06 Jan 09 Visiting Oslo
Oslo, Norway, is the capital of the Scandinavian country. Founded in 1624, Oslo has had several names over the years, but it has always featured beautiful architecture and a great view of the ocean. As the largest city in Norway, Oslo is home to over 500,000 people. While it is a fun holiday location for those looking for something a bit different, it’s not cheap—Oslo is ranked as one of the most expensive places to live and visit in the world, but that does mean there are some fantastic hotels in Oslo. However, this shouldn’t deter you from visiting the city and seeing everything it has to offer.
If you’re looking for something very unique and very Norwegian to see while you’re in Oslo, check out the Museum of Cultural History at the University of Oslo. In addition to featuring many great works of art and providing historical information about the city and Norway, there’s one impressive sight that must be seen: the Viking ship housed in the Viking Ship Museum. There are actually several ships in the museum, the most famous of which are the Gokstad and Oseberg ships. These vessels are incredibly old but amazingly preserved.
If seeing old boats isn’t exactly exciting to you, you might want to spend some time wandering around Oslo. You can visit the Oslo City Hall, for example. The City Hall is the location of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, and many famous dignitaries from around the world have walked its halls. You can also see the Royal Palace, the Oslo Cathedral, or the Storting, Norway’s parliament building.
If you’d like to take in a show, Oslo has several different venues. They include the Oslo Opera House and the New National Opera House. Another fun way of spending the day is to take a tour of the botanical gardens. If you’d rather do some exploring, you can take a ferry out to Oslofjord islands.
Tags: holiday location, Nobel Peace Prize, Norway, Oslo, Scandinavia, Viking Ship Museum
12 Dec 08 Taking Your Pet on Holiday with you
Some people prefer to board their pets when they go out of town or hire someone to either house sit or visit their home every day to take care of their pets. However, some people like to take their dog or cat with them when they travel. There are some issues to this, but if you’re serious about travelling with your furry friend, it can be done.
First, you have to book lodging that will take animals. Not all hotels accept pets, and those that do may charge you extra to have your pet stay in the room with you. Make certain you know exactly what the pet policy is before you book the hotel. You may actually want to call the hotel and find out all of the regulations concerning pets in the room, including noise, where you can take them, and how you should go about dealing with their bathroom breaks.
Transportation is also going to be an issue if you aren’t driving. Often, you have to place your pet in some sort of pet carrier, and they generally have to travel with checked baggage or in a special section of the plane, bus, or train. Again, there’s a charge to transport your pet, and you should know all of the procedures before you arrive at the airport, train station, or bus station.
Finally, you want to think about what your pet will do while you’re travelling. If you’re going to be out and about to plays, conference events, meetings, or at other events, you may not be able to take your pet with you. If you’re going to be doing things that aren’t dog or cat friendly, you may actually want to consider leaving your pet at home. There’s no real reason to pay extra if you’re just going to leave your animal in your hotel room all day. Also, if you’re going to be visiting relatives or friends, you should make certain none of them are allergic before you arrive with your pet.
Tags: airport, baggage, hotels, travelling
04 Dec 08 Travelling with Young Children
Everyone loves a holiday, but there’s a large difference between holidaying with adults and holidaying with young children. In fact, there are some holidays you really can’t even take with small children, such as backpacking adventures or extended camping trips. However, just because you have young kids, it doesn’t mean your travelling days are over.
The first thing to remember with young children is that you may have to pack differently. If your child is under a year old, you’ll need to pack nappies, baby formula, baby food, bottles, bibs, a pacifier, and more. In fact, you may even need to take an entire carry-on bag just for your baby. You’ll have to take that into account when packing and preparing your baggage. You’ll also need to find out what the airline, bus, ship, or train regulations are regarding young children. While you may not have to pay for a separate seat for babies, you may have to purchase a ticket for some children.
You will also need to check with your hotel about young children. Again, very young children generally get to stay for free, but there is usually a fee for older children and teens. Find out what the age limit is so you know exactly how much you’ll be spending on your lodging.
If you’re travelling by bus, train, or car, you’ll probably need a car seat or some form of bed for your baby. If you’re taking the bus, you might not need a car seat for a young child, but you should check with the bus line. If you’re travelling by car, a car seat is required.
Finally, plan a few events for your young child. While there may not be much for babies to do on a holiday, there are some interactive museums and amusement parks for young children around five years old. Just don’t expect young children to enjoy going to events like operas, music performances, plays, or art museums. Those events should best be left to trips when your kids are older or when you have a baby sitter.
Tags: holiday, travelling
03 Dec 08 Dublin Travel Guide
Dublin is a beautiful city full of history and culture spanning back one thousand years and just walking through the city will allow you to see some of the magnificent buildings while enjoying the relaxing atmosphere.
