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Stay at U Seniglu, right in the middle of town overlooking the historic square. There are only three or four rooms in the house, so book early and try to get the one at the front of the house.
Taking their enormous local produce breakfast in my room with the windows open whilst watching life passing by was the best weekend's rest I ever had.
You can get to Telc by bus or train from most places in the Czech Republic.
www.cd.cz/static/eng/ (Czech Rail)
www.accommodation-telc.com/
This is a two-star hotel near the centre of town. I think you'll be hard-pushed to find a better deal in St Rémy.
Avenue Fauconnet, 13210
tel: 04-90 92 09 28
map: tinyurl.com/23e8cj
Fabulous and reasonably priced B&B (about £40 a room in June) in a small village (excellent restaurant and church, but that's it). Very pretty garden and pool.
The B&B is separate from the owner's house and has own lounge(s), spa, and use of a kitchen, which helps cut costs if you're on a budget.
Easy to get to Avignon, Pont du Gard etc.
24km from Nîmes.
www.avignon-et-provence.com
Fly to Nimes airport, and either hire a car or get the bus into Nimes, then a bus to Uzes (bus station at back of the train station - this is the first stop for the airport bus).
At Uzes get a bus heading for Avignon which drops you at Argilliers on the main road. It's about 1 mile walk head for the church spire!
This hotel is made up of three different buildings - the Arch House, the Cigar House and the Island City House. Each has a distinct style and the buildings are set among lush tropical foliage in the quiet residential area of Key West.
We stayed in the Arch House, which has a private bathroom, fully equipped kitchen, a balcony with a hammock, sitting room/living area, and a queen-sized bed set into an alcove. It’s all spotlessly clean and tastefully furnished.
The pool is lovely, there are bikes for hire and the buffet breakfast in the courtyard is well worth getting up for.
It’s the oldest guest house in Key West, and while it’s in the quiet area, it’s only five minutes’ walk from Duval St and even closer to the marina waterfront area.
Staff are friendly and helpful and will organise boating and snorkelling tours for you at the front desk.
Rooms come at a range of prices for different parts of the hotel and different times of year, so it’s best to check on the website.
411 William Street, Key West, FL 33040
Tel: (800) 634-8230/(305) 294-5702
Email: info@islandcityhouse.com
www.islandcityhouse.com/
Boutique four-star art deco hotel on Collins with iconic swimming pool and beachfront access. The rooms are furnished with a combination of modern touches - ipod sound docks, flat screen TV with cable, comfy bed – and deco-kitschy items. There are ocean/pool view rooms, but city/sunset are slightly cheaper with a great view. The pool is wonderful, staff very helpful and friendly and the food and cocktails are fantastic. It’s a really well situated hotel – close to Lincoln Av shops and restaurants and about a 5-10 minute walk down to the main Ocean Drive drag. And it’s not nearly as pretentious as some of its neighbours ...
The Raleigh, 1775 Collins Avenue; Miami Beach, FL 33139
www.raleighhotel.com/
A classic English pub on a green. The Victory serves freshly made meals with local ingredients such as samphire.
As well as a pool room and cosy rooms inside, the pub garden looks directly out on to the green.
They are currently building rooms so you can stay overnight.
And there is a pick-your-own practically next door with raised strawberry beds so you can pick without the effort of bending over!
The Victory Inn & Restaurant
The Green Wickham St. Paul
Halstead Essex
CO9 2PT
01787269364
Pick your own: www.spencersfarmshop.co.uk/
After I read about this truly unique "guesthouse" I decided to check it out.
It was even better than expected. It may only be a "bed and breakfast", but it is one of world class.
Super-friendly owners. The 18th-century restored mansion has kept its original features while incorporating dazzling flashes of modernity.
It made my stay feel like a visit to a friend's grand country house.
Ghent has a surprisingly large number cultural and musical activities on offer, and is a great medieval city.
Hotel Verhaegen
Oude Houtlei 110
9000 Gent
+32(0)9 265 07 60
www.hotelverhaegen.be
Google map: tinyurl.com/n8b9ee
Absolutely fantastic, amazing food better than most restaurants, hospitality great, views absolutely incredible, especially from the hot tub on the terrace! Had a wonderful time with our family - Basil the dog kept our son amused for hours - he is very friendly and didn't mind his tail being pulled; good selection of kids' tv too.
Would strongly recommend Ecrins Lodge whether you are coming for skiing, mountain biking or just having a relaxing family holiday, there's lots to do in amazing scenery. Book, I'm sure you will have a great time with Alex and Will.
Crete is the most mountainous island in Europe. The link below gives access to reasonably-priced accommodation near Zaros, a quiet village on the southern slopes of Mt. Ida, far removed from the throbbing nightclubs (unfortunately) associated with Greek tourism.
