If you’re lucky enough to be in the USA in spring you may notice that, as the pandemic slowly recedes, the country is starting to open up to domestic tourism again. Some states are understandably remaining closed to visitors from both home and abroad, but of those which you can now visit I’ve found some springtime inspiration.
Maple Sugaring in New Hampshire
We’re coming to the end of Maple Sugaring Month in New Hampshire, which means there are loads of sweet treats to be found throughout the state. You’ll also notice all the trees coming into bud and flowers popping up everywhere – the perfect time for a cycle or walk.
Gentle hills studded with trees and threaded with serene rivers, Texas Hill Country comes alive in Spring with vast blooms of Bluebonnet – the state flower.
By late spring temperatures here begin to average 68°F – perfect for exploring Michigan’s great outdoors. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous this is a wonderful time for camping.
Hire a car and marvel at the spring foliage and flowers along the Skyline Drive – 105 miles of picturesque road running through the Blue Ridge Mountains
With spring comes new born animals, and Wyoming is full of fluffy frolicking calves, cubs and other assorted cuties which you can see throughout the state, including in Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
A tiny light of future travel is beginning to appear at the end of the tunnel. Throughout this pandemic I’ve been really impressed at how travel bloggers/writers/sites have continued to publish engaging content, and in March I saw a huge variety of articles and posts. I’ve no doubt that some passed me by, but here are a few which caught my attention this month:
I’m intrigued by ghost towns, but haven’t really been to all that many (or any, come to think of it). I’d never heard of Grafton, but Hannah’s post was full of useful and interesting information, not least the amazing history of the town, as well as some enticing photography. The fact that one of the most famous Westerns ever made was filmed in Grafton really makes me want to visit.
‘Chile National Parks’ – just those three words are enough to cast images of vast landscapes into my mind. The collection of travel bloggers on Green Mochila’s post have put together clear and concise guides to 9 of their favourites. This is a really useful resource for anyone thinking of visiting Chile.
Fergal chats with Sean about his recent solo ascent of Cerro Fitz Roy, which has received worldwide recognition. I spent my 40th birthday staring out the window, Sean spent it on this impressive mountain having been ‘stuck’ in El Chalten for 13 months. This is a fascinating listen about the six 6am-midnight days that Sean experienced when climbing – I particularly like that he played a tin whistle on every summit, and as someone who loves Patagonia but can only stare at those summits in awe, I particularly enjoyed hearing about how strange it is to return to ground after spending up to 20 days on rock faces.
Japan isn’t exactly famous for being a budget destination and, having been to Tokyo, I think I’d find it a challenge to write an entire post about how to visit the city on a budget. And yet Char has done just this. Reading this post (and any of Char’s writing) was fun – lots of humour and personal views mixed with handy tips. I’m also grateful for the reminder of the Klook app.
With a title like ‘Che Guevara meets Fidel Castro in Mexico City’ how could I resist reading? Sure enough this post by Nomadic Backpacker lives up to the headline, with some useful background info as well as a fair few fascinating facts that I’m sure many of us had never known before. In these times I appreciate more than ever the ability to travel via other people’s words and pictures, and the images here do a great job of transporting me into Mexico City streets and cafes.
Today (21 March 2021) this wonderful website turns 20. I’ve used it on my travels through 6 continents and never fail to be impressed by Mark’s passion for rail travel. Whenever I take the Eurostar service I always think of Mark’s favourite seat 61 – many congratulations to him, I can’t wait to see what the next 20 years has in store for rail travel.
You’re now in one of my favourite luxury hotels in Slovakia. With a lake view room you can sit on your own balcony and marvel at the glassy Štrbské Pleso lake and snow-topped Tatras Mountains, which rise up to 2,655m.
Large rooms with a view
After a day of following well-marked trails (many of which pass close to the hotel), you can ease your aches in the chandelier-strewn spa. Here you’ll find views over the same mountains through which you walked, while soaking in a hot tub, sweating in a sauna, or swimming the 16-metre pool. This spa is worth the journey alone and I must have spent many hours here gawping at the scenery beyond the glass.
