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Danut Marin leads tour groups around the stunning region located by the Piatra Craiului National Park (near Brasov). He is an incredibly knowledgable guide (and won Wanderlust mag's guide of the year 2007) and points out bear tracks, wolf prints and birds soaring high above the mountain forests. Dan's wife prepares delicious home cooked meals with jams and herbal teas and it's possible to stay in elegant, renovated guest rooms.
A real gem.
Danut & Luminita's guesthouse is in Zarnesti, Brasov County, Romania.
www.transylvanianwolf.ro
A bright modern hostel situated in the centre of Lagos on the Algarve. It has sixty odd, four-bunk rooms, a kitchen, free breakfast, a central courtyard for meeting fellow travellers. An excellent place to meet people and rest up on the grand european tour.
Rua Lancarote de Freitas in the old town of Lagos.
www.theworldtraveller.net/lagos.html
I am surprised that there are only three tips on the Peak District. The Peak District has a huge amount to offer ranging from walking, shopping, general sight seeing to caving, climbing and abseiling. The scenery is superb and very varied. There is lots of information about the area on the internet. It is well worth a visit.
Tiny resort on the western coast of the Sinai peninsula, about halfway between Sharm and Cairo (you can fly to either, and then it's a fairly long drive though they will send someone to pick you up).
It is mainly a windsurfing place but they also run yoga courses which are really good, and also cheap - about £400 for a week half-board, including the yoga but excluding flights and drinks. It's a three star place but clean and with nice airy chalets dotted around the grounds, and a beach-front bar. Food is good and plentiful.
The yoga sessions (when I went a few years ago) are held for 1.5 hours every morning and evening in a shady room just off the beach. Mats and other cushions are provided and you can hear the sea as you practise.
The teachers change every couple of weeks so aim to go at a time when a teacher who interests you is going. The one just before I arrived was very meditation/breathing focused apparently (which wouldn't have suited me) but my teacher was fantastic - very position-focused and good at explaining what you were trying to achieve, so you're actively in the pose and not just standing there with your arms out. So make sure you check out which teacher will be there when you want to attend.
I was travelling alone and really enjoyed the social aspect. The yoga class was very small when I stayed (off-peak) and we always went into breakfast or dinner together after class, and met in the bar later. When I was there they let you bring your own booze for the week and store it in the windsurfing bar so you could drink more cheaply too!
I also did their trip up Mount Sinai to watch dawn at the top, and that was a very spiritual experience which fitted in brilliantly with the yoga ethos. It was about £35. They also had a lady doing massages a couple of days.
The windsurfing/yoga resort is part of a larger place which Egyptians use at weekends, so it got much busier and less 'Western' then, which was an interesting thing to be a part of - we got chatting to some young people from Cairo and played cards with them, which was a great night.
Bring lots of books as there isn't a huge amount to do between yoga sessions. You can snorkel (they lend you equipment) or try windsurfing, but it is often quite windy (there's a reason why it's wind-surfing centre) so I mostly read on sun-lounger behind a wind-break.
www.moonbeachretreat.com
Fly to Cairo or Sharm-el-sheikh
Dar Darma is a small and very exclusive palace situated in the Old Medina with few rooms preciously decorated. Our Suite Patio was really comfortable and spacious. The palace also has beautiful terraces, with a swimming pool, where you can relax drinking the traditional mint tea. Also the cuisine is very good. We asked for typical dishes, and the cook prepared us cous cous, brochette and tajine: all was very very good! Dar Darma is also near to the most important places of interest. From the hotel we walked to visit the Medersa, the Museum of Marrakech and vibrant Square Jemaa El-Fna. We have really appreciate our stay at Dar Darma: a wonderful experience indeed!
