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My husband and I had the pleasure of staying at La Barde B&B in May 2007. It was our first visit to France (from Canada) and we really didn't know what to expect.
The B&B was perfect in every way from our beautiful room with an amazing view of the local chateau, to the fabulous French breakfasts with more choices than any of our other accommodations provided, to the very friendly and helpful owner, Steve.
Our only wish was that we had known in advance how much we would love the area, as we would have planned a longer stay.
Bronwen and Steve HOUGHTON,
Montfort
24200 VITRAC
Phone : (0033) 5 53 28 24 34
mail : steve.houghton@wanadoo.fr
Arcos is a small and picturesque white town in the western part of Andalucia. There are a few hotels in the town, but the best place to stay is Casa Blues, which is situated right on the edge of the old town. The three guest rooms look out onto an uninterrupted view of mountains and lakes, and the hosts are very knowledgeable and hospitable, and bi-lingual (Romanian also spoken, so that makes three). It's also cheap, and the music is great!
I would like to mention a great holiday we had just outside Chatel in March 2007.
We stayed at Chalet Rustique. It snowed all week and we had the best skiing ever. Plus the food was out of this world and the great hosts made us feel right at home. We booked again straight away.
If you have already explored the beaches and Moorish antiquities of Andalucia, why not go inland and rural.
In the west of Andalucia in the province of Huelva is the area of the Minas de Rio Tinto - lunar geography, deserted old railway-line walks, dolmens and Roman remains: great walking territory.
We would particularly recommend the walks along the Rio Tinto and Rio Odiel, full of archaeological interest and natural beauty.
Best of all stay in a village such as Zalamea La Real, friendly, pretty and hardly a tourist in sight. For three years we have stayed in a Casa Rural, el Cortijo Zalamea, in fact the fully modernised barns of an old farm with orange groves. It is run by Marta and Mario who speak good English and are very helpful.
Furthermore, National Parks (Las Marismas in the South and Aracena in the North) are within easy driving distance. Buy a locally cured Jamon at El Villar before returning home.
El Cortijo Zalamea
Zalamea La Real 21640
Huelva
e-mail lopesigual@erasmas.net www.cortijozalamea.com
We stayed in one of Edinburgh City Apartment's self-catering flats. The one we stayed in at Jeffrey Street has an amazing roof terrace with fantastic views of the city, and the other apartments are also in great locations.
We loved having our own space and living like the locals - much better (and cheaper!) than a hotel. The owners were really helpful and made us feel very welcome.
I stayed in one of the apartments of this company and found it to be pretty good value. The apartment was inexpensive and on an attractive street in the city centre.
Overall my experience with them was throughly enjoyable and I had a good laugh with the staff at their office when I went to pay, who were friendly and courteous.
The boss of the company is an English guy who I think is doing a good job of trying to establish Western standards and good value for money. Highly recommended
www.krakow-apartments.biz
0048 12 633 2647
After an energy-sapping morning soaking up the rays on Valdevaqueros beach - one of the best along the Costa de la Luz - try lunching at the minute hotel perched on the dunes behind a surf school and shop. Enjoy the typically Tarifan hippy-chic vibe, sitting at oversized wooden tables under generous shady bamboo cover and their delicious array of hearty, green salads and fresh fruit juices make a welcome break after a night of tapas indulgence.
The hotel (4 stars), located in Bologna city centre, is the wonderful result of
an accurate restoration just completed.
Every room is fully decorated with original "a fresco" decorations in liberty style. It offers congress room, fitness, restaurant. I enjoyed it a lot!
Via Indipendenza 69
40121 Bologna - italy
phone 0515880199
www.iporticihotel.com
Great views from the hotel, ask beforehand, and a quiet but excellent museum of art with some stunning paintings. Dine in the sqare, view the fountain and leave. A pleasant stay, half day tour and move on. Take a taxi from the railway station. Do not walk or you will regret the decision.
This B&B is charmimg and on the web (phone as they speak English) but out of town where it is quieter. The breakfast is excellent and drinks during the day are very cheap. The rooms are remarkably good and there is a small pool. A great relaxation venue.
You could walk up the hill (an hour is fair and it is pleasant in the evening) but take a taxi down. Dine, sightsee and come back down for a quiet sleep. There are no taxis around for some reason so do not get stranded in town at night.