The world famous Guinness Storehouse is Ireland’s number one visitor attraction with a history that began over 250 years ago. Obviously, you cannot come to Ireland without having a taste of the black stuff that the land has become so famous for, but why not find out all there is to know about Guinness while you are there?
Following on the alcohol theme, there is a wonderful Traditional Irish Music Pub Crawl on which you can participate, starting at Temple Bar. A combination of drinking and music is a winning one and when you work out that this is almost a part of Irish tradition, this tour is bound to attract your attention!
Once you have woken up the morning after stumbling to one of the fine hotels in Dublin, the first thing that is bound to cure that hangover is some food, and thankfully there are plenty of places in which you can dine in Dublin. The Tea Room, also set in Temple Bar, is reportedly the most elegant and finest of its kind in Ireland. Serving more traditional dishes with a little bit of a twist, you are guaranteed to keep the hunger pangs at bay while enjoying some of the finest Irish delights.
The Mermaid Cafe is also a popular eating place in Dublin with its fantastic reputation for simple, yet first class food. It has a warm atmosphere with an open planned kitchen which is bound to keep you warm on even the coldest if days!
Once you have eaten and are fit for bursting, you may want to consider burning off those calories with a leisurely stroll around Phoenix Park, one of the world’s largest parks. Here you can really get back to nature with deer roaming around you and there is also a zoo in the beautiful gardens. Of course, if you are feeling slightly delicate after your drinking tour of Dublin, you could always consider being chauffeured by a horse drawn carriage!
There are plenty of things to do in Dublin, no matter what your tastes but it can be guaranteed that you will leave with some very fond memories of the Irish!
Tags: Dublin, Guinness Storehouse, Ireland, Phoenix Park, Temple Bar
21 Nov 08 How to Tip When Travelling
One of the biggest issues when travelling is tipping. Because it happens so often and there are so many people who receive gratuities, it can be hard to know who to tip and how much. Here are some tips on tipping.
Remember that most people who receive tips really depend on them. In general, their base pay is very low because their employer expects them to make their living on their tips. Unless service is really, really poor (when you should notify the person and his or her boss), then you should follow the following guidelines (US dollars):
Bartender: 15 percent of the bill.
Bellhop or skycap: $1 per bag
Tour bus driver and/or guide: $1-$2 per passenger per day, up to $10 for long trips or extenuating circumstances (poor road conditions or if the guide really made an effort to be entertaining and informative)
Cab driver: 15 percent of the total bill. (The tip should be larger if road conditions were poor, if he or she handled the luggage or if he or she got you to your destination exceptionally fast.)
Cruise cabin steward/waiter: $5 per passenger per day, if not included in the fare.
Hotel concierge: $5 to $10 depending on the service rendered (making reservations at exclusive restaurants, obtaining hard-to-find theatre tickets etc.)
Hotel maid: $1-$3 per night, depending on the quality of the hotel and whether extra service was given, such as additional towels or roll-away beds. Give the tip directly to the person, rather than adding it to the room bill.
Hotel room service waiter: 15% of the bill
Maitre d’: $5 but only if extra service is given
Valet: $4 total; $2 for parking then $2 for retrieving your vehicle
Waiter: $15 percent of the bill
When leaving a tip, be kind and dignified. Don’t just toss the money at the person. Either leave it discretely under the plate or the pillow or pass it off while shaking the person’s hand. Always tip a little extra for extraordinary service.
Tags: tipping, travelling
22 Sep 08 San Francisco Travel Guide
Counted among the most visited cities in the world, San Francisco is a major city of California in the United States of America. The city is situated on a small square of land (11 km x 11 km) at the tip of a peninsula, which lies between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Coast. San Francisco is made up of eleven districts including the famous Fisherman’s Wharf. The city has a population of eight hundred thousand and its largest industry is tourism, partly because of the mild weather throughout the year.
To get around San Francisco, walking is an interesting option but you should know what you are doing and where you are headed. The city also has a comprehensive public transport system – among the best in the country with a major chunk of public transit taken care of by the Municipal Railway or Muni, which consists of streetcars, buses, the metro and cable cars. Bicycles are also an alternative mode of transportation in the city, although the terrain is hilly and difficult to negotiate. Taxis are expensive and inefficient, and should be avoided– the same with cars.
San Francisco has a lot to offer by way of tourist spots – the most significant of the sights is the Golden Gate Bridge, the most recognisable of San Francisco’s landmarks. In fact, it is counted among the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Other attractions include the famous cable cars between Market Street and Fisherman’s Wharf, the Coit Tower, the tall Transamerica Pyramid, the twisty Lombard Street and the famous neighbourhoods of Fisherman’s Wharf and Chinatown. San Francisco also has museums, parks, a couple of good beaches and the San Francisco Zoo which are worth a visit. Taking a guided tour of the city will help visitors explore it completely.