Meals – including breakfast – are served in the large Grand Restaurant. There’s something very special about enjoying Champagne with your breakfast in a room warmed by a massive fireplace at one end and furnished with pale wood beams in the vaulted ceiling above.
I particularly liked how I could stagger into the pristine reception, covered in dirt from scrambling up rocks, and the staff didn’t even bat an eyelid. A sign of true 5* class.
Looking back to the hotel
I’ve seen prices for as low as £159/night. Combine this with a £30 return flight from London, a £12 return taxi journey, and a return train ticket for just over £3, you could have a 5* ultra-luxurious 3 day spa/hiking break in the mountains for only £522.
As I hope you know by now, this site curates the best that travel has to offer, and makes it easy for you to simply get up and go. With this in mind, and with the vast amount of travel content out there, I thought I’d start the occasional post to share the very best that I’ve seen, which this month (but not necessarily written this month) includes:
Simon Calder interview
One of my personal travel faves, Simon Calder, appeared on Travel.Radio. It was fascinating to hear more about how Simon first found his way into travel and then into journalism. He describes how “I’ve also come to realise that my greatest joy is pacing the streets of a new city” and that “London isn’t exactly new but there is still enough to be discovered and I’m walking two hours every day” (something I’ve also been doing!)
He doesn’t hold back on criticising the catastrophic response of the UK government to the pandemic, and how the travel industry has been particularly effected. “Government has shown time and again that it has no interest in the sector”. Well quite. He finishes with how travel is going to eventually bounce back. I particularly enjoyed hearing about how he loves the Alhambra, Cuba (and the terrible food), and Uzbekistan. And it helps that he has good taste in music.
Ever with his finger on the railway pulse, The Man In Seat 61 drew my attention to the new RegioJet overnight service Between Prague and Split, and how this journey can easily be booked online. Keep an eye on Seat61 for further updates and full details of this new route.
On this same subject, Mobilettre featured this article about the expansion of France’s night trains. And then there’s the possible Barcelona to Frankfurt night train, and Brussels to Malmö…night train’s really do seem to be having a renaissance.
This felt like a really brave post from Emilys Eyes Explore, which recounted all those times when travelling solo wasn’t all that fun. A lot of the situations she found herself in felt very familiar, but handily she’s included some tips so that you can hopefully avoid these misadventures.
This excellent article by Pól Ó Conghaile describes what a lot of us in travel are feeling; the fact that our industry has been shamed and torn apart for no good reason. Pól hints at how ridiculous it was for a certain government minister to state that no-one is going travelling until the whole world is vaccinated, and finishes with a nice summary about how incredibly important travel is to us all.
Transnistria is one of those places that I’ve always been aware of, but never really knew much about. Mind Of A Hitchhiker’s guest post by Heidi Koelle goes into great detail about this unrecognised state, including what it’s like to visit, as well as useful information if you want to see it yourself. So good to read travel content about somewhere relatively unknown by someone who clearly is an expert on the subject.
RJOnTour has been doing a great job of piquing my interest in hikes here in the UK – a country which I will no doubt do much more exploring of once we’re allowed. His post on Cornwall’s Lansallos Bay has everything you need to seek out this particular highlight of the South West Coast Path.
I’ve just roughly estimated that I must have so far spent almost 3 years travelling (in total, not all at once). It’s no surprise, therefore, that I have had a couple of minor incidents along the way. There have been several accidents too, but we’ll get into those another time. This post is about the one occasion on which I was robbed, plus two near-misses.
Held at gunpoint
In late spring 2000 I’d been in South America for about 5ish months (I forget how long exactly…it was a long time ago!). On the day before I was due to fly home I was walking along a street in Quito, Ecuador, when we were approached by several men. They briefly stopped to talk about football – a common conversation wherever I go – and then abruptly asked me to give them money.
“Que? No!” I replied. This was clearly the wrong answer.
One of the gang made a grab for my sunglasses and, when I tried to stop him, another held my arms behind my back so that his friends could take sunglasses, watch and money. When one of them showed me his gun I knew that I should just let them take what they wanted (including from my money belt – useless!)
Apart from that this was a non-violent robbery. We all knew what was going to happen, it happened, then after it happened a car pulled up and the driver explained that this gang had robbed the other people in his car and would I like a lift to the police station. My faith in the kindness of Ecuadorians immediately restored, I made my report to the police and received a paltry sum from the insurance company.
Quito’s Old Town, which felt slightly safer 20 years later
A common scam
As with the previous story, this robbery happened on the day before I was due to leave for another country. Unlike the previous story, this happened in Ethiopia, and I actually managed to stop the robbery from happening.
A slightly friendlier welcome to Ethiopia
Bored on a flight from Lalibela to Addis Ababa, I was reading the Lonely Planet guide on Ethiopia’s capital. I even reached the end, where it lists some common risks. Apparently people will approach you with a tray in their hands. They will hold the tray above your arms to better show you the items on it. As they’re doing this, they’re using their other hand to remove your wristwatch.
When two young children approached me in the street and started to do just this, I immediately remembered that warning, and caught one of them in the process of trying to remove my watch. I’m annoyed with myself for getting angry with them, when it was obvious that they were both desperate. If I could run that moment over again I would instead react more kindly.
“You have been poisoned”
Back in the days when I went on fam trips* I was lucky enough to be offered one to Kiev. It was an amazing trip and all was going well until one evening when many of the group went out to a nearby nightclub.
The nightclub was open air and situated in a massive courtyard – it was spectacular. It was my round and, at the bar, I got chatting to a friendly couple of locals. They kindly bought me a vodka shot and, together, we toasted and drank.
Soon after I began to feel very peculiar. I hadn’t yet drunk enough to feel this way (I was old enough to know my limits), and so knew that something wasn’t right. Through a blur of confusion, I managed to let the other people on the fam trip know that I was returning to the hotel. I also, luckily, managed to catch a legitimate taxi.
Back in my room, and still feeling not at all well, I called reception, asked for a doctor, then blacked out.
I woke up with two paramedics taking my blood pressure. “You have been poisoned,” I was told, “We must take you to hospital”. They insisted I call my insurance company, who answered immediately and simply told me to go to hospital, get receipts, and don’t worry because everything will be covered – excellent service.
Having been given the choice of the public hospital or “the American hospital” I quickly chose the latter. It took a while for the hospital staff to find someone who spoke English, and who could explain my situation. I was subjected to a large number of tests, and the next morning, feeling much better, I was keen to resume the fam trip.
It was when they told me that they’re going to intubate me that I decided to discharge myself. I suspected that the tests were becoming unnecessary, but were just a way for the hospital to make more money from me. With a HUGE bill in my hand, I re-joined the fam trip having lost only a few hours of sightseeing.
*In case you don’t know, ‘fam’ or ‘familiarisation trips’ are often run by tourist boards, cruise companies etc. and offer travel employees a chance to visit a destination/ship/etc. for free so as to expand their knowledge and better sell the product when they’re back home).