Dar Darma
11/12, Trik (rue) Sidi Bohuarba
40000 Marrakech – Marocco
www.dardarma.com
Warm & friendly B&B, incredibly helpful staff and reasonable at £30pppn - breakfasts are delicious and varied. Walk through a forest at the end of the road to get to the powdery sandy beach or hop on a train to the new forest for a walk or bike ride (rentals at Brockenhurst station starting from £9 for an afternoon bike ride)
www.thanethouse.co.uk
Poole
01202 761135
A great stay. Location is terrific (Colosseum) and the owner is very friendly - I forgot to buy an electrical plug adaptor for my laptop and she provided me one for free.
The area is also safe at night, I really recommend it if you want to see the very best of Rome!
www.myromeapartment.com/
Via Baccina, 44
00184 Roma
A small B&B in the centre of Forio whose atmosphere is a sort of Marrakesh meets India (with a hidden garden thrown in). The host is very friendly and knowledgeable about the island, breakfast is generous and there's a small kitchen if you wish to test your culinary skills in situ. Rates are excellent too.
Yattus is a self-catering cottage in the Lake District. For me, the best things about it were:
* two king-sized bedrooms (very unusual in my experience) so perfect for two couples going away together
* Amazing old building, 17th century with wood fires and even some original furniture. Felt like a real treat to stay there.
* Location - Eskdale seems to be a bit off the beaten path but you're really near all the big peaks (Scafell, Bowfell, etc) and L'al Ratty (toy steam train) goes through the village too
Eskdale Green
www.yattus-eskdale.co.uk/
Got to Casablanca by train - first class from Marrakesh cost a couple of quid more than second and is well worth it. Stayed at Hotel Galia, great spacious rooms, clean, cheap and the hotel manager is lovely and really tries to help you. Computer with internet free to use downstairs too. Went to Rick's, food fantastic though not the cheapest! Hassan II Mosque very very impressive!
This B&B is the winner for the best bed and breakfast in the Canada.
After not having a personal vacation for over six years, I decided it was time to hit the road. I had been to Montreal once. It was to simply make a connecting flight. But, my friends had told me that it was an amazing city to check out. So, I got my ticket, booked at room and was on my way.
It was my first trip as a solo traveller. Never having stayed in anything outside a hotel, I was terribly unfamiliar with how a B&B worked. When I arrived, Patryck was ready and waiting. He warmly welcomed me to the city and laid out some easy sight seeing plans.
Patryck made the stay absolutely amazing and his culinary skills are out of this world. Yes, I must admit that I had to take pictures of the breakfasts he had served. From the smiling bowl of fruit (which put a smile on my face), to the warm dishes that followed, everything was incredibly mouth watering. The breakfasts are going to fill you up fast, so be warned! You won't find yourself hungry again for many hours. In fact, I could usually go without lunch and still feel pretty full by dinner time.
You'll find the rooms are tastefully decorated and tidy. I stayed in the Inspiration room. The room is small, but perfect for one person. Lots of space to store your clothes and shopping goods. A TV with cable sits on the dresser and a door leads out to your own, private balcony. Several clean towels are provided as well. Free Wi-Fi is provided, too!
The location of Atmosphere is a short 5-10 minute walk from the Beaudry Metro station (which easily and quickly gets you downtown), just down the street from the spacious Parc Lafontaine, and a short stroll to some great restaurants, shopping, and bars in the gay district.
Patryck goes above and beyond to ensure your visit is the best. I can't wait to return to Montreal and Atmosphere again. Thanks Patryck for making my stay as wonderful as it could be!
Atmosphere B&B
1933 Panet street
Montreal, Quebec
H2L3A1
www.atmospherebb.com
If you want to stay somewhere which will be quiet at night (because you prefer sleeping to partying all night), pick a residential/working area like Moabit, instead of the more obvious tourist & clubbing areas.
This small and friendly hostel is right on the beach, with great views of the Olympic Mountains.
Close to Golden Gardens beach, the hostel is 30 minutes from downtown, but is a great spot to soak up Washington's outstanding natural beauty before heading into the city, and a restful retreat after a hard day's sightseeing.