There are a number of events and festivals held throughout the year in San Francisco and the sports teams of the city feature in the national leagues of baseball and football. Most of San Francisco still conforms to the old way of shopping, that is, through small businesses in the hands of local owners. The typical souvenir shops for tourists can be found at Fisherman’s Wharf, and Union Square has a few upscale retail stores and some shopping centres.
You can find every cuisine imaginable in San Francisco; however ‘sushi’ is the most popular dish. Restaurants are varied and prices range from low to expensive. The nightlife in San Francisco is pretty good, and there are a number of good Irish pubs in the city; reason enough for a visit to the city, you would think!
17 Sep 08 An evening in Hong Kong
With more and more people starting to travel more towards Asian countries, people are discovering some of the age old relics and mysteries that are associated with Hong Kong. For centuries people have always been awed by the mystery and magic that is associated with the Asian countries and Hong Kong in popular. There are those who want to know more about the country who martial arts have been made famous all over the world and some of these tourists also visit Hong Kong to know more about legends like Jacky Chan. The quaint market shops, the noodle shops, the hustle and bustle of the bazaars plus the opportunity to haggle over seemingly antique items mixed along with the latest in electronics is what makes Hong Kong a league apart from the other tourist spots.
Few people know that Hong Kong is one of the most popular tourist spots of Asia and the main reason for this is that people have a biased opinion about this city. They cannot imagine that such a small city can be so popular, but when they take a look at the city for themselves they are left wondering. With a night life that can be compared to many other cities and a culture and religion that is based on Buddhism, Hong Kong is a doorway to the East. If anyone is planning to visit Asia, they must include Honk Kong in their itinerary. The populations of Hong Kong are well versed in English and the English education of this country is second only to the Philippines and India in the Asian region.
This alone makes traveling in Hong Kong a great pleasure since the tourists do not face any communication problems. If you want to ask directions to any place or if you want to haggle over the price of any bric brac there are no problems since most of the natives are well versed in English. The Chinese culinary is a must for those who love Eastern foods and one will be amazed at the low rates that they have to pay for purchasing these foods from the roadside stalls. However, if you thought that Hong Kong is all about cheap stuff, you have missed out of some research. There are quite a number of luxury hotels in Hong Kong where you can lead the most luxurious of lives.
If you are a McDonald’s aficionado you can find them in Hong Kong and if you would rather prefer the local food then you might well try out Chinese specialties like fried whole trout, tong cho oysters, tofu dishes, Peking duck, soft shell crabs, stuffed scallops among many others. There are eateries that are dedicated to serving western food so that you will never be alienated. Check out the Buddhist Monasteries and the pagodas. Chant some Buddhist mantras like `Buddham Sharanam Gachchami’ (Buddha I bow my head to you in reverence) and feel the peace of heart in Hong Kong, a city where myth meets modernization.
Tags: Food, Hong Kong, Tourist Guide
15 Sep 08 Oslo the green city
Unknown to many people and tourists, the city of Oslo has been the capital of Norway ever since 1814. Those who visit the city of Oslo do so to know more about the history of the Norwegians and also to se some of its famous sights like the fjords. This city of Oslo houses both the parliament and government buildings and even the royal palace of Norway is located in the city of Oslo. Surrounded by hilly forests, Oslo is a famous tourist spot for those who love nature and the outdoors and also for those who love outdoor activities. There are countless parks all over the city of Oslo and regardless of your location in Oslo, you shall be able to locate a park within a few blocks.
If one is interested to se the famous beaches that are located in Oslo Fjord islands, they have to take a 10 minute boat ride from the city center. The city of Oslo is also famous for its 8 ski centers. At a time when most of the cities around the world are trying to become green in an order to avoid global warning, Oslo has already taken up the initiative a long time back. In the year 2007 Oslo was declared as the world’s second greenest and one of the most livable cities of the world by Reader’s Digest magazine. You can find whatever you expect from any other capital in Oslo too.
Apart from a thriving cultural life one can also find great quantity of attractions like restaurants and shopping centers that are not available anywhere else in Scandinavia. The snow cloaked winter forests of Oslo make it a favorite haunt for tourists who are interested in winter sports. Have you ever experienced a dogsleigh ride? If not, check out for the same in Oslo during the winter season. Once you have enjoyed this ride, you might end up the day by dining out in one of the multi starred restaurants of Oslo. There are countless tourist spots that one can see when they are visiting Oslo and one of them is the famous 13th century castle, Akershus Castle that was built by King Hakon V.