Ljubljana has a wealth of wonderful hostels. The ones I’ve chosen below are all central and have been picked based on this, as well as their excellent rooms and facilities. Here are my 5 top Ljubljana hostels recommendations:
📍 Adjacent to Tivoli Park, 11 minutes walk to Prešeren Square 🛏️ Spacious rooms, most with sturdy bunks with private reading lights 🚿 Adequate number of bathrooms, some brand new 🍽️ Small, basic kitchen. One dorm has private kitchen. Lovely outdoor terrace 🧑🤝🧑 One beautiful private double with its own bathroom
📍 Across the road from train station, 14 minute walk to Prešeren Square 🛏️ Amazing rooms located in old prison cells. Custom-designed bunks or single beds (dorm rooms are not in cells!) 🚿 Free towels. Utilitarian bathrooms, but plentiful. Don’t drop the soap 🍽️ Relatively small kitchen, but loads of large, well-designed common areas 🧑🤝🧑 All of the cells are private 2-bed with shared bathrooms
📍 Old part of the city, at the foot of the medieval fortress and steps from the main square 🛏️ Well-designed rooms with good storage 🚿 New, stylish bathrooms 🍽️ No kitchen, just a few common areas 🧑🤝🧑 Private rooms with shared bathrooms
📍 4-minute walk to Prešeren Square – very central 🛏️ Superb, new bunk rooms with plenty of space, private reading lamps and sockets 🚿 Brand new hostel, brand new, modern bathrooms 🍽️ Basic kitchen, few common areas 🧑🤝🧑No private rooms
📍 Steps from Prešeren Square and the Three Bridges 🛏️ Range of dorms with either single beds or sturdy bunks 🚿 Clean and plentiful bathrooms 🍽️ Basic kitchen. Small laundry. Fun common areas including in old bank vault. Breakfast from €2.50 🧑🤝🧑 Basic private rooms with shared bathrooms
In Berlin you’ll find some terrible hostels, some OK hostels, and some amazing hostels. I’ve picked through them to find the best, based on location, value, common areas, bathrooms, and even bunk bed sturdiness. Here are my 7 top Berlin hostels recommendations:
📍 20-minute walk to Alexanderplatz 🛏️ Sturdy dorm beds with private reading lights and power points 🚿 Smaller dorm rooms come with private bathroom 🍽️ Free coffee, but no kitchen. Plenty of lounge areas, plus a garden 🧑🤝🧑 Double rooms come with private bathroom and TV
📍 Between Prenzlauer Berg and Alexanderplatz 🛏️ Large choice of well-designed rooms with dorms that include a reading light and power points 🚿 Clean and spacious bathrooms 🍽️ Tidy kitchen, garden with hammocks and BBQ 🧑🤝🧑 Simple but great value private rooms with shared bathrooms
📍 Just across the road from Rosenthaler Platz U-Bahn 🛏️ All dorm rooms come with en-suites and private powerpoints 🚿 Basic but clean bathrooms 🍽️ Stylish common areas, including a microbrewery plus a cafe which offers all-you-can-eat breakfast for just €5 🧑🤝🧑 Private penthouse room with its own kitchen and ensuite
📍 20-minute walk to the Tiergarten 🛏️ Well-designed bunk rooms with plenty of space, reading lamps and USB points 🚿 Each room comes with its own superb bathroom 🍽️ Spacious kitchen and super-stylish common areas 🧑🤝🧑Comfy and light private rooms with en-suite bathrooms
📍 Kreuzkoelln neighbourhood, just steps from Hermannplatz U-Bahn 🛏️ Dorms with plenty of room and sturdy bunks 🚿 Each dorm has its own bathroom with separate toilet 🍽️ Large kitchen with communal table 🧑🤝🧑 Private rooms are small but perfectly formed, most with en-suite
📍 Also in the lively Kreuzkoelln neighbourhood, 5 minutes from Schönleinstr U-Bahn 🛏️ Well-designed dorm, but not much privacy 🚿 Spacious bathroom for the dorm 🍽️ Basic and small kitchen (but hostel only accommodates 9 people) 🧑🤝🧑 Small double rooms with shared bathrooms
📍 In the heart of west Berlin, steps from the Tiergarten and many top sights 🛏️ Sturdy bunk beds with privacy curtains 🚿 Clean, modern bathrooms, with each dorm room having its own showers 🍽️ Large kitchen, ample seating and common areas, laundry, terrace 🧑🤝🧑 Choice of private room types, all with private bathrooms
I’ve been fortunate to visit a lot of places on this incredible planet, using a variety of transport. These amazing travel facts have been compiled using that experience, as well as research I conducted for a book, and my 20 years working in the travel industry.
In lieu of modern maps, one of the founders of passenger airlines plotted his first flight across the Pacific using the charts created by Captain Cook in the 1700s.
Travel and tourism comprises 91.3% of Macau’s economy. In Europe, Croatia is most reliant on this sector which contributes 25% of the economy.
You can travel from London to Australia and back again as a freighter ship passenger. It would take 97 days.
Moscow to Petropavlovsk is the longest contiguous domestic flight in the world currently operating, taking 8 hours and 35 mins to fly over Russia (which is bigger than Pluto).
