Travel Logs – Page 10 – Travel Destinations

Sometimes

“Sometimes” is the last track from the excellent BBC series “Normal People” based on the book by Sally Rooney is a reminder that we don’t always have to travel halfway round the world to have a wonderful short break or a super holiday. Sometimes we don’t have far to go. Just a short flight or ferry ride across the Irish Sea is the Emerald Isle. There are great experiences to be had both north and south of the border.

The story of two teenage lovers from Sligo has developed a huge following not just because of the terrific soundtrack, the brilliant acting of the two main stars, the gripping storyline but the captivating locations.

Benbulben Mountain, https://www.irelandscontentpool.com/media/, Gareth McCormack — Benbulben Mountain

Sligo is one of Ireland’s hidden gems. Much of the landscape has links with the poet W.B. Yeats. His poetry constantly references the landscape and so much of the area today is know as “Yeates Country”. He is burried at Drumcliffe in the shadow of Benbulben Mountain. His final poem read

“Under bare Ben Bulben’s head
In Drumcliff churchyard Yeats is laid.”

Adventure Sligo, https://www.irelandscontentpool.com/media/
Josh McMichael — Adventure Sligo

For those of you more interested in the ocean than the land you can surf almost the entire western seaboard. But the section in County Sligo is renowned for drawing surfers from across the globe. International surfing events regularly take place here.

Viva Las Vegas

And how I wish that there were more
Than twenty-four hours in the day.
But even if there were forty more,
I wouldn’t sleep a minute away.
Oh, there’s blackjack and poker and a roulette wheel.
A fortune won and lost on every deal.
All you need’s a strong heart and a nerve of steel.

“Viva Las Vegas” was the title song of the film of the same name, sung by Elvis Presley. Although Elvis first performed in Vegas in 1956, it was his twice a day, seven days a week, 636 sold out shows, from August 1969 on, at the International where his association with the city was firmly cemented.

Tourists takes photos with the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign on the Strip Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016. CREDIT: Sam Morris/Las Vegas News Bureau — The “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign on the Strip Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016.
CREDIT: Sam Morris/Las Vegas News Bureau

Next stop on our list of destinations to visit as soon as we start travelling again will be Las Vegas. It is so difficult in a short amount of space to describe the countless reasons to visit. This is just a start.

The image of countless casinos is one that many people still hold of Las Vegas, but as a holiday destination it is so much more than that. It can better be described as an entertainment destination. If you are looking to be entertained then you will find it here and you don’t have to place a bet to enjoy what it has to offer.

There is nothing to beat a walk down the Las Vegas Strip in the evening. It is the must do part of your visit. You will be transported to Venice, Paris and New York. Don’t miss out on the beautiful Bellagio Fountains as they dance to the music every 15 minutes in the evenings.

This is a view of the Strip as seen from the Eiffel Tower replica at Paris Las Vegas Saturday, August 19, 2017. Visible in the photo are Bellagio, Fountains of Bellagio, Caesars, Mirage, Bally's, Flamingo and Cromwell. CREDIT: Sam Morris/Las Vegas News Bureau — The Strip as seen from the replica of the Eiffel Tower, Las Vegas. Visible in the photo are Bellagio, Fountains of Bellagio, Caesars, Mirage, Bally’s, Flamingo and Cromwell. CREDIT: Sam Morris/Las Vegas News Bureau

Once you have found your bearings you won’t have anywhere enough time to experience everything that the city has to offer, that’s where speaking to Maggie will pay off. She will book you into the best shows, advise you on the best restaurants, the best tours and book your wedding for you.

Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley wedding at the Aladdin

We’ll be back to Vegas again.

Budapest

“My house in Budapest
My, my hidden treasure chest”.

Many of us are familiar with the opening lyrics of the George Ezra song “Budapest”. Ironically he had not been to Budapest when he wrote the song, he got drunk and missed his train. However once you start to travel, you should not miss out on this “hidden treasure chest”. Commonly referred to as the “Paris of the East” Budapest is packed with everything that you would expect from a city break and more. Even if you have been before, there is so much more to see and experience that the main attractions of the Buda Castle, the Fistherman’s Bastion and the Heