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If you need to travel between the West End and Canary Wharf then using the Thames Clipper boat is a great way to travel and do some sightseeing en route. Regular services run from Embankment and Waterloo among others to Docklands and Canary Wharf.
There are several boats a week that travel along the Rio Paraguay, a long and sultry river which begins in the Pantanal of Brasil and ends at the border with Argentina in the south.
The passenger boat called the Aquidaban seems best avoided because of the crowds but the weekly journey of the Guarani, a freighter is a real treat. I say treat as it is far from comfortable or reliable but if you want an authentic, no frills view of life on the river then this is it.
The majority of the boat is taken up with all kinds of goods for the small towns and villages along the river. Food, furniture, oil, motorcycles and a huge load of gravel we collected en-route were part of the cargo. For a negotiated price of about $20 we secured a rough dark cabin above the engine.
There are no real comforts but food can be taken with the crew and the few locals who take the boat between villages. Sitting up on the tin roof watching the river go by and observing the comings and goings as the boat gets caught on sandbanks, loads and unloads and the crew get on with the tasks of running the boat. Fishing off the back of the boat in their spare time to have the old lady cook up the catch in the evening.
The passage takes roughly 2 to 3 days depending on all of the above. It is a working freighter so as such the passengers are the last concern of the crew but having said that we never felt unwelcome or in the way.
Small towns such as Puerto Pinasco and Puerto Vallemi slowly pass by. There is a huge chest freezer with beers in to help pass the time and a really ancient looking giant tv showing a constant stream of football and Paraguayan soap operas by the kitchen area at the back of the boat. The toilet and the shower are one in the same being just a hole in the floor to stand over and a shower head directly above it. All very basic and in no way designed for tourists expecting comfort or service. Brilliant. Take a good book and let the river slowly pass by.
The weather went from sweltering airless heat to heavy rain and strong wind so be warned. The end of our ride came after three days at Isla Margerita which is at the border with Brazil, we arrived at midnight and with Brasil on the far bank of the river we quickly found some cheap lodging right next to where we had disembarked. The owner of the room also happened to own a boat so for a small fee took us across the river the next day. We had arrived in Brazil.
None of the towns have a real port or dock so the boat just ties up on the riverbank. Concepcion is a major town by Paraguayan standards and can easily be reached by bus from Asunción. Find the river and the Guarani leaves sometime on a Tuesday. Speak with the captain to negotiate your passage. Timings and days vary so prepare to be very patient.
Children love the idea of going in a tunnel under the Mersey and crossing over on a boat. Park at Hamilton Square in Birkenhead, get the ferry to Liverpool (superb, heartbreakingly lovely view) and, after a stroll, picnic and visit to the Albert Dock, get the train back from James Street station. Steep escalators, lifts and friendly station staff. Cheap and good fun.
Hamilton Square is signposted from central Birkenhead and is itself an interesting area. The ferry is a five-minute stroll downhill from the station. Ask if you're not sure.
Hundreds of small boats overflowing with fresh fruit and veg bobbing and weaving in the murky Mekong waters, outboard motors revving or old women under conical hats standing paddling for customers. Bigger boats with the whole family living on the stern, children playing, washing drying, cooking a meal. Boats of pineapples, cabbages, potatoes, melons. An energetic market and a community gathering. Usefully the boats advertise their wares by tying a few veg to a tall bamboo mast.
Cai Rang, on the Mekong River near Can tho, a couple of hours from Saigon
A Thai restaurant down the bottom of the Isle of Dogs. I wouldn't come out here for the sake of the restaurant, but if you are out in Greenwich and fancy a riverside cocktail, then it is a short stroll from the foot tunnel or Island Gardens DLR.
Food is good, though not super-cheap (about £9 for a curry and about £2 for rice). Service is friendly.
But really it is all about the location on the river.
www.elephantroyale.com/
Locke's Wharf, Westferry Road
E14 3AN
Tel: 020 7987 7999
If you want to see some of the surrounding countryside and villages, then a leisurely boat trip on the Volga is a good way to do it.
These run mainly during the summer and one of the most popular trips is to Tolga, taking about an hour each way.
There are also somewhat faster hydrofoil services to Kostroma, an hour and a half each way.
Trips are from the river station on Pervomayskaya Ulitsa.
Up on Exmoor, which lies a few miles inland from Lynton, is an area called Badgworthy Valley. Due to the efforts of the writer R D Blackmore however, it has become known as Doone Valley, being largely the setting for the novel Lorna Doone.
The countryside here has an extraordinary wild beauty and whether you want to do some serious walking or just linger around Malmsmead, the village at the heart of the area, you won’t fail to share in the enchantment that inspired Blackmore to write his book.
There is a memorial stone to Blackmore on one of the footpaths and if you’re going to indulge in a cream tea, then Lorna Doone Farm is the place to have it while admiring the view over the little river valley.
Take the turning to Oare from the A39 just east of County Gate. After one mile fork right at Oare and into Malmsmead.
From Lynmouth, if you have some decent walking shoes on, you can follow the river path along the deep, wooded valley up to Watersmeet. Here you will find wonderful scenery, pretty waterfalls and, after about a mile, a National Trust cafe and shop where everyone seems to converge.