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas carries more passengers than any other, and in one week those on board consume roughly the same amount of potatoes as are grown on one acre of land.
The Qinghai to Lhasa railway is the highest in the world, reaching 5,068m in elevation. Enriched oxygen is pumped into passenger carriages.
If you flip through the Slovenian passport you can see a horse and its rider gallop across the bottom of the pages.
Tuvalu only receives up to 2,500 tourists a year, despite being a perfect South Pacific paradise.
Innsbruck airport is one of Europe’s most challenging, yet dramatic to fly into. Pilots landing here require special training.
The Ghan in Australia is the world’s longest passenger train, with up to 44 carriages stretching just over a kilometre.
The Spring Festival travel season or, Chunyun, in China sees up to 385,000,000 million people travelling and is the world’s largest human migration event.
Workers in Kuwait are entitled to up to 43 days holiday each year (30 days annual leave plus 13 public holidays). In the USA someone could potentially have 0 days holiday entitlement.
Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan in Japan is the world’s oldest continuously running hotel, having been established in 705AD. It has been in the same family for 52 generations.
Airline meals were first served on October 11, 1919 on a flight between London and Paris (it was a sandwich and fruit).
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport employs 63,000 people, roughly the same as Gloucester in the UK, Darwin in Australia, or Halifax in Canada.
Thanks to artists Pause08, Freepik, Becris, Roundicons, Flat Icons, DinosoftLabs, and Vectors Market who produced the icons on this amazing travel facts page.
Many restaurants lay claim to being the oldest in the world. One thing’s for sure; it isn’t in London. Thanks in part to the Great Fire of 1666, many of this city’s eating establishments were wiped out, but London’s oldest restaurants still date back hundreds of years, including one which is even older than the USA (well, technically it’s a tavern, but the criteria for this list is that it must be a predominantly food-serving establishment…I’ll get to London’s oldest pubs another time).
Simpsons Tavern
Established: 1757
Founded by Thomas Simpson having been gifted the site by his father. Ladies were first admitted in 1916!
Cuisine: Traditional British Dish to try: Beef & Real Ale Pie Address:Ball Court, 38½ Cornhill, London, EC3V 9DR Neighbourhood: Tucked away in an alley just behind the Bank Of England, this area is full of financial companies and dates back to Roman times. Stay:Vintry & Mercer
Rules
Established: 1798
Original features of the restaurant have been carefully preserved. It has appeared in both James Bond’s Spectre and Downton Abbey.
Cuisine: Traditional British Dish to try: Roast Breast of Pheasant Address:35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, WC2E 7LB Neighbourhood: Covent Garden is an elegant pedestrianised piazza dating to 1654. Stay:The Resident
Simpsons in the Strand
Established: 1828
Starting off as a smoking club, this restaurant became a famous venue for chess, as reflected in the decor.
Cuisine: Traditional British Dish to try: Sunday roast Address:100 Strand, London, WC2R 0EW Neighbourhood: Between Covent Garden and the river, the Strand is one of London’s swankiest streets. Stay:One Aldwych
Wiltons
Established: 1840 (although moved to Jermyn Street in 1984)
The original Wilton was a fishmonger in 1742. His business passed on to his son. It stayed in the family until 1886.
One of London’s first French restaurants, this gorgeous place has retained many original features.
Cuisine: American/European Dish to try: Ahi tuna carpaccio Address:29 Romilly St, London W1D 5HP Neighbourhood: Perfectly positioned between the bars and buzz of Soho (the centre of London’s LGBT+ community), and Chinatown. Stay:The Soho Hotel
Sweetings
Established: 1889
Only open for lunch Mon-Fri. John Sweetings began as an oyster merchant in 1830 before founding this seafood institution.
Is this a good time to buy travel? I’m hopeful that imminent vaccines will mean that international travel opens up a bit more. I’ll be continuing to keep my Covid Travel Corridors and Ski Travel Corridors pages updated.
Black Friday travel deals correct as of 17:24 Nov 27 2020
A Plan To Go 