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But to make it worth your while you should go first thing on a weekday - it opens at 9.30am. Otherwise you'll spend half a day in the queue and be so cheesed off you won't care what you see by the time you get to the top.
350 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan; www.esbnyc.com/
Get a 360º view of San Francisco hills and neighbourhoods, Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, San Francisco Bay and San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. It beats going to the top floor of a skyscraper.
Look at Coit Tower's vibrant frescos of life in California during the 1930s Great Depression that was commissioned by Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal to employ local artists. Then walk down the Filbert Steps. Telegraph Hill is so steep that Filbert St. is a stairway, part of it is still wooden. It has a quasi-park feel with homes clinging to the side of Telegraph Hill. You might want to watch the documentary film, "The Wild Parrots Of Telegraph Hill."
Halfway down at 1360 Montgomery St. is an Art Deco apartment building that was used as Lauren Bacall's home in the 1947 Humphrey Bogart movie, "Dark Passage."
When you reach the bottom of the Filbert Steps, you can walk up the Greenwich Steps back to Coit Tower or continue walking through Levi’s Plaza (Levi Strauss HQ) to the Embarcadero and walk, or ride a Muni F/Market-Embarcadero streetcar, to the Ferry Building or Fisherman's Wharf.
1 Telegraph Hill Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94133
USA
1 (415) 362-0808
Walk to the top of Telegraph Hill or ride Muni #39 Coit bus.
God may have eyes everywhere, but in Rio Jesus has the best view. The Christ statue sits atop Corcovado hill, a dramatic granite plinth that towers 710m above the city. From here you can see Rio in all its glory – from the southern beaches to the northern suburbs and from the city centre across the bay to Niteroi.
The 10km stretch of the Great Wall from Jinshanling to Sumatai makes for an unforgettable hike. Wake early for the three-hour bus or taxi ride to the start and expect to return to Beijing in the early evening. The steep and crumbling steps are manageable. The only real hazard are the hawkers, whose stamina is pursuing tourists with bags full of bottled water and canned beer is as infuriating as it is impressive.
By all means, take the boat trip out into the Golden Gate and under the bridge, but the best way to experience the bridge is on a bike. There are lots of bike hire shops down by Fisherman's Wharf - shop around, because some are cheaper than those nearest the waterfront. Some also offer a “Bike and Alcatraz" package, which may appeal if you can't get your hands on an Alcatraz ticket (they book up around a week in advance during summer). Maps, directions and ferry times provided by the bike shops.
The bike trail is almost entirely off the road and is a great way to see the Marina district and the waterfront. The bike lane on the bridge is separate from the traffic too, and the views of the bridge towers and the city are superb.
Coast down into Sausalito for lunch (a bit pricey - take a snack with you), then take the ferry back across to San Francisco. More superb city views, especially Coit Tower.
Particularly good if this is the first thing you do in New York, take the lift after it has got dark, and see NYC in a way that you will never forget.
Get a City pass and bypass some of the queues. Also go about half an hour before the sun sets. See the city in the daylight and then watch it magically come alight as darkness falls. No need to go up twice!
Fifth Ave
Bar and cafe; amazing location, good food and drink (reasonably priced considering its location) and the most breathtaking views from the terrace. Great flathead and chips, risotto, wine, cocktails etc. Also, if you happen to be around on a Sunday afternoon they also have live jazz.
Terrace below Opera House, nearest station Circular Quay.
www.operabar.com.au
Google map: tinyurl.com/pgmxfy
Take the Manly Ferry. This is the best and cheapest way to see the harbour. Manly itself has the best beaches.
The archaelogical ruins at Ephesus are simply amazing. Frequently on visiting ancient ruins, all you can see is a small bit of rubble.
However, Ephesus has many buildings including Celsus Library, Roman latrines and an ampitheatre among many other ruins.
There is a very special atmosphere there and on one section of the road, you can see the ancient worn-in tracks of Roman chariot wheels. A carved effigy of Nike the ancient goddess can also be viewed there. The city is inland and it gets incredibly hot there, so bring plenty of sun lotion and water and remember to wear your hat.
