Top 10 Travel Tips - January 2008
Top 10 Destinations in 2008
The New Year means new resolutions and new destinations to be explored. With that in mind here are ten seasoned recommendations for making the most of 2008, getting the best value for your money and stepping on and off the St Christopher's Map.
New York
The real thing is something between the glamour puss days of Frank Sinatra and the extreme realism of Sex and the City. The city is of course also now scarred by the memory of the terrorist attacks – which is nowhere more apparent than the southern border of Liberty Street. Despite the painful reminders this city is still a thriving, international hub of the world's finest individuals who conspire to form lifetime lasting memories. A top tip is to pick up a City Pass as you pass through the airport. This little wonder gives you the Empire State Building Observatory, a two hour Circle Line Harbor Cruise from 42nd Street and entrance into the American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim Museum, The Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Paris
Our 300 bed, Paris project is almost ready to have the cherry put on top and that means some top tourism resources are coming your way. In the not too distant future you'll be able to download a free, podcast walking tour of the French capital staring yours truly and also, our contemporaneous ears to the ground out there. However in the mean time here's a taster of where we'll be taking you. Within walking distance of the hostel is Belleville – one of the most cosmopolitan districts in Paris. In 1918 the Armenians arrived, the Greeks came along in 1920, German Jews settled here in 1933, it was the turn of the Spanish in 1939, North Africans in the 1960s and Africans and Asians in the 1980s. It was recently colonised by artists and is becoming a very trendy hangout. On the high street you can find Chinese Delis, next to Kosher grocers and Halal butchers.
London
There are of course also going to be Podcast-ical walking tours of the British capital – starting with our Rock n Roll base in Camden. Back in 1983 the Guardian newspaper reviewed a performance at the Camden Palace by: “the most important new figure in the American dance scene.” These days she goes by the name of Madonna and that club goes by the name of Ko Ko. The cream of the up and coming musical crop now play here and it's only two minutes from our great hostel and bar on Camden High Street. After a quick right onto Plender Street we take you left onto Bayham Street. When you're here take a close look at number 16. It might not look like anything special but this is where the fantastically didactic Mr Charles Dickens lived for several years.
Berlin
This travel tip about making the most of the German capital was sent in by a wondrous member of the travel writing team – Kristin Buzzelli. In a nutshell New Europe is a company that offers free and highly informative tours across Europe. They started out in Berlin and they still run everyday at 11am and 1pm. No reservation is needed – you just show up at the Starbucks near Brandenburg gate or the Dunkin Donuts in front of Zoologischer Garden. The tour lasts for about three and a half hours, so it's definitely one for the hardcore, rain resistant backpackers in the crowd. If this isn't your thing then don't worry because New Europe Berlin also offer a free bike tour – sorted.
Amsterdam
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Don't fly directly into Amsterdam if you want to save a bit of cash. Fly into Eindhoven instead and catch a train to the city of sin. When you arrive you can make the most of your time and money by investing in an I Amsterdam card. One of the many benefits of this is the abundance of canal tours on offer. Amsterdam isn't the biggest city in the world but just like everywhere else, it's not hard to get lost - so acquaint yourself with the city on a canal cruise. You have a choice of the Holland International and the Rederij Noord-Zuid cruises. With the first option you get a glimpse of the harbour, the stunning Nemo Science Centre, a tour in five different languages and a whole host of tourist attractions that you can read about below.
Bruges
A top city tip for locally sourced food in a restaurant yet to be ruined by a mainstream review is the Sacre Coeur at the Bauhaus. This eatery on Langestraat even provides a table dating service, where you can sign up and blindly follow that incurable human instinct to pursue an inevitably doomed holiday romance. If on the flip side you're content with a future filled with sweat pants and cat keeping, then by all means gorge yourself at amazing organic Chocolaterie – The Chocolate Line. This understated square footage of cocoa based heaven on Simon Stevinplein serves up the most mouth watering salted caramels on the planet. You should however guard yourself against the Wasabi flavoured treats that always make it into the gift boxes. Japanese Horseradish is all well and good but when you mix it with cocoa the result is akin to the irritation of having your head thrust into a sweat saturated body cavities.
Edinburgh
My most entertaining Edinburgh encounter involved a late night jolly down a series of dark alleyways with a bunch of strangers. The particular kind of pleasure I paid for was provided by the Edinburgh Mercat Tours. They run the biggest range of tours in Edinburgh and my 9.30pm experience went by the name of the Cadies and Witchery Tour. This was highly entertaining, humorous and inappropriate. Your guide - Adam Lyal (deceased) will relay tales of the plague, the body snatchers and the prostitutes of Edinburgh's grisly past. Between Mr Lyal and the affections of the comical deceased Priest, this tour is enough to make you forget about the Scottish weather and enjoy the delights of this beautifully historic city.
Marrakech
In the heart of this African and cosmopolitan hub you have the Djemaa el-Fna. All new developments grow up around this focal point and the mix of European eateries and authentic African accommodation draws in a well traveled and very diverse crowd. If however the thought of yet another European home away from home doesn't appeal and you came for a purely real deal then take yourself on a trip into the mountains. The over your shoulder views are stunning and the organised all night parties in these upper regions are a great way to meet and great fellow independent travellers.
Rome
Exploring Rome by foot is fun but if you're cramming the Forum, Palatine Hill, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum into a time limited trip then be sure to invest in a metro ticket. Unlike London the Italian underground is refreshingly affordable and not too disgusting. An additional area of interest not to be missed is the Area Sacra. It is said that this is the location where Julius Caesar was assassinated. These days there aren't that many Romans knocking about but there is a strong contingent of cats, due to the site's proximity to the Torre Argentina cat sanctuary.
Lisbon
A great place to rest your weary feet and wallets between shops and cocktail bars is the Café A Brasileira. The Lemon Tarts are both promising and purposeful and the cappuccinos are definitely a crowd puller. You'll find it on Rua Garrett. Going off the beaten track without being beaten or killed is always good fun so if you're feeling daring then check out the restaurants that line the back streets near Baxia Chiado. The food is so much more affordable than the water front and you can share a bottle, have three courses to yourself and finish with coffee for less than €25. It makes me sad that in London the same money (£17.50) will only get you a decent main course of equal quality.
