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Walk into Lehnert and Landrock, a little book shop close to the Greek Club, and in the back you will find a small room filled with late 19th century, early 20th century era black-and-white pictures of scenes in Egypt and across North Africa taken by a couple Europeans of the name of the book shop. Great place for souvenirs.
Lehnert and Landrock is on the western side of Sherif Street close to the intersection with July 26 street.
Definitely check out the mosque and university of Al Azhar. Al Azhar is the oldest Islamic university of the Islamic world, and a beautiful building.
The market of Khan Khalili is great to visit, but closed certain days, so try and find out when. It's got lots of different things; be sure not to get cornered by sales people. If you wander far beyond the main strip, you'll find a local Cairene food market and its fascinating to walk through it, really lots of fun.
Good centre, with excellent range of shops, hotels and restaurants. Visit the Netherfield centre at the old K Shoe factory for shoes naturally.
Only drawback is its a nightmare place to drive, but hey so is the whole of the Lake District!
A lovely fishing village near Inverewe Gdns, also has an ATM, rare in this area! And a fish and chip shop selling locally caught fish. A good selection of shops for a small village, and incredible beach nearby. Nice youth hostel called Carn Dearg.
On the coast road.
www.syha.org.uk/SYHA/web/site/Hostels/GairlochCarnDearg.asp
We met two Australian teachers who were extremely unhappy with the service they received from one of the tailors in Hoi An. Sadly I can't give the name, but the women had been required to change in front of men, and the clothes didn't fit and were not what they had requested.
The Silk Farm and Carving Workshop are excellent places for free and informative tours of the work the Artisans d'Angkor group is doing to re-invigorate the ancient Cambodian arts.
Better yet, you can browse the air-conditioned gift shop of beautiful creations at the end.
I learn something new everytime I go!
The Silk Farm is 20km west of town in Puok District.
The Carving Workshop is within walking distance of the Old Market.
wwww.artisansdangkor.com
Hoboken is a mile square city best known, perhaps, as Frank Sinatra's birthplace. It also disputes Cooperstown, NY as being the birthplace of modern baseball. It is an eclectic, thriving community located directly on the Hudson River across from Manhattan, sporting amazing views from one of three riverfront parks.
The main street - Washington Street, hosts trendy and traditional cafes, restaurants, bars, and shops -a pleasing blend of the "old time" Italian and German Hoboken, and the gentrified new Hoboken.
Hudson Street, just two blocks from the river, is lined with elegant brownstones and mansions that once belonged to the rich and famous of NYC who sailed to Hoboken for a days' respite.
One can get Hoboken from NYC via the PATH train (subway from NYC to New Jersey), at Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, 9th, 14th, 23rd and 33rd streets.
A $2.30 bus ride (gate 205) from Port Authority Bus Terminal will take you to Washington Street, the main drag, and the 38th street and pier 11 ferries will give you a lovely ride across the Hudson River in a matter of minutes.
Visit Mandela square in Sandton City. A vibrant shopping mall with a square that sizzles in the evening from all those lovely restaurants. A good place to eat is Montego Bay. Under the watchful eye of the biggest Mandela statue - you'll enjoy a nice seafood or other dinner.
A very Singaporean shopping experience in the local markets. Have a Tiger and some noodles from the local eateries while you're there - very worhwhile.
Don't forget to visit Raffles for a Singapore Sling; I know it's very touristy but you'll regret it if you don't do it. The food is excellent as well.
Nowhere is too far to walk in Singapore because of the experience, just make sure you have plenty of bottled water with you. The new (2005) shuttle bus service around the city is fantastic, buy a "hop on-hop off" ticket; they stop near all the major sites, then you can walk some more.
A large shopping mall located in the Downtown area, parallel to Yonge Street and running from Dundas to Queen. Over 200 shops on four levels, ranging from the cheap and cheerful on the lowest level to designer names at the very top.
You don't have to spend money, you can window shop and look at the canada geese scuptures 'flying' down the mall.
Downtown Totonto, next to Dundas and Queen TTC stations.
www.torontoeatoncentre.com/home/index.ch2
This is the old Arab traders quarter but is now occupied by Indian/Pakistani cloth merchants and tailors in simple old fashioned shops, no sky-scrapers or huge department stores. Prices are marked up-front and reasonable. Best are the colourful Indonesian batiques which have the advantages of being easily folded and light in weight. Also a colourful mosque, coffee houses and Islamic bookshop. A pleasant neighbourhood in which to wander and mingle.
Arab Street
This is one of the loveliest places in Barcelona to hang out and daydream. Strictly speaking, the Bar del Pi is just off Placa del Pi in Placa Sant Josep Oriol. Bar del Pi features art donated by locals over the years and has always been a bohemian hangout popular with an over-25 crowd.