Mountain biking, walking, bird watching, visits to nearby monasteries etc. Delicious food. Don't be put off by the website name - "agrotourism" is the Greek rough equivalent to rural eco-tourism, and has nothing to do with "aggro" lager louts!
en.agrotravel.gr/agro/site/AgroTravel/t_section?sparam=zarou_m&sub_nav=Lodgings
en.agrotravel.gr/agro/site/Home/t_section
There are a number of campsites in the town, and further from the town near the lighthouse.
The BIG4 campsite is a safe bet with everything you could need. Internet access is available in the reception area, however a cheaper alternative is available in the book shop across the road.
exmouth-cape-holiday-park.wa.big4.com.au/public/
Google map: tinyurl.com/mpp6ub
A hostel close to the centre of Granada, the Bearded Monkey is friendly and lively without being dominated by hard-partying backpackers.
Arranged around a central courtyard lit with twinkling lights, the (public) bar sells local beers, decent food and its own compilation CDs, as well as running DVD nights from the owner's great selection, for a small donation.
Check the noticeboard for good value Spanish lessons by local teachers (Anjelica is recommended) and trips to the nearby Lago de Apoyo, where the Bearded Monkey has a cabin, the Monkey Hut, with terraces running down to the lake - an excellent swimming spot.
Avenida 14 de Septiembre, opposite the bomberos (fire station).
Individual service, fine dining, a pleasant living ambience created by fine wooden surroundings, warm colors and original fabrics.
Cosy rooms with an overwhelming panorama view over the valley.
Beautiful mountain spa with treatment areas, pool and different saunas.
Alpine and cross-country skiing, hiking, mountain biking, wine-tasting, shopping in and around the loveliest high valleys in the very heart of the Black Forest National Park, located within the region of Feldberg, Schauinsland and Belchen.
Ideal for round-trips as in the border triangle close to Freiburg im Breisgau (25km), the sunny capital of the Black Forest and to the French and Swiss borders.
www.mangler.de/e/
Wellnesshotel Mangler
Ennerbachstraße 28
D-79674 Todtnauberg - Germany
Tel: +(49)-(0)-7671-9693-0
Fax: +(49)-(0)-7671-8693
wellnesshotel@mangler.de
An old-fashioned seaside hotel with large, landscaped grounds and lots of different bars tucked around.
The Imperial also has a great gym and spa complex (to keep the golf widows happy, as it also has a beachside course).
Rooms are not special but are adequate.
For me the gym facilities absolutely made it.
Staff are really friendly and food is much much better than you would expect.
Ask for a seaview room.
Prince’s Parade, Hythe, Kent, CT21 6AQ,
Tel: 01303 267441
www.qhotels.co.uk/hotels/the-hythe-imperial-hythe-kent/
My daughter and I stayed at the Bellagio Hotel in September 2006. At the time Oceans’ 13 was being filmed with Brad Pitt and George Clooney - what a lovely surprise.
The Hotel is magnificent and we had a beautiful lakeside room overlooking the fountains - so we not only saw them all the time, we could also put the TV on and listen to the music while enjoying a glass of wine. The staff were also very friendly and helpful. Will be staying there again
Bellagio
3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
www.bellagio.com
Superbly equipped "naturiste" camping site.
Rather hidden, right down in a spectacular river valley in the South of France.
Choose to swim in the river Ceze, or in their two good-sized pools.
Very relaxed atmosphere, beautiful surroundings, immaculate facilities including sauna, cafe, bar, etc.
Outside, there's fantastic food in local village restaurants.
Come with your own tent, or rent a comfortably equipped woden beach-hut onsite from just 350 Euros/week.
It's really perfect for all families and kids!
But remember, it's a “camping naturiste”: there's one strict rule - no wearing clothes allowed on site. So you’ll have no laundry at all for a whole, lovely, lazy week!
www.chm-montalivet.com/Lagenese/index_fla.htm
Map (approximate location only): tinyurl.com/yr8sqx
My first night in Croatia we stayed in a motel. After that we travelled without reservations. In Stari Grad on Hvar we met a man and his daughter and accepted their offer to see one of two apartments they had for rent. We stayed there for seven days.
In Dubrovnik we spent two nights in a private home with a shared bath. On the second day we sat in a cafe within the city walls and had a beer and talked to a waiter. His cousin had an apartment for rent. We viewed it and moved in the next day and stayed six days.
These two apartments cost us about £30 a night in September. Rooms in homes were less, of course.
September is a very good time to go because it is not overly crowded nor too warm and prices have gone down a bit.
When traveling in Croatia, forget the guide books. Follow your senses; follow your instincts.