From here, you can either rest and re-fuel before heading back, or continue along numerous paths that wind off further up through the forest. If it's a hot day, be sure to take a drink with you.
Take the river path that starts next to Lynmouth car park.
The old Islamic quarter, known as Darb al-Ahmar, is great for a stroll through markets and stalls that feel like they haven't changed in five hundred years. Restoration work has been carried out on a series of mosques in this area which are architecturally stunning. I was lucky enough to be given an impromptu tour at night around one of them/ The open roof revealed the stars. The Nile Hilton, not far from the Egyptian Museum (which is a must) has a rooftop bar which is definitely worth a visit for a drink overlooking the Nile at sunset. You don't have to be a hotel guest - just get in the lift and head to the top. One drink might be enough for some as it is not cheap but definitely worth the view.
Nile Hilton, 1113 Corniche El Nil, Cairo 12344.
Tel : 00 20 2 578 0444/ or 578 0666.
www.hilton.com
From Penny Black to BQ, the bars at the top end of Boat Quay are a world class place to hang out in the early evening.
Where else can you find a place as idyllic as this, just seconds from the centre of the city's financial district? Light rippling off the water, multi-coloured converted "go-downs", old river taxis still plying the river and historical buildings on the other bank?
Yes, the restaurants further down the river really are pure tourist fodder, so you'll want to go somewhere else to eat, and Harry's Bar might be more famous for Nick Leeson than anything else, but don't let the stigma of going to an "expat hangout" divert from a genuine part of Singapore's culture.
The expats have been here since the place began, after all, and you may know someone who works nearby - an ideal excuse to drink in the atmosphere.
If this doesn't appeal, stroll up to The Fullerton, cross the bridge, and head for Indochine and its Opium Bar where you can stare back at Boat Quay from the other bank - and probably get some better food.
Boat Quay, Raffles Place MRT.
Hamburg's Alster is not just the big lake in the middle of the city - it spreads all over the city via various canals. You can rent boats, bring some wine, bread, cheese, and see the city from the water.
I found a company - Bootshaus Silwar - that hires out canoes (note that I am not affiliated with them nor know if they are the best and cheapest or anything, but it should help a bit).
Eppendorfer Landstraße 148b;
tel: 040 47 62 07;
email: info@bootshaus-silwar.com;
www.bootshaus-silwar.com
The place to be is along the river. You can't miss it. Try the beach bar on the "Rechtsrheinisch" (right side of the river).
The stadium is some way out on the left side of town.
Cologne is a cool, civilised town, enjoy it.
A great way to experience a Nile sunset or to cool off during the hottest part of the day, is to take a felucca (yacht) cruise upriver from where you will get great views of Luxor and traditional rural life on the west bank. A walk along the Corniche will invariably be accompanied by many offers of felucca trips, which should be tried at least once. Take protection against mosquitoes if going at dusk.
I highly recommend walking along the Maitai River. This river runs from the top of the Maitai Valley to the port where the river goes into the sea. The walk is most pleasant from the Trafalgar Street bridge (which is at the bottom of the main street in town) up to the start of the Maitai Valley and takes about two hours. It goes through some of the residential areas of Nelson and is a great way to see how Nelsonians live as well as being a bit of a nature ramble. The path is paved some of the way and is gravel for other parts of it. It is also used as a bike path but cyclists will generally give way to pedestrians.
Begins at the Trafalgar Street Bridge
It's a lovely tin roofed village stuck to the base of the best preserved colonial fort about a third way down the river San Juan. You can organise boat trips into the surrounding rain forest and there is an attractive (but very simple) eco-hotel in the village. Solentiname is a group of islands in the lake, near San Carlos. Fabulous painters and artisans and glorious setting.
Quieter than tuk-tuks, more breezy than using the buses, cheap as chips, better sights and smells and much more in tune with what the locals do.
There are stops all the way up and down the river, they come about every five or six minutes most days
First off, get a decent map. The bus map, available for 50 baht from Asia Books, is a good one. Next, head to the river and take a Chao Phraya river boat, either up to Nonthaburi, or down to the Skytrain station. Relaxing and cheap, with good scenery.
A trip on Bangkok's exciting and smelly Chao Phya River is essential. Go to one of the piers near the grand palace with a couple of friends and ask for a trip across the river and along the canals. Be sure to tell them you don't want stop anywhere until Wat Arun. Don't be afraid to haggle and get a trip on one of the long boats which speed up and down the river. The canals are amazing, with wonderful little riverside houses covered in flowers and waving kids diving in the dirty water. Do it late in the afternoon and you get to see beautiful Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn) at sunset.
Piers are near to the Grand Palace, look at a map.
Lovely Pontoon bar with rental pedalos next door - great place to spend an afternoon...
On the river side of the island just below the National Theatre...
A charming family run english bookstore in the heart of the latin quarter. I found it whilst in paris in late september and spent an afternoon rifling through a huge selection of new and used books. There is a wonderful message written by the former owner - the 'don quixote' of the latin quarter - on a chalkboard outside which is worth the visit alone. I cannot recommend it highly enough for any lover of literature, particularly those who are a bit tired of the ubiquitous chain-stores. A one off delight.
37, rue de la bucherie - 75005 PARIS
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