On Sundays in the square, there are often art fairs and you can buy yourself a comic from the legendary Makoki comic shops - I recommend 'El Bueno de Cuttlass', a hilarious stick cowboy who has a girlfriend called Mabel and an obsession with Kraftwerk.
The old town to the left of the Ramblas. If you stand at the entrance to Liceu Metro station, facing the Colon statue, and turn left down the nearest side street, you'll find the Placa del Pi. Otherwise, it's reachable from the other end from the Cathedral.
Lovely shopping road during day but really comes to life at nightime. I arrived at one in morning but couldn't resist taking a stroll and was just mesmerised. Street stall atmosphere just out of this world - on my own and very safe even at that time.
Used to live there - fab place, 5 minute walk out of big bustling city, nice restaurants, boutiques and coffee shops. Laid back way of life out of fast pace of city.
Turn left at bottom of Queen Street and then follow road round, up big hill and there you are - it's a great place to have a slow stroll around eating drinking and viewing things and especially people watching.
Singaporeans are proud of their gleaming city - but don't often mention that the hard labour is done by an army of migrant workers imported from around the region. On their (rare) days off, each nationality gravitates to a different part of the city, where you can find great food, cheap CDs and other products from their homelands, and some crazy karaoke-disco bars.
For Burmese stuff, head for Peninsular Plaza; for Thai, hit Golden Mile Complex. The Phillipino maids have made Lucky Plaza their own, while the Bangladeshi construction workers descend on Little India in their thousands on Sundays to chat and shop and eat.
Peninsular Plaza: 111, North Bridge Road
Golden Mile Complex: 5001, Beach Road
Lucky Plaza: 304, Orchard Road
Little Dhaka: around Veerasamy Road
...and for more info on migrant workers: twc2.org.sg/
An independent bookstore in the heart of Florence. They sell new and secondhand books in Italian, English, German etc. Check out their bargain baskets which have well-loved books available at maximum 1 euro or even free!
Via Delle Oche, 4r
Tel: 055 293460
www.papex.it
It is a food lovers dream. Mountains of Meats, cheeses, oils, sauces, fresh vegetables, fresh pasta, pastries and wines. The staff are friendly. You just pick what you want at a stall and are issued a ticket. Take all your tickets to the cashier, pay, then go back to the stalls to collect your foods.
I only wish my suitcase was bigger.
Via Spadari, not far from Duomo Piazza.
If you are staying at a hotel in LA they can organise for one of the many bus companies running shopping trips to Mexico to come and take you for the day. It's a long day out for the return trip to Tijuana, Mexico.
Cost?
Varies but allow USD$40-$50 return
Why go?
Tijuana is a paradise for bargain shoppers! Browse for leather goods, clothing, jewellery, pottery & more.
Note - a multiple-entry visa and passport are required for non-U.S. or non-Canadian citizens.
Tijuana Mexico - south of the border
I recommend the work of artist Liam Spencer. He is a local artist whose work showing impressionist views of modern Manchester has been exhibited in the Lowry and Manchester Art Gallery. While you would need to check local listings for his exhibitions - there have been Spencer shows once or twice a year in the last few years - there are a few places you can find his work - not all of them totally obvious.
Manchester Art Gallery on Mosley Street has a couple of his panoramic paintings in its permanent collection, and the Lowry in Salford also has some of his work. Spencer's work has been reproduced in some limited print formats and is available from Wendy Levy Contemporary Art in Didsbury. While there, it would be worth a meal at the The Lime Tree restaurant in nearby West Didsbury, which also has a panorama painting of Salford Quays but the most unlikely place you would see a Spencer work is the reception to the Accident and Emergency section of North Manchester General Hospital in Crumpsall, which has a huge panorama of the hospital itself, at a worryingly low height given the agitated states I've seen some of the clientele in. Let's hope your visit to Didsbury's bars and restaurants doesn't cause you to visit the final stop on my Liam Spencer tour!
www.liamspencer-art.co.uk Also: The Lime Tree Restaurant - 8 Lapwing Lane
Didsbury; Tel:0161 445 1217. Wendy Levy Fine Art - 17 Warburton Street, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 6WA; Telephone: 0161 446 4880; www.wendyjlevy-art.com/; North Manchester General Hospital: Delaunays Road, Manchester, M8 5RB; 0161 795 4567.
Learning to surf at Torquay (at the start of The Great Ocean Road) with local surfing instructors was a highlight. Also shopping at the surf brand outlets and checking out Bells Beach.
www.melbournesportstours.com.au
sales@melbournesportstours.com.au
Local phone: 03 8802 4547
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