What a place! From the old cobbled streets in San Juan, to the surfers paradise of the west coast, Puerto Rico has everything on offer. It seems to have been overlooked in terms of travel and tourism, and those tourists that do go there are mainly from the cruise ships that dock in San Juan. However, this island is crying out to be explored and offers some spectacular scenery, great watersports and buzzing nightlife.

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Possibly the coolest and smartest bar I have been to. This is at the top of the UFO tower and offers spectacular views. Even better are the cocktails ... not cheap but made in front of you by very friendly staff. Sadly we didnt check this out on Saturday night, when it becomes a club/bar (some more forward planning needed there). The toilets are amazing!
100 krona gets you to the top of the tower

At the UFO tower - Novy Most, Bratislava; tel: (2) 6252 0300;
www.u-f-o.sk

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This is one of many bars in the city centre with outside seating. The location is very pleasant and you can watch the world go by.
Best of all is the pizza ... you pay about £4 for a huge pizza, stone-baked and very nice. Good selection as well, and when you have finished that, the ice cream place next door is well worth a trip. If you are going to 17's at night, be aware that it is very popular with the stag parties, but it's OK for one or two of the cocktails, which are very well made.

Hviezdoslavovo nám. 17, 811 02 Bratislava;
clients.fatchilli.com/17/index1.php

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When arriving in Rio airport, I suggest you rush to the front of the line of people from your plane. The queue for customs gets very long, very quickly and they do not make any attempt to hurry things up. You can easily end up spending an hour waiting around.

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If you are planning a few nights out, be mindful that most clubs will let you in with casual clothing, not beachwear but not ultra-smart either.

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If you are going to Sugarloaf in the evening, make sure you get up there about an hour before sunset, the sun sets amazingly quickly and you may end up, as I did, with lots of photos of Rio by night.

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Don’t get carried away on the beach, with the sea breeze it can seem cooler than it really is. I was advised to use at least factor 30 and laughed at first, but when I got heat rash, it wasn’t much fun. Sun lotion is quite expensive in Rio, so you may want to stock up before you go.

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When getting to and from Rio International Airport, you may find it beneficial to get the RealBus. It costs R$5 and will drop you off at your hotel if you tell the driver where you need to go. It’s not very quick but is a good way of meeting other travellers, is air-conditioned and cheap.

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I struggled to find any decent gifts for people back home. A pair of Haviana flipflops are always a good bet, about £2.50-£3 over there and £15 in the UK.

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Common sense is the key. Keep valuables out of sight, don’t stand on street corners reading maps/looking lost and confused and like a tourist and you should be fine (hopefully).

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Try a churro, a sugary hollow donut, filled with liquid caramel. They’re divine, and available for about R$1 from beach vendors.

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