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Cabramatta is the centre of the Asian community in Western Sydney, most notably the Vietnamese. Here you can find the most eclectic array of asian food, from Vietnamese through to Laosian. The cost of eating here is amazingly cheap for the quality of food, too.
Up until recently the area was given a lot of bad press, but people have become to realise that the food and shopping (fabrics, ethnic supermarkets, electrical goods) make Cabramatta a different Sydney experience.
Cityrail to Cabramatta – about 30 minutes.
Probably one of the largest expanses of gadget heaven on planet Earth. Think of anything electronic and you'll find it here. The current sterling/yen exchange rate also means that you'll pay around 15-20% less here (maybe a bit more if you bring your passport with you to get a further 5% off as a tax-free purchase).
On the Yamanote line (and others) two stops north of JR Tokyo station. For a preview of one of the biggest stores go to www.yodobashi.com (Japanese language only unfortunately).
Perfect al fresco budget seafood. Try the fried squid, the black cuttlefish risotto or 'little fish' on one of Dubrovnik's best squares. The only trick is beating the cut-throat scramble for tables. An orderly queue is a northern European concept.
Gundulićeva poljana 8, next to the cathedral;
tel: (+385 20) 32 36 82
This charming hotel is situated on a quiet street in the heart of Montmatre. There is a parrot in the lobby that can speak in five languages and if that's not a good reason to stay here then I don't know what is. Inexpensive, charming, centrally located.
Address: 5 Rue Tholoze 75018.
10 min. walk from Abbesse or Blance metro stations;
www.hotel-des-arts.net (Flash plug-in required for this site)
A great (possibly the best) falafel restaurant in Paris - the owner's lovely the food's great and it's not expensive. Closed on Jewish Sabbath and Holidays.
34, rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris
Tel 01 48 87 63 60
Metro Saint-Paul
A great place to have a ocean feast. Loads of different stalls selling a vast aray of seafoos from Tuna Sashimi to fries fish and chip to live oysters. As fresh as it gets. Choose a selection and sit outside by the bay with the gulls and pelicans. Great food great place to eat. Very cheap too.
Le "Lèche-vin" (=lick wine) is a bizarre and noisy bar, near rue de la Roquette, Bastille. The place is frequented by locals, including La Sorbonne rugby players because of its cheap pints of lager (4.10 euros) and the friendly atmosphere. But what makes it interesting is his "décor". Thousands of crucifixes, yellowed pictures of former popes, religious paintings are stuck absolutely everywhere in the bar... except in their gloomy Turkish toilets where every single space is filled with porn pictures. An hilarious experience!
Tel. 01-43-55-98-91, at 15 rue Daval 75011, near Métro Bastille.
The district of Nalewki was home to Warsaw's large Jewish community before World War II. In 1940 the Nazi occupying forces turned this district into the Jewish Ghetto.
The inhabitants - hundreds and thousands of Jews from Warsaw and surrounding areas - were forced to live in appalling, over-crowded conditions. Over 100,000 died from starvation and disease and a further 300,000 were deported to extermination camps.
In early 1943 members of the Jewish Fighters Organisation and the ghetto rose up against the Nazi occupiers, planned less as a bid for physical freedom than to show that acts of independence, defiance and will are a freedom in themselves. The Ghetto Uprising was violently suppressed and the whole of the ghetto demolished.
Today at the centre of the former ghetto is the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, erected in 1948 as a tribute to those who fought and died in the ghetto. It is a very moving piece of sculpture and a sombre starting point to the Path of Remembrances – a walk through the former ghetto marked by 16 granite blocks commemorating those who lived and died in the ghetto and the extermination camps. Along the walk is the Bunker Monument marking the spot from were the rebellion was co-ordinator and the walk ends at the very moving Umschlagplatz Monument, at the site of the railway siding from where so many Jews were transported to their deaths.
The monuments are simple and very effecting, not only by reminding you of the suffering that occurred during that time but also of the spirit which allowed people to demonstrate their freedom even in the face of death.
Zamenhofa ( Monument to the Ghetto Heroes)
The Path of Remembrance runs from the Monument to Ghetto Heros on Zamenhofa to the Umschlagplatz Monument on Stawki.
the Bunker Monument is on Dzielna
There are many different tour operators offering coach journeys to visit one, more or all of the major geographical tourist attractions reached within a day's drive of Reykjavik - Gulfoss Falls, Geyser, the unpronounceable place where the European and American tectonic plates meet and so on.
Instead, hire a car from one of many agencies in the city, which will be promptly delivered to your hotel, and make your own tour instead. It's cheaper, and much more exciting, particularly if you head off early in the morning. Ten minutes from the city centre and it's hard to see any evidence of human life at all save the road, and you can appreciate the majesty of the landscape that much more.