The restaurants are OK but not that impressive if you eat a great deal in Italy. This is a very pleasant but tourist saturated town made famous by a novel and romanticism. There is no fountain, OK!
www.ilsoledelsodo.com/index_eng.htm
Ring from the train as they will book a taxi (10 Euros). You cannot walk from the station to Cortona or the B&B.
This is the first pub to open its doors in Chiang Mai and was voted one of the best bars in the world. It is an olde worlde English pub in the true tradition. Has a great selection of food and drinks including roast dinners on Sundays.
It recently had a makeover and extended the bar and the restaurant but has kept its old charm. There is also an outside area where you can sit and enjoy the tranquility of a tropical garden. And now has new bungalows added for those wishing to linger a while. A must to visit when in Chiang Mai.
There's very little in this life for free and this has got to be one of the best of them. A breathtaking walk taking in some of the city's most amazing beaches.
Bring your walking shoes though, it's a good 90 minute walk along the coast so stilettos are not advisable!
Oh, and for accommodation for when you're in Sydney, look no further than www.hostelworld.com. I use it all the time and love it.
Enjoy Sydney.
If you are heading to London and want to save some of your precious pennies for something other than accommodation, I recommmend checking out www.hostellondon.com.
It's got heaps of cheap accommodation and all of it is reviewed by former customers meaning you won't end up in a total kip!
All you need to know about this beautiful town, the surrounding district and find somewhere to stay.
We have just come back from a self catering holiday in the Deux Sevres department of France at a gite complex called Les Cygnes.
Although the weather was variable there was huge amounts to see and do both outside Les Cygnes and inside. It has beautiful pool and games room.
One of the best things though was that the owners had really thought about what makes a good family holiday.
They also helped us offset our carbon footprint by planting a tree on their land to help use up the CO2 used in our travel and stay there. A really good idea.
www.lescygnes.net
Le Breuil Coiffaud
Deus Sevres
France
near Poitiers
My friend and I recently visited the 4 star Hotel Lungomare, Cesenatico to take part in the Nove Colli Annual cycling event which takes place in May each year. Opting for the shorter 130km route (as opposed to the gruelling 200km route!) we decided not to take our own bikes as we had already experienced the loss of one through an airline several years ago, the hotel immediately put us in touch with their professional hire company, Neri, in Cesena who supplied us with bikes that rivalled those of our own. The hotel provides a great package for all its cyclists - a secure workshop with all the equipment you need for minor repairs/calibrations as well as offering a very impressive pre-event hot meal (at 4am!) and a very friendly welcome back after our long long day with a post event buffet all freshly prepared. The hotel is right on the beach with a huge pool and great spa/health facilities - everything was done in true Italian style and always with a smile! We have already booked to go back in September to explore the area more - some great hill climbs and some wonderful nature reserves to visit and we also plan to watch the Giro Della Romagna professional event which takes place on 9th September. Cesenatico is the home town of the late great Marco Pantani so cycling is taken pretty seriously here!
It is also a great hotel for families - plenty going on in town all the time, kids club, shops and bars just a stone's throw from the hotel - one not to be missed!
www.hlungomare.com
+39 0547 680666
Lungomare Carducci 299, Villamarina di Cesenatico 47042 (FC)
Google map: bit.ly/oMwUaK
If you are planning trip to Prague or Czech republic I believe that Athos Travel could really help you. Their website with many usefull information (guide, map) also offer online booking for hotels, apartments, transfers or tours. The best of all is their really personal attitude to clients. They are able to help with almost any request, suggest the best place to stay or to eat. I suggest to go through their Special offers section, where you could find really good deals.
Stay in your own little white-washed house, nestling in the Alpujarras. The owners cultivate organic vines, olives, figs and almonds, some of which end up on the table at dinner. With a swimming pool, library and bodega, this is the perfect get-away.
www.alqueriamorayma.com
CÁDIAR - GRANADA - ALPUJARRA - ANDALUCÍA
Tlf. 958 34 32 21 - 958 34 33 03
Stumbled across this charming newly refurbished 19th century B&B right in the middle of Glastonbury, halfway between the town centre and the Tor - flagstone and polished wood floors, with possibly the world's smallest shoe museum!
Tasteful furnishings and comfortable beds with a generous continental breakfast from chirpy host, highly recommended. Prices from about £30-40 per person.
37 Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury. Call: 01458 832390 E:mail - 37chilk@o2.co.uk
Traditional hotel in Edinburgh overlooking the castle. 71 bedrooms, free parking, and Internet access provided.
69 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh EH10 4HH
Tel : 0131 229 1393
www.thebruntsfield.co.uk
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