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Pinecrest offers everything a good diner should: huge breakfasts, endless coffee refills, maple syrup jugs on the tables, gum chewing attentive-but-aloof waitresses, a choice of sitting at the counter or in booths, milkshakes to die for, nutty but extremely friendly clientele, and it's 24 hour - what more could you want?! A classic american experience!
401 Geary St (at the corner of Pine Street), San Francisco, 94102
Tel: 1 415 885 6407
Unlike any other city in Australia, nay, the world Darwin is a place where tropical asian style meets the Aussie outback. Locals are down to earth and friendly and one of the best places to mingle with them is at the city's suburban weekend markets.
The Mindil Beach Sunset Markets on Thursday and Sunday nights are an experience but they are mainly skewed towards tourists. My favourite market is Parap on Saturday morning. Try the laksa, the cambodian pancakes, Anni's beef rendeng, rotis and some juice from Mmmmmm juices.
Parap Markets run from 5am to 2pm on Saturdays. Nightcliff Markets 5am to 2pm Sunday and Rapid Creek Markets 5am to 2pm.
Google map: tinyurl.com/la94kn
At the top of Rialto Towers, Melbourne's tallest building (and the tallest office building in the Southern Hemisphere), is an observation deck. The 360° view is simply amazing. You can see up to 70kms on a clear day.
525 Collins St; Walking distance from Flinders St or Spencer St station. Parking for cars underneath Rialto Towers;
www.melbournedeck.com.au
The many ferries crossing the mouth of the Tagus are very relaxing and offer both excellent views and great tanning possibilities. I tried the one from Praça do Comércio to the South bank and back and the one from Belém which is a convenient way of getting to the Caparica beach just round the corner from landing.
Along the waterfront - various places.
This fantastic cake shop is a stone's throw from the Vatican, and it has fantastic cakes and a great sweet, tea and coffee selection, plus good sandwiches.
Worth a visit and half the price of nearby restaurants etc.
55 Via Ottaviano (nr Vatican)
Several S-Bahn (a suburban rail network complementing the U-Bahn) routes run parallel throught the city centre. It's a cheap way of sightseeing and a good way of getting a feel for the city and the lie of the land.
A suggested route could be from Warschauer Strasse in the East to Zoologischer Garten in the West. This takes in some of Berlin's most famous addresses, including Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstrasse and Hackescher Markt. There are also 'panoramic' S-Bahn trips in specially adapted trains giving even better views (www.s-bahn-berlin.de).
S-Bahn routes S5, S7/S75 and S9 all run along the above route.
Siem Reap's premier restaurant. For a taste of what the colonial lifestyle might have been like before the guns started firing take a pew on the veranda in this old French villa . The menu is extensive, tasty and not that expensive, and Angelina Jolie can't be wrong about the cocktails (they even named one after her).
If you really like it, there's a guesthouse too.
No. 341, 50 m north-west of the Old Market, Svay Dangkom, Mondul I;
www.redpianocambodia.com
Chlopskie Jadlo (Peasant Food) is a chain of restaurants serving good traditional food in large portions at very low prices. Three branches in Krakow.
Pod Aniolami (Under The Angels) serves traditional and contemporary Polish food at reasonable prices, in a tasteful restored cellar. The wild boar with cranberries is excellent.
Chlopskie Jadlo: www.chlopskiejadlo.com.pl/site_en/index.html;
Pod Aniolami: 35 Grodzka St, Krakow 31-001;
tel: 12 421 39 99;
www.podaniolami.pl
Great new hotel in Chamonix with shop for kit rental, beer garden with it's own climbing wall and a cool bar and restaurant downstairs. Open year round with regular events/parties in the bar.
964 Routes Des Gaillands, on the South side of Chamonix by the lake and climbing wall. www.verthotel.com
Tel +33 0450 531 358
Skeppsholmen is a tiny island best reached by crossing Skeppsholmsbron, a bridge from the Blasieholmen district (where the Nationalmuseum is, which might be worth a visit - check what exhibitions are on). Skeppsholmen is good for a pleasant stroll, and to see the exhibits at the Moderna Museet, which is the Tate Modern of Stockholm. Skeppsholmen also is home to af Chapman, Sweden's most famous youth hostel, a huge ship that, with its masts rigged, is a famous Stockholm landmark.
An exceptionally beautiful small museum hovering above a lake in the Parc Floral Phoenix (bus 23 westbound stops almost directly outside).
There are sections covering Japan, China, India and Cambodia.
Exceptionally restful, light and airy.
Every day except Tuesday; €4.5.
405 Promenade des Anglais
Arenas, Nice
www.arts-asiatiques.com
A four day conversational spanish course for only £22.
Classes are actually held while walking around the city, learning about its culture and history.
As long as you don't have loads of bags and it's not the middle of rush hour, it's perfectly easy to get the train/tram into (and from) town. Take the LRT train from the airport to Zeytinburnu, then change to the tram that will take you all the way to Sultanahmet and beyond. You can also change at Aksaray, but I recommend Zeytinburnu (even though it will take a bit longer) because it's an easier interchange (just over a bridge) and you're getting onto the tram at the start of its journey (so you're more likely to have space to get on), plus there's an Akbil kiosk if you want to buy one of those multiple-trip gadgets. Otherwise, the trip costs 2.20 YTL for two tokens.
Airport, Zeytinburnu.
A pizzeria in the back streets of San Polo that has an enormous range, great staff and even better prices if you're trying to do Venice on a budget. Used by a mix of locals and lucky tourists, so you get a good atmosphere, but also an English language menu if your Italian isn't up to scratch but want to try one of their more interesting pizzas.
Santa Croce, 1552/a; Go out of Campo San Polo to the north-west, and follow the calle straight, over a little cross-roads, and Ae Oche wil be on your left. Not easy to find, but worth it
This is only a journey for people with time on their hands - it was supposed to take three hours but took nine. But it is a real experience. The river takes you through countless villages literally built right on it - floating pig sties and huts, children picking up groceries on tiny canoes, people fishing - it is amazing. The boat drivers’ steering can be a bit haphazard at times to say the least, and it's not the most comfortable boat, but this is a journey you won't forget in a hurry. Take sunscreen and a camera.
Athenians like to eat out and not just on grand occasions. So if you want to avoid the overpriced tourist traps in the centre then just jump on a bus heading out from the centre then get off twenty minutes or so later and look around you.
While standing in the shadow of the Parthenon, literally and figuratively, the Temple of Olympian Zeus is a magnificent structure. It is deceptively large, set as it is in large field adjacent to the ancient Agora (marketplace), but has remained much more intact than its more famous neighbour.
It is only a £1 or 50p for concessions to get in, and it is a museum but is set in an uncluttered way in that you can explore the various rooms of the keep yourself. The view from the top is more extensive that the one from the Baltic viewing platform, as you can see up the Derwent valley and out past Byker.
Near Newcastle Central Station, also next to The Bridge Hotel
You couldn't get much more central in London than this hostel off Piccadilly Circus, meaning you can cut down on transport costs. Some rooms have been refurbished recently with new pod-style dorms, individually painted by selected artists. The style is eclectic but fun. Pod bed prices start at £12.
12 Sherwood Street, London W1F 7BR,
www.piccadillybackpackers.com, 0207 434 9009. Nearest tube is Piccadilly Circus
Vegas can be an expensive place once you've gambled, shopped and seen a few shows. Save a bit of money by eating at one of the buffets. For around $12 you get all you can eat. There's a surprisingly good range of food, including plenty of friut and veg if you starting to tire of burgers and Coke.
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