Átak Car Rental
Smidjuvegur 1
IS-200 Kopavogur
Iceland;
tel: 354 554 6040;
fax: 354 554 6081
*CLOSED FOR REFURBISHMENT UNTIL 2009*
Above the colonnaded arcades of the ground floor of the Sukiennice is a branch of the National Museum housing 19th and early 20th Century paintings by Polish artists.
Historical and romantic subjects are housed alongside symbolist paintings. Huge canvases such as 'Nero's Torches' by Henryk Siemiradzki and 'Four-in-Hand' - a wonderful study of power and speed - by Jozef Chelmonski dominate and impress with their artistry and scope.
The gallery is not large so it doesn't take long to look around, however, the quality of the art displayed creates an interesting and evocative exhibition.
Well worth a visit, a small gallery that will linger long in the memory.
Sukiennice, Rynek Glowny 1/3
The entrance is on the outside of the Sukiennice, opposite EMPiK.
Opening Hours: Tue & Thurs 11am-6pm
Wed & Fri 9am-3.30pm
Sat & Sun 10.00am-3.30pm
Closed Monday and every 3rd sunday
A street lined with cheap eats. One place worth mentioning is the open shop with bowls of curry and random stir-frys on show and a few tables set out in front. Everything is cheap, and everything is good. Try the potato and chicken curry at 30 - 50 baht a plate.
Thanon Rambutri just behind Khao San, up past the police station.
Carlton Arms Hotel is $94 for a double with themed, wacky and arty decor in rooms and corridors. Basic and friendly, it's like staying in a community arts centre. Central with sights and restaurants in walking distance.
160 East 25th Street, corner of 3rd Avenue. 212 679 0680. artbreakhotel@aol.com
One of the very few choices for budget foreign travellers, the Captain's hostel enjoys a prime location on the Bund and sports a pretty decent roof restaurant to boot. It's 20RMB for a bunk; best to book. Though it's possible to get 'Chinese' dorm rooms elsewhere it's not recommended.
37 Fuzhou Lu, nearest Metro Henan Zhong Lu (Line 2) Tel: +86 21 63235053 www.captainhostel.com.cn
You get a virtually free trip past Central Park and up the East side riverside park. Get off at Grants Tomb then walk West for a good selection of restaurants. Back on the subway or on to the Cloisters.
Central Park South is a good place to board.
I really recommend hiring bicycles to get the most out of an hour in Central Park. Hire from the Loeb Boathouse is $9 for an hour on a "cruiser" which is a bike without gears (or actually brakes, but don't let that put you off!). You will also need to leave something like a passport or a driver's licence as a deposit. There's a good path around the outside of the Park, which is about 8 miles (apparently). There is one awful hill at around 103rd street, but once you're over that (I pushed my bike up), you're away. It's a great way to see all the sights of the park, without taking up an entire day - the full circuit took us about an hour. Finish off with a frozen lemonade from one of the stands by the Bethesda Fountain -you'll deserve it!
Loeb Boathouse, Central Park (roughly in the middle of the Park, at about 72nd Street)
Shared rides are a great way of avoiding public transport when you have baggage, and are relatively inexpensive (US $ 15-19 one way) when compared to taxis. There will usually be a wait of between 15-30 minutes and the ride time into the city is influenced by how many people are sharing the ride. The transport is provided by a six-seater van with space in the back for luggage. Payment up front (before departure) in cash is required, and tipping is optional, though encouraged. You will be dropped at the exact address specified, be it a hotel or residence.
Ask at the transport desk (located in the luggage retrieval area at Newark & Laguardia, not certain about JFK) or book on-line through www.supershuttle.com/.
A combined hostel/hotel, the Gershwin is a good option for budget accommodation right in the heart of the Flatiron district. Handy for lots of attractions - a short walk to the Empire State Building. It's also very trendy and attracts a fun bunch of international travellers.
An old, old tip, this. Slap bang in the centre of the city, you'll probably have passed by this huge department store on a number of occasions if you've been to Paris. If you fancy a good cheap meal with an excellent view then grab a plate in the restaurant on one of the upper floors. Admittedly the decor is somewhat drab, and you're unlikely to bump into any of Paris's chic set (most of the clientelle look like octogenarians) but if you get a table by the window then none of that matters. This is also a good spot for using the toilet if you get caught short.
BHV, 52/64 Rue de Rivoli, near Hotel de Ville metro.
The Cafe at the NSW supreme court is open to the public and does gorgeous food. It's cheap and offers excellent views of the city from it's high level (can't remember which floor). Only available for lunch!
It is on the corner of Macquarie Street and Queen's Square opposite the Mint. Near St. James station.
Friendly, laid-back hostel chain Home now has three excellent branches in Valencia. The vast Backpackers, at Calle Santa Cristina s/n, has dorm rooms from around €13 per person per night or doubles for around €16 per person. The original and more cosy hostel at Calle La Lonja, 4, is similarly priced. The newly refurbished Home Deluxe at Calle Cadires, 11, offers themed double rooms for around €40 a night.
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