and shower.<br /><br />The air-conditioning was only partly effective, and the rooms got very hot while out as your key card is needed to be popped in a slot to keep the electricity (though a gym membership card left in the slot while out rather naughtily worked).<br /><br />The room had great marble (or marble like) floors throughout and a small balcony. Ideal for sitting on looking at the road.... There are some rooms that face onto the pool area so worth asking for!<br /><br />The food is ok, served in a large buffet restaurant with a lot of choice. It is not great but passable for a few days.<br /><br />There is a great pool, very decent fitness room and shop selling the usual emergency items and holiday bits and pieces.<br /><br />But overall I would never chose to stay here and even for a conference as people were there for a week they even tired of the location, food and general feel of the hotel.<br /><br />If you are going to Marbella for a break or holiday it is better to seek out something nearer to the beach.<br /><br />There is a video of the room at the hotel on YouTube (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPigo3WJOS4"><strong>click here</strong></a>) or watch on the blog posting.<br /><br />For photos of the hotel and the room I took and put on Flickr: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tipsfortravellers/sets/72157605218856093/"><strong>click here</strong></a> </p><p> </p><p><br /> </p><br /><div style="PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; PADDING-TOP: 3px; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tipsfortravellers/2516420289/">