Important functions of Norway along with government events are conducted in the entrance room of this castle. This old structure was later converted during the Christian IV era into a renaissance castle. Tourists who visit Oslo are recommended to check out various aspects of this castle, especially its chapel and the tomb of the founder, Hakon V. Lovers of art can find paintings of world renowned artists like Edvard Munch and they can be viewed at the Munch Meuseum. One visiting Oslo can also find the paintings of Edvard Munch displayed at the National Gallery too where one can also check out another world renowned painting, `The Scream’. Apart from that one can also find paintings from most renowned Norwegian painters in the National Gallery. Though this gallery hosts paintings that were made prior to 1945, those who are visiting Oslo and are interested in recent paintings are recommended to visit the national Museum of Contemporary Arts.
13 Sep 08 Vienna Travel Guide
The capital of Austria and the tenth most populated city in the European Union, Vienna has a very high quality of live. Playing host to a number of international organisations, Vienna lies on the River Danube. The people of Vienna make the visitors feel as if they belong to the city and with the way the city is laid out it is also extremely convenient for travellers. Summer in Vienna is warm and ideal for visitors, whereas winter gets cold and windy.
Vienna’s public transport system, which includes the underground, tram, buses and the commuter rail, is comprehensive and useful for transit within the city. Most hotels in Vienna will have full information on the public transport options. The tram and the rail operate for the best part of the day, and tickets at a discount are available for children. The bus service is also extremely efficient but taxis are not a wise option and are generally expensive, plus the taxi drivers are not always on your side. Driving a car is also not a reasonable alternative - the streets are mostly narrow and one-way. Cycling is a viable alternative since the size of Vienna is quite compact. There are also many paths demarcated for bicycles. Walking on foot through the city is a pleasant experience, and very common.
The sights and sounds of Vienna are of varied interest. There are a number of museums to look up - the Museum of Fine Arts in Vienna (Kunsthistorisches Museum) is one of the finest art museums in the world. Other museums include the Imperial Treasury, the New Palace, the famous Belvedere Museum, the Liechtenstein Museum and Vienna House of the Arts, and a few more. The Opera House is one of the biggest landmarks of Vienna and a fine example of Viennese art. The impressive Schloss Sconbrunn and Hofburg Palace provide the visitors with a chance to experience the heritage of Vienna. Other attractions in the city include the Austrian National Library, the Parliament, the Haus des Meeres Aquarium Zoo, the Secession Building and the Gasometer.
Shopping in Vienna is all about malls (such as the massive Shopping City Sud) and flea markets. Unique to Vienna is the concept of Christmas markets - not a lot to do with shopping, but more to do with gathering for a drink of mulled wine. Restaurants in Vienna generally name their dishes from a confusing variety of terms, but the food is delicious. New wine is usually enjoyed in Vienna and white is more common than red.
It is no wonder, then, that Vienna is such an important tourist destination.
13 Sep 08 Venice Travel Guide
Perhaps the most beautiful of all places in the world, Venice in Italy has a romantic charm about it that transcends all. Venice is essentially a sanctuary on a lagoon, and retains most of the character that it had at the time of its foundation. Venice is a monument to the days of the Renaissance in all its glory. The historic culture of the city is rich and proud. In fact, Venice is such a popular destination that tourists outnumber the residents. The best time to visit Venice is in the spring or autumn, but you’ll have to book early as most Venice hotels are usually full. Visitors need to be careful about Acqua alta, or high water, which is a part of life in Venice - the lagoon water floods the streets several times a year.
Another feature that separates Venice from other cities is the fact that cars are completely absent - Venice is a pedestrian city (which makes it understandably unique) and the distances are all easily covered on foot - walking around is quite an experience for tourists, taking in the beautiful sights. There are also a number of water buses (called the vaporetti) and water taxis if you’re in a hurry. A gondola ride is a romantic alternative to travel. If a gondola ride appears to be a little expensive, the alternative is to cross the Grand Canal by traghetto, which is more of a gondola which has seen the light of day.
While the beauty of Venice is in its uniqueness, there are a few tourist spots which are simply not worth missing. The church of St. Mark’s Basilica (or the San Marco) is a work of art and you need to be appropriately dressed to enter the church. Other churches include San Giovanni e Paolo, St. Maria and so on. There are also museums which merit a nice day trip - the Doge’s Palace and Correr Museum are prominent among them.
The Rialto Market and Rialto Bridge (also known as Ponte di Rialto) are quite easily recognisable as symbols of Venice and have a history of over eight hundred years. Shopping is quite a hit in Venice and there are stores on every corner - you can find nearly everything you need in Venice. Venice is home to plenty of exquisite restaurants and they mainly feature the cuisine of the Veneto. Tourists must sample Venice’s trademark dish, which would be cuttlefish. There are also a number of fantastic bars in the city and visitors should try the famous Veneto Grappa.
Venice is the perfect romantic spot for tourists and it’s no wonder that so many tourists head to the city throughout the year.