We rented cars, a boat, walked. We were always met with interest and kindness, especially when spending money for food and drink.
There is only one thing a traveller to this country needs to consider: the main industry is tourism. It has made very few people rich. Take care where you go. Our last night in Split we walked into the new part of town and turned down accommodation there because I felt unsafe. Fortunately we knew of another place in the old part and stayed there and I slept like a baby.
I think of Croatia often and would love to go again. I believe there is something there for everyone.
Cagayan de Oro is a big, bustling city on the North coast of Mindanao, with good transport links to other parts of the Philiipines by air and sea.
White water rafting down the Cagayan river is becoming quite popular.
One of the nicest places to stay in the area is Lauremar Beach Resort Hotel in the village of Opol, about 7km out of town by a beautiful white sand beach.
The hotel rooms are all comfortable, air-conditioned and clean. Service is excellent and the hotel restaurant is good, although the food maybe lacks any real "wow" factor.
At Php 2,300 per night it's maybe not the cheapest, but really a bargain. There is a beautiful swimming pool - open to non-residents for a Php100 fee - and the beach is great.
Opol is about 7km out of town. A taxi from Cagayan centre costs about Php 100.
Malapascua is small island just north of Cebu. Good diving, amazing beautiful beach - much better than the world-famous, but now too spoiled, Boracay beach.
Getting there is really quite hard work. Small native pump-boats run from the end of the road, Cebu-City bus terminal, at a very small place called Maya. Many taxi drivers will be willing to take you there, direct from Cebu City, but it's so little known, that not many of the local taxi drivers really know the right way to go! The bus takes 4+ hours from Cebu City.
When you finally reach Maya, there's no pier, so expect to get your feet wet! Last pump boat leaves at 5pm. Later than that - you must pay lots for a special boat trip.(PhP1500+ or negotiate with the captain!)
Dano Beach resort is at the far end of the white beach. Bungalows cost Php 1,200 - which is not a lot UK£12 / US$25 but service was appaling. I requested a chair to sit on, on the verandah, and was bluntly told none were available. Simple plastic chairs can easily be purchased locally for less than Php200. I tore a hole in my new shorts sitting on a homemade table of nailed bamboo strips as there was nothing else to sit down on.
In the morning the resort's water pump stopped and wasn't fixed, so no way to wash; the beach resort owners just shrugged and said to wash in the sea.
A few bigger resort places on Malapasqua have better facilities at maybe double the nightly price. Try Blue Water or Cocobana if you want to stay here. Ging-gings is a good place to eat. Greedy local owners have been overbuilding on the beach (which is public, govement-owned property) and a lot of illegal constructions have been marked with big painted red Xs to signal their demolition, if less than 30 metres from the high-tide line.
Will this really go ahead, or will the often lazy and corrupt Philippine bureauracy allow one of the world's finest beaches to be destroyed by greed and over-development?
An excellent hotel for overnight stays; very good value.
I booked on the internet; I was surprised to get an automatic extra 5% discount off their already low price of €36.
We arrived well after midnight, via the Eurotunnel, but their reception was still open, as was the bar.
Our room was clean and fresh; bed a bit firm, but that's what I like anyway. There was an extra bunk bed sideways over our double bed, perfect for our 7-year-old boy, who loved it.
The self-service buffet breakfast was really great value for only €5 extra each (children seemed to be free), with a big choice of fruits, breads, toast, cereals yoghurt etc - much better than most French breakfast offerings.
2 Quai du Danube, Calais, Pas-de-Calais, 62100
A good, simple hotel, facing a sandy beach, located on the other side of Lantau's steep mountain.
All the other hotels near the airport are more than double this price (double room with bathroom about £35/night), so even with a taxi each way (HK$130 - £10) it's still better to stay at Silvermines.
If you have time, there's also the A35 bus from HK's impressive, gigantic, iconic airport. The bus gets there in the end, but a very slow and infrequent service.
Book on the internet (Expedia etc) for the best prices; book in directly at the hotel and you could pay 50% more! Make sure your internet booking includes their big buffet breakfast, which is really well worth having!
Great eating places all around the ferry terminal; foods are all traditional Cantonese style, fast vanishing elsewhere in the booming city. You will eat very well here for HK$30 or less per person. Steamed basket dim sum less than HK$10!
Remember that you have to walk a short distance along a pedestrians-only roadway to get there, so not good if you have a tonne of luggage. So travel light.
The very best thing is you can get into HK Central by direct ferry, in 30 minutes, a most memorable experience for a bargain HK$12.
Like New York, Venice Italy, and just a very few other cities in the world, HK should be first approached by water, in order to get the true flavour and best experience into the very heart of the place.
D. D. 2 Lot 648 Silvermine Bay Mui Wo Lantau Island
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