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A park at the rear (northern exit) of the Palace Museum across the moat.
If your feet can bear one more climb after a day in the forbidden city, make it up to the "Pavillion of Everlasting Spring" which overlooks the entire city. Try to get there for sunset for incredible views of the hundreds of shimmering golden rooftops of the forbidden city and the expanse of Tian An Men square.
Jingshan Park, mentioned in all tourist literature, situated at the northern entrance to the Forbidden City across the moat.
Bus Route 35,104,109, Take Metro to Tian An Men then walk around the Palace Museum moat.
10 RMB entrance fee
Nice was far too expensive, and I refuse to be ripped off. So instead of going to the clubs, we went to the beach. Busy with young Italians predominantly; the place is buzzing.
Buy a beer from the guys strolling along with coolboxes ... they sell more than just beer. Chill out and watch the skinny-dippers taking on the sea.
This became a nightly thing to do for us. And the highlight of the night: the ferry coming into port every 11pm. Watch, smile and say nothing as the big waves clear the front of the beach quick-smart. Classy.
Nice seafront
The New Asia is on the 72nd storey of one of the tallest buildings in Singapore. It offers spectacular views of the city centre and the whole of Singapore - you might even see Malaysia on a clear day. Drinks are reasonably priced (for Singapore!) as long as you go before 9pm. Expect to pay around S$7-9 (£2.50)for a beer.
About 72 floors above City Hall MRT station
A beautifully situated fortress city adjacent to the majestic Tajo river. Don't miss the enormous cathedral and the medieval fortress. For the best view of the city take to the hills on the southern outskirts of the city.
There are plenty of 'Cercanias' trains which depart from Atocha station.
Apparently this is where the first Slav tribes settled in Prague, and this is their fort. It's a smaller castle or fortress at the southern end of the city, perched at the top of a hill that overlooks the city. The views across Prague are amazing, you can literally perch on the wall and gaze across the more popular Prague Castle. This place is less visited by tourists and is a very calm and relaxing place if you want to escape the city centre for a while.
There is a lovely church and graveyard where famous Czechs are buried (politicians, artists) - in fact Dvorak's grave is here.
Go to: www.praha-vysehrad.cz
There's a metro station at Vyšehrad - when you come out of the station, head for the river along čiklova, then onto Slavojova, then do a left onto Vratislavova and just follow the road up and round to the right.
Or, you can get tram #3, #7, #16, #17 or #21. They stop closer than the metro station.
Probably the best park we have ever visited. An oasis of greenery, with tropical birds, unusual flowers, sculpture and fantastic fountains. Great views across to the city and the Swan river.
Kings Park, Perth, Australia
www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/home/index.html
Google map: tinyurl.com/q4xldn
For those not quite energetic enough to walk up Table Mountain, take the cable car. As it goes up the car rotates through 360 degrees, so you get all of the view without moving. At the top the views can be spectacular - depending on the weather. Keep an eye on the weather, as the cable car can be closed at short notice, if bad weather is expected. While you're up there, take a guided walk with one of the volunteer guides. You will hear about the flora and fauna but also a lot of information about the rest of the mountain and Cape Town
At the bottom of Table Mountain and the Lion's Head, gives great views of Cape Town nestling below, and across to Bloombergstrad and Robben Island. A great place for sunsets.
Just follow the view from the Lion's Head
Climbing Lion's Head was the best thing I did in Cape Town, sitting out on the rocks in the early evening was a highlight. Not only is the view fantastic but you also get the satisfaction of knowing you climbed all the way to the top to see it. Seeing the city laid out beneath you and Robben Island in the bay, puts life into perspective especially in a city as thought provoking as Cape Town.
Albert Dock on the waterfront. Classy bar with booths and lounge for glammed up crowd. The best reason for visiting is the huge bay windows that at night show a lit up albert dock with the Liver Building in the distance.
Albert Dock, 10 mins walk from Liverpool Lime Street
A quaint and vibrant area, perfect for a sunday stroll, right on the seafront with a view across False Bay to Gordon's Bay and Strand. It is jam packed with brilliant restaurants (Brass Bell, Cape to Cuba, Polano to mention a few). And it has the best ice cream in town plus wonderful antique, art, jewellery and other assorted (but interesting) old shops to browse through (including a nursery) and, best of all, is easy to access by car or train.
It is on the route for a drive to Simon's Town/Cape Point and near to Muizenberg beach for those who want to swim or stroll on the sand. The best place for a meeting of old friends.
Road: Past Fish Hoek on Main Road (heading towards Simon's Town), just before Boyes Drive intersects with Main Road.
Train: the train track runs right past and there is (as far as I know!) a station at Kalk Bay
When you arrive at the airport you have the option of taking a bus, water taxi or an "Alilaguna" boat to Venice. (Alilaguna is the name of the operator.) Especially if you have never been to Venice before, this is a magical way catch your first glimpse of it, unless you are happy and able to pay around £50 for a water taxi. The boat goes round the islands, finally stopping at the Arsenale and San Marco.
This is the best way to get your bearings in Venice, as it goes from one end of the Grand Canale to the other. Take the Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Travel Guide, with annotated illustrations for every stage of your journey, you get a marvellous guided tour from the station at one end to San Marco and the Arsenale at the other. Approximately 30 minutes each way, and not too expensive.
Most places along the Grand Canal, including the point where you arrive from the mainland
The route goes past the best views in the Cape and what better way to see them than from a bike with 35,000 other people, just pray the wind doesn't blow.
Scarborough is still relatively tourist free despite the great scenery on offer on the drive there - head along the coast and over the pass from Noordhoek, past Misty Cliffs and into Scarborough. Cobbs itself is situated just back from the beach and offers great food and even better views. After your meal drive over Red Hill for the best views of Simon's Town on offer!
By far the best pub in Cape Town. From the deck you have views of Chapman's Peak rising on the one side and views of 9 Mile Beach on the other, the fact that they serve a great pint and decent pub fare is a bonus.
Cnr Beach & Pine Road, Noordhoek
(021) 789 1783
Chapman's Peak Drive has only recently opened after being closed for a number of years for safety repairs. The drive takes you along the coast where you'll enjoy the most breathtaking scenery in Africa. The best way to approach it is from the South as it's much easier to stop at the viewing points. This drive should definitely be in your top ten list of things to do in Cape Town.
If you don't particularly like heights and don't fancy the Sky Tower to get the amazing views of Auckland, I would seriously recommend a trip to Mount Eden. I was stunned and amazed at just how big Auckland is. You can see everything from there, the harbour, Rangitoto, One Tree Hill, it's well worth a trip. It's real easy to find, just follow the signs. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
One of the northern suburbs as the bay curves around, it offers great views back to the city and Table Mountain (from the same sort of angle as Robben Island).
The beach is quite good too.
Map here - www.safarinow.com/destinations/Atlantic-Seaboard-North/map.aspx
Bar and restaurant. Situated in Kalk Bay, it is a fantastic place to settle in with a bottle of something fine. The bar overlooks the ocean and you can spend the afternoon lounging around on huge sofas watching the waves crashing into the windows in front of you.
Below Harbour House Restaurant
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