http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/37456 The one place I always head for.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/37456 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/37303
This question must be common to guys who love to travel to Vietnam. therefore, I am willing to answer you foreigners how to obtain Vietnam visa. Let's go:

Officially, there are 2 ways to get Vietnam visa.

The first way is going to Vietnam embassy in your country, pay pee, take an interview of your entry'purpose and wait about 4-5 days to get your visa.

In case you do not want to take time to get Vietnam embassy or there is no Vietnam embassy in your country, you are advised to use the following way.

The second way is staying at home and visit travel agent's website, fill out secured application form, pay service fee ($ 20 for 1 month single entry, $ 25 for 1 month multiple entry, $ 30 for 3 month single and $ 35 for 3 month multiple), receive your visa approval letter within 1-2 working days via email and finally get your visa stamped at arrival airport in vietnam (one more thing, you have to pay stamping fee directly to Vietnam Immigration Officer)

Hopefully, this information is helpful for you. If you have any questions, I am very pleased to help you. My Skype id is bong192.

Have a nice day!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/37303 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/37171 Since the vast majority of the buildings, equipment and furniture and fittings have survived intact, the Memorial provides a very authentic picture of prison conditions in the GDR. The Memorial's location in Germany's capital city makes it the key site in Germany for victims of communist tyranny.
Very interesting site and great guided tour, also in English available.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/37171 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/37041 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/37041 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/37021 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/37021 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/37003 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/37003 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/36955 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/36955 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/36101 Go west and south of the Fernsehturm, across the busy Muhlendamm/Grunerstrasse road from Nikolaivertel's reconstructed old squares (and the magnificent Nikolaikirsche, the oldest church in the city), you seem to be in a characterless quarter with nothing to recommend it. But search out Klostersrasse, then Waisenstrasse and you find Zur Letzen Instanz, an old, much repaired bar/eatery in a narrow leafy street, built in 1621 and with a fine reputation for German cuisine and a history of serving Napoleon and Beethoven among many others. Some say it's the oldest restaurant in Berlin. There's a small beer garden to the side and just beyond that a genuine stretch of old Berlin wall from the 13th Century. A bit further past two bronze sculptures to the left there's the magnificent Gothic ruin of a Francescan monastery from the 14th century set in trees, but not far from the roaring traffic where you'll find a number of circular exhibition spots celebrating the city's 775th anniversary, with detailed info on the Berlin beneath your feet (English translation). Great to find such quiet gems amid so much noise and ugliness, just across a six lane highway from Alexanderplatz.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/36101 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/36099 There are two of these in Berlin. We enjoyed one so much we searched out the other which was almost better than the first. One is just off Hackesher Markt up Dirksenstrasse under the S-Bahn. The other is opposite Schloss Charlottenburgh (side on in Luisenplatz)with a superb view. Strongly recommended.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/36099 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35963 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35963 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35959 What's more it is a great cycle ride from the city centre and from Treptow onwards nearly all of the route can be cycled off road. Although still a part of the city of Berlin you'll find yourself in the small town of Köpenick which is well worth a visit in itself. And if you don't fancy a bike ride, it's easily accessible by bus or s-bahn too]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35959 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35955 You get the S-Bahn to Wannsee - it's a suburb in the south-west of the city. Come out of Wannsee station and cross over to the ferry port. Here you'll see a load of tourist boats, but also the 'BVG-fähre' boat to Kladow, a workaday ferry which leaves on the hour. So if you're lucky your S-Bahn ticket will still be valid and you can just hop on.
The ferry journey lasts about 20mins and takes you past an intriguing resort called Strandbad Wannsee - all 1920s architecture and neat rows of sunshades. You can imagine the flappers of the Weimar era frolicking there in their droves.
On arriving at Kladow you could take a right and follow the path into the woods - we did, and spotted a vivid red squirrel within minutes, which put us nicely in the zone for the rest of the day.
Once you're in the woods, and the parks and lakes beyond, you can just idle about the place and you are bound to find something to capture your imagination - for us it was a quick swim in the lake (there are a few sandy shores here and there), coming across an old orchard of gnarly apples and finding a dilapidated house that was once home to the Mendelssohn family.
Back at the bar on the shore by the ferry you can order some potato soup, wash it down with some Weisse beer and let the ubiquitous sparrow population entertain you. Then you can wind you way back to the hipster capital of the world a little less world weary.
The travel for the whole day cost us less than €5 as I recall, which made the wanderings even more carefree.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35955 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35954 To swim in the lake get on a train from Berlin Karow and get off at Wandlitzsee, and almost opposite the train station is a lido in the lake. It costs about two Euro to get in and there’s grassy banks, the lido, but also access to swim in the whole lake, rowing boats, diving boards, food and drink and lots of German families.
If you don’t want to go to the main public part of the lake try heading to the right as you approach the lido and take the path round, every so often there are areas you can access the lake for a swim, have a picnic, or just enjoy the peace and quiet.
This is all within Berlin zone C so easy to get to, and only about 15mins from Karow. We took a picnic and asked the woman in the boat hire to look after our things while we went for a swim which she was more than happy to do, but most people just left their belongings and as with everywhere else I went in Berlin you never really got the feeling that anything would get stolen.
Apparently it takes about three hours to walk round the whole lake but it was far too hot to even consider attempting that. And apparently the town is quite pretty, but I was desperate for Kaffee und Kuchen and so bi-passed that and headed back to the city.
Highlights? Watching the many varied attempts of people falling head first, feet first, and far too often belly first off the diving boards into the lake; and just swimming in a huge, calm, clean (although not quite crystal clear) stretch of water.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35954 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35953 And is it worth it? Yes, and I’d have been gutted if I had not gone, and ended up going twice. On the western edge of Park Sanssouci is the Neues Palais (take a bus from the station or hire a bike, although make sure you book in advance on sunny weekends) and then I wandered through the park past the Orangerie, the Chinese House and on to Schloss Sansoucci, Mr the Great’s favourite palace.
Maybe because it was the first one I saw or maybe because it is actually the most impressive, the Neues Palais stands out for me. It’s huge, it’s imposing, it’s incredible that anyone needed so many palaces, but apparently they did, and it’s possibly even more impressive than Pemberley, although Mr Darcy would probably make a more accommodating flatmate than Fred.
But what is more impressive is just wandering around the park on a sunny day and enjoying a completely different experience to Berlin, each part of the park you come across is interesting in it’s own right, and I’m sure I missed loads even after going twice. So you should go and check it out, even on a short trip to Berlin.
Potsdam itself is a nice place to explore, have some drinks, some food, a spot of shopping, and generally relax. We had lunch at Backstolz (on Dorturstrasse, just off Brandenburger Strasse) which was really nice.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35953 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35952 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35952 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35951 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35951 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35949 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35949 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35948 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35948 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35947 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35947 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35946 It is an enormous and cheesy but fun tropical water park with spa, sauna, cabaret, Germany's highest water slides, a "Bali lagoon" and waterfalls.
It is a bit of a white elephant, having failed to attract the optimistic forecast of one million visitors a year but the plus side is, it is rarely uncomfortably busy.
Located about 35 miles outside Berlin and easily accessible on the train from Alexanderplatz - a shuttle bus from Brand station takes you to the "resort".
If the rain and cold of Berlin winter get you down, pop there for a dose of jungle fever.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/35946