Housed in a modern beach house, there's a rooftop deck for watching the sunset, and the rooms smack of urban cool, with steel bunkbeds, a huge lounge and kitchen with funky sofas and fairy lights, and a glowing fireplace with floor cushions.
The rooms are clean, comfortable and there's a whole host of free extras, from wi-fi and breakfast to bikes for cycling around the local area.
If you're on foot, the surrounding area is artistic and quirky, full of boutiquey shops, cool taverns showing live music, independent cafes and a local Farmer's Market.
I've stayed at Tenface for the last two weeks. It's located on Sukhumvit Road. Nice touches like a iPod in my room, sim card for local calls, Bangkok travel tips with BTS card and more. Plus excellent staffs who can speak English very well.
If you spend your holiday in Santorini, I recommend Mero Vigla Hotel
I've been there, the view is gorgeous, the owner really nice, the rooms are great, the prices affordable.
For details visit www.meroviglahotel.gr/
I refuse to disclose the joys of the Hotel Romvi in Tolon. (Damn.) The fact that it is small, family run and on the beach is something I do not wish to share with worldwide Guardian readers because you'll all be there next year filling the sunbeds two steps from the restaurant which serves great home-cooked food.(Done it again - damn.) I'm booking now before you get there. The fact that the town can be ignored as you sip ouzo with your feet in the sea is an even greater asset.
It's only 30 mins from Epidaurus, Mycenae and twenty by boat from Napflion.
SO DON'T GO!
Try Sunvil Travel
If you try, you can still find the authentic Cyclades on some of the small islands – calm, without mass tourism or too many cars. One such island is Kimolos, in the Western Cyclades.
In the "Horio", the main town of the island, the white-washed walls of the houses form the 16th century Kimolos Castle.
One of these houses has recently been renovated to provide independent self-catering accommodation for up to six people.
You can also include a skippered 51 foot sailing yacht as part of your holiday.
www.cycladesliving.gr
email - info@cycladesliving.gr
phone (+30) 6936 790999 (mobile)
phone (+30) 26610 24125 (office hours)
phone (+30) 26610 52831
Villa Glyfada is just what you want if you pick Paxos as your Greek island destination: a good balance of unspoilt sights and three small port towns with plenty of small restaurants and evening bars.
In the remote olive grove hills, Villa Glyfada is hidden amongst the big old olive trees, some even centuries old.
Having candle lit BBQ dinners on the verandah with a view over the secular olive groves and deep blue sea is unforgettable.
It was difficlut to stop reading on the wooden porch swing and deck chairs to meander down through the trees to the hidden beach.
Nicely furnished and well equiped, this villa has everything you need to feel at home. Even a couple of friendly Greek cats looking for some attention.
Very good value for the price. And while you are there don't forget a day trip to gorgeous Anti Paxos.
100 Euros per night for 2p renting the house,and 130 Euros per night for 4p.
Paxos,Ionian Islands in Greece
Email: info@paxos-travel.gr
Phone: 0030 2662 0 32589 or 0030 697 92 66 706
A wonderful cottage in the remote forest of Vastergotland, 100kms east of Gothenburg close to Ulricehamn. The cottage has two bedrooms, a living room with views of the nearby lake and a wonderful garden full of wild fruits and mushrooms, and complete with a wood burning hot tub for perfect relaxation. We loved it!
Vassiliki is a quaint fishing village on the southern coast of the Ionian island of Lefkada. Excellent restaurants line the harbour front where diners can enjoy their meals while watching local fisherman tending their boats. There are many small B&Bs or flats to choose from and from which you can explore the surrounding area. It is an easy drive to the island's dramatic west coast beaches or the local winery. There are also several isloated beaches within walking distance from the village. The bay is a popular wind-surfing spot in the summer.
Vassiliki is on the west coast of Greece in the Ionian Sea. It is only 5 1/2 hours from Athens by car, or 45 minutes from the closest airport at Preveza.
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