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/19709 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19709 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19269 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19269 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19013 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19013 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18671 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18671 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18135
Yes, the decor a is a little OTT including the large basket of faux fruit, (check the web link) but it made for an amusing start to the holiday.

We only stayed for two days (late Feb 2008) so didn't spend much time in or around the hostel but the location was perfectly within walking distance of the Cathedral (2mins), the Albaicin quarter (3/4mins) and the Alhambra (10/15mins to the ticket office); however, if your holiday party includes people not as fit as most then something a little closer to or in the Albaicin might be better as the city is sited on a gradiant with the hostel at the bottom.

Some of the rooms (and the one we stayed in) are situated in a building two doors from the main hostel with the reception.
We had the apartment, but looking back this was perhaps a waste of 20 euros per night as the only things (I imagine) we gained was a flight of stairs to reach our room on the top floor, a tiny 'kitchen' food prep area and tiny terrace with no view.
The kitchen wasn't much use due to the lack of pans (for the two-plate hob) or kettle so no night-time cocoa or early morning tea. Only coffee drinkers were catered for with a stove top coffee pot, but all they provided was clean etc.

Everything in the apartment was clean, tidy and hygenic however the notice in the bathroom reading 'Please do not flush towels, use the bin provided'; with a rather dubious looking open-topped wastepaper bin beside the toilet was a little offputting...

Overall, I'd recommend a stay because the owners are so nice and friendly, making no fuss over the fact we were a gay male couple... but perhaps not in the apartment as it wasn't much use in the end. Save those additional euros for some tapas or drinks in the bustling bar on the plaza instead or the fantastic veggie restaurant Botanico on C/Malaga round the corner.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18135 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17584 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17584 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17440 out gaytourguidecuba.com.

It's a gay tour guide service for gay travelers in Cuba! Nice college kids,
openly gay and they seem to feel that the government isn't against gays.

Meeting these people was the highlight of our trip. They really opened our eyes to a Cuba we could never have discovered on our own.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17440 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17023
But the cuisine is just the first chapter of the house, the other side of the thing is a great night! The cool and trendy DJs spin the latest e-music hits, while a crowd of young and beautiful people makes things even more interesting. Should you come down to Rio, give it a try. Zero Zero is located in Gávea, near the Planetarium.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17023 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14700
Two huge dance floors heave with glistening muscles whilst the two darkened floors upstairs heave with an altogether raunchier activity.

This is definitely not what I had expected from Brussels. The club is only a short walk from the Eurostar terminus or a short taxi ride to the four and five-star hotels which offer excellent value.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14700 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13863
In fact, Canal Pride is a three-day festival to rival The Netherlands' other big weekends during Karnaval in February and Queensday in April - but with more chance of good weather.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13863 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13826
It is a big advantage to know some Russian. Outside of Moscow we met nobody who spoke English. I found Moscow very stressful and expensive. It was the least pleasant city we visited. Our next stop was Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. I highly recommend Kazan. It's an old, beautiful and exotic city with a mix of Tatars and Russes living there. The atmosphere was far more relaxed than in Moscow.

Kazan offers great mosques, and is the Muslim centre of Russia. It's a great place to relax and stroll about. This city has some stunning sights, including the UNESCO listed Kreml.

Our next stop was Ekaterinburg. We were told that it was situated in the Ural mountains, but we never saw a glimpse of them. Nevertheless; Ekaterinburg is a very pleasant and chilled city. It has a very western feeling to it. It's easy to find western food, as there's plenty of Irish pubs there. I recommend going to the Altay building. There you can take a lift and see the city from the rooftop. It's quite stunning. There's plenty of theatres all around the city, and even though you don't understand Russian, don't miss the opportunity to catch local theatre-troops.

A great place (although hard to find) to stay is the guesthouse called Academy of Geology. It's peaceful and has beautiful rooms.

From Ekaterinburg we went south to Ufa. Ufa is the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Ufa was quite hard to get around, but it is still worth a visit. You can visit one of Lenin's homes and spot some unique architecture. The atmosphere in Ufa is, like in Kazan, very different from the Russian cities. I highly recommend the Azimut hotel (Bus stop Gore Moskva). It's a business hotel with great standards and a friendly staff.

On to Volgograd. Volgograd is probably one of the most beautiful cities I've been to. Situated on the banks of the Volga river with an almost tropical climate, it almost feels like you're in Greece. This is a city of history. The name Stalingrad might ring a bell. The most stunning thing to see in Volgograd is the huge Mother Russia statue. It's the highest statue in the world (72 m). It's an unbelievable sight when you compare it to a church that stands beside it. It looks more like a doll's church.

I also recommend the Stalingrad Battle museum, and the Volga river cruises. There are plenty of offers. Volgograd was really easy to get around in. The city centre is quite small, and it's easy to navigate because of the river. The Volgograd Hotel is cheap and amazing.

We had a wonderful time in Russia. My girlfriend knows some Russian and that came in extremely handy. We got quite used to people looking at us, but we never felt threatened or harassed. The most common comment we got from other women was that we were brave to travel by ourselves.

One thing that is difficult however, is buying train tickets. You will need to write down the information for the train you are going on, how many tickets you need, and what kind of cupee you want. And prepare for long lines. It might take hours to get your tickets. We always went in a 4-people compartment. It was a great way to travel. We shared compartments with so many different people, and it was a great way to get to know Russians. It's important to bring some food or beverage to share.

Girls; go to Russia. It is a fascinating place....]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13826 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13135
The tea room is like stepping inside a memorabilia shop, like someone's front room, with an eclectic mixture of decor dedicated to the Royals, with Union Jacks ablaze, a grand piano and pictures of Diana adorning the walls.

The house rules are hilarious (not to be taken too seriously) ie no dunking of biscuits, no clanking of spoons when stirring your tea etc!

The menu is humorous, with items such as "The Duchies Cream Tea, Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth High Tea, The Lady Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales Afternoon Tea" and the unforgetable "The Julie Goodyear High Tea" (aka Corrie's Bet Lynch!) [you get the idea!)

It kind of epitomises Brighton's eclectic campness. Well worth a visit for a fun cream tea.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13135 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13028
Staff delightful, very friendly and helpful. After your meal the bar is a fun relaxed place to continue an evening.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13028 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12552 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12552 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11937 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11937 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11800 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11800 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11794
Go for as long as you can and make the most of the art exhibitions, theatre, film, cabaret, club nights, fair day. Make sure that you arrive early for the parade as estimates put the crowd at between 350,000 and 500,000!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11794 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11752
This is a little historic bar that's great for people watching and enjoying an ice cold beer. No need to dress up. Just turn up in your trunks like the local boys do!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11752 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10751
Within the complex there are other gay bars and clubs. Gemini's (open from 10pm to 4am), Cellar Bar (open from 8pm to 2am), Chaplin's (open from 11pm to 8am and gets busy from 4am), Gay-Sha (weekends from midnight to 6am) and of course Punto Zero (open from 10pm to 6am).

Punto is a lively club which is tastefully decorated and plays great music. They also have a drag show from time to time. The staff are friendly and whilst the crowd on the gay scene is mainly Spanish there are a lot of other nationalities there too.

Earlier in the evening (9pm-ish) there is Playafloor, the entrance is directly opposite Veronica's strip (on the same side of the road as Burger King).

The scene in Tenerife is growing and well worth a visit. Be warned though it does not get busy till after 11pm.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10751 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10737
The friendly young baristas turn out top quality espresso, cappucino and cafe latte, and the small kitchen does tasty sandwiches and cakes. They have laid back music (the Beatles featured when I was there last), artists doing film installations and a good selection of newspapers (Haaretz English language version of course). This place is a must for anyone who appreciates a non-chain, slightly left, cafe.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10737