Any resorts like Gumbet, Bodrum etc run trips there.
Going to SF on a fairly tight budget, you can't beat renting a bike for a day (eg. at Blazing Saddles on Fisherman's Wharf). Very easy ride across the bridge, and down to Sausalito or Tiburon. Amazing views and a sense of achievement, all for $35 each including ferry ride back across the bay.
Blazing Saddles: 2715 Hyde Street - open 8am daily;
tel: (415) 202-8888; fax: (415) 929-8687;
email: suzanne@blazingsaddles.com
www.blazingsaddles.com
The Golden Gate Bridge is very impressive. Walk along it (it takes about an hour), then either walk back or go on to Sausalito (all pretty houses and greenery) and take the ferry back to San Francisco from there.
It is part of the Angkor temple complex, one of the smaller sites that is far less known by the casual tourist.
Anyone planning on visiting Siem Reap and going to experience the treasures of Angkor needs to know that Angkor Wat is just one of dozens of sites in the immediate vicinity - it is the biggest and undoubtedly the most impressive, but is also incredibly crowded and not particularly relaxing.
Many of the other temples - such as Ta Prom - are far smaller, but also far less busy - when we went to Ta Prom, we had it to ourselves for about an hour, and wondered around Indiana Jones style and were blown away by the serenity and beauty - highly recommended.
Angkor Wat is simply brilliant. I recommend that if you are travelling from Bangkok take the train to the Cambodian border rather than the bus as when you reach Cambodia you will probably find yourself in a clapped out minibus rather than the promised air conditioned coach. Although you will probably end up in this minibus anyway for the journey through Cambodia, at least you will have got the chance to travel separately from the vast majority of tourists.
At the Petronas Towers you can do a free tour, which includes the brilliant bridge-walk across the walkway connecting the two buildings. Get there earlyish to make sure you get tickets as places are limited. The park around the towers and shopping centre at the base are well worth taking in too.
If you are visiting Zambia, Victoria Falls is not a place to miss. These incredible falls are on the border with Zambia and Zimbabwe, formerly Northern and Southern Rhodesia before independence in the 1960s, they can be seen from either side of the border.
Although you may think that going to a waterfall may not take long, I recommend that you set aside the good part of a day to visit them. There are lots of places to walk around and you will love the refreshing 'Mosi au-Tunya' (The Smoke that Thunders), the spray that is constantly thrown into the air by the falls.
Be cautious with children however, Zambian health and safety regulations are not as strict as in the UK! In some places, there are very low railings and the constant spray from the falls makes some paths slippery.
The sunset at the falls is incredible, there are beautiful scenes if you sit at the top of the falls as the sun sets. Make sure you are well protected against mosquitoes, the damp air makes it very popular with them.
If you fancy a break from Vegas's 24-hour noise and neon, then get yourself on a tour of the Grand Canyon. The canyon is only an hour away by helicopter and you'll fly over some of Vegas's most famous sights on the way. The view as you come over the top of the canyon is unforgettable - a once in a lifetime experience.Try and book a tour for early morning and you'll see the sun rise over the desert. If you're jet-lagged the early start won't hurt you too much, so think about going at the start of your trip.There's loads of operators, so shop around for the best deal.
One company worth looking at can be found here:www.lasvegasgrandcanyontour.com
Absolutely stunning twin towers. Go during the day and there is a free guided tour and then again at night to see the towers lit up! There is also a shopping centre, cinema and restaurants at your disposal.
Junction of Jalan Ampand and Jalan P. Ramlee
Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
Just look for the towers you can't miss them!
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.
I've just come back from Reykjavik; high point was the Golden Circle trip. Head out early to catch the mid-Atlantic ridge, the waterfalls, collapsed volcanos and, especially, the geysers in one day.
I went with Black Tomato, photos at the link below...
<www.clerkandtellerexplorers.com/index.php/trips/trip-2-iceland-hit-the-frozen-north/golden-circle-275.php>
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