A guide by beardy1
A quiet and friendly hotel despite its central location (it literally is about 50m from the cathedral and main street). There are only 12 rooms in this old building, which have been renovated in a modern style with dark wood and white furnishing, and very sleek bathrooms. If you get a superior room you may be lucky to get one of the two rooms on the top floor, which have outdoor patios giving stunning views of the cathedral. The staff here are genuinely friendly and helpful, and it's a great place to stay.
Hotel Alminar
www.hotelalminar.com
Ãlvarez Quintero, 52
T 954 293 913
reservas@hotelalminar.com
The Isle of Kerrera is a very accessible 5 minute ferry ride from Oban. It's car free and for a small island provides wonderful walking and exploring opportunities, especially for families. The tea garden at Lower Gylen with views out over Gylen castle and the Sound of Kerrera is a special spot. It's an easy day trip from Oban or if you have longer it's worth a night or 2 in the bunkhouse at Lower Gylen.
Isle of Kerrera, by Oban.
www.kerrerabunkhouse.co.uk
One of the finest B&B establishments around. A stunning view of Quinag, Suilven and Stac Pollaidh from the balcony, this recently built spacious detached wooden house is situated a kilometer outside Lochinver. Beautifully clean, it boasts an outdoor hot tub to relax under the stars after a big day on the mountains. Fantastic hospitality - our host Mike arrived to pick us up with takeaway fish and chips after an 11 hour 'too late back for pub food' assault on the whole Suilven ridge as part of our Cape Wrath 250 mile trek.
Breakfast is very hearty and meticulously timed and all at £22 a night per person. An amazing bargain for what you get.
Mike Rochester, Eadar Da Sloc, Torbreck, Lochinver, Sutherland IV274JB
Mike@rochester114.fsnet.co.uk
Scour the weekend property sections of the LA Times for open houses, when potential buyers are welcome to wander around snooping in other people's closets. A popular mass participation sport in LA, all it takes is a bit of chutzpah, the right clothing and a willingness to discuss interior design (a Eurotrash accent can also help). The rewards are a chance to see around the houses of the rich and, very possibly, famous. And no matter how much you look, you will never properly answer the question of why rich Angelenos need more bathrooms than bedrooms.
A tree full of shoes. No, this hasn't been sanctioned by the powers that be - in fact, they've removed the shoes in the past. But still they keep appearing - and make for quite a surreal sight.
Armstrong Park, in Heaton. I'm not going to tell you exactly where as part of the fun of the shoe tree experience is finding it!
The music festival held in the middle of September. This is the most relaxed festival of it's kind i have ever attented, everyone brings a chair and just sits around drinking wine and watching fantastic live music. Right in the middle of Austin the transport is organised with millitary precision. The grounds are clean, grassy and have plenty of shade - perfect for people of all ages.
Ignore the horribly tourist-clogged Dunns River Falls on the north coast, and drive to YS Falls, buried away in lush tropical parkland on an old family stud farm. Guides are there to help you on to vine swings for some Tarzan action, and you can buy a Red Stripe and a beef pattie, but that’s about as commercialised as it gets. Go early in the morning and you may even get the whole place to yourself.
YS Estate, near Black River, St Elizabeth.
ysfalls@cwjamaica.com
It's a very long purpose made sledge piste that takes two hours to complete and runs down to the valley floor from under the North Face of the Eiger. They light it up in places at night.
Thrill power and beauty for non-experts. Anyone can do it easily with ten minutes practise first in daylight. Have a cheese fondue at the top first mind! and plenty of hot wine.
Take the cog-wheel train from Grund in Grindelwald up to klein scheidegg, follow the people in woolly hats with toboggans. Here's a video link:
www.swisspanorama.com/html/eigerrunwi.html
Hidden away in Berlin's laid back East Side, this back-of-a-boatshed haunt for recovering weekenders and general misfits exemplifies the best of Berlin's DIY bar culture. Comfily lo-fi, still manages a natural tree-covered canopy, a covered cinema, consistently brilliant music, and plenty of canalside seats (even if that means sitting in a boat). Staff are friendly and sound without being too-cool-for-school, and atmosphere will accommodate everyone happily, whatever your pleasure. Only in Berlin...
Situated in the heart of Palermo Viejo, this boutique style hotel offers comfortable rooms (more than 5!), friendly and helpful staff and a beautiful roof top with a small jacuzzi pool.
4742 Honduras, Palermo Viejo.
Phone: 54 11 5235 5555
www.fivebuenosaires.com
Google map: tinyurl.com/mhyjn5
