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/18673 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18673 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18641 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18641 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18448
On the way back in you get a great view of the whole of Cassis harbour - don't forget your camera.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18448 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18372
The Fantasia Houseboat is very well heated always, and Nageem lake is much more quiet and restful than Dal lake. Excursions take you to the centre and to the other lake and the city is worth visiting. Very near (60 Kms or so) you have Gulmarg and Panhalgar covered with snow, streams of water on the valleys, ponies drinking from them. One may also enjoy a trip on the lakes in a Shikara (row boat) comfortably installed (with some blankets when I was there).

The homemade food is very acceptable because one does not go there counting on a Michelin star restaurant. And if you are lucky enough to have Rahim himself as guide it is a complete experience: helpful and gentle, discreet, not imposing his knowledge, allowing nice, interesting conversations, with good manners and humour. And he's a very good driver, very careful also, which is a tremendous advantage in India.

Rahim will also collect you from the airport.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18372 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18304
The high-priced resorts dotted along the beaches are best avoided, especially in summer. To see the real Tofino go there in May (shoulder season) and stay in the town. The Tofino Motel offers great views at around $85 (£40) a night per room. If you like seafood Shelter and Schooner restaurants are a must, but for something more funky try Raincoast.

There are three impressive beaches nearby. Tonquin is but a short walk from the town and is good for a post-prandial stroll. Chesterman beach is a short drive away and is full of spirits and driftwood and as the site of First Nations resistance has great historical resonance. Long Beach is, well, just long. The caveats to all this are that because this is the raincoast it rains a lot. However, much natural beauty comes from this rain.

The First Nations people run several businesses in town offering whale watching, bear watching (you park near a beach and watch the bears forage for food) as well as trips to hot springs. The botanical garden are like nothing else, blending sculpture and nature. Getting to Tofino is easy. You can fly from downtown Vancouver from around $250 (£120) return by sea-plane, but the best way to travel is to take the Harbour Lynx from downtown Vancouver and then the Tofino bus across the island. Even though this journey takes around six hours, don't fall asleep. Remember you're going to paradise.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18304 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17747 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17747 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17549 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17549 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17474
I went on the four-day Lamu sailing safari last September and would truly say it was one of my best ever holidays. Captain Shallo and the crew really make sure you have a great time - swimming in clear, warm, blue water, walking along the most powdery of white sands, visiting tiny villages along the north-eastern coast and eating great super-fresh food.

It's not a luxury comfort holiday, but a bit of an adventure combined with a lot of pleasure.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17474 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17386
As a first-time snorkeller, I swam from pristine sandy beaches and from the dive platform of the Coral Princess into another world so beautiful it takes your breath away – especially when your snorkel’s on the wrong way round and you swallow half the Coral Sea! Unforgettable.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17386 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17384
Every now and again the surface was broken by a flying fish skittering across the waves.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17384 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16764
The best way to explore it is by boat and there are several firms which offer such trips. Starting at an extraordinary site reminiscent of a water-crossing in a Clint Eastwood western (it is actually used for filming westerns!), I traveled through a dramatic gorge which opened out on to a sparkling blue lake in the midst of which was a solitary island containing a Fransican monastery. Apparently, all the aspiring monks have to survive here for 12 months before being accepted for further training.

After a 45 minute break and a visit to the monastery museum, our day cruise continued down to the breathtaking waterfalls of Skradinski Buk, where we spent two glorious hours wandering over specially built wooden walkways above the countless streams rushing down to merge in a lake some 40 metres below. An unforgettable day.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16764 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16347
You'll be speechless as you enter the glorious Boston Harbour - watching the fantastic skyscrapers get bigger and bigger on the horizon! It's a must!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16347 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16264 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16264 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16022 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16022 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15988 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15988 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15888 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15888 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15263
For a more remote trip go to Doubtful Sound via the power station but make sure you have plently of bug spray, the sandflies can be terrible.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15263 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15130 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15130 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14564
Take a two-three day tour from Ho Chi Minh City, drive along the rivers by boat and see how the locals live in the countryside.

The tours include visits to local food producers and a memorable early morning boat ride to the famous floating market.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14564 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14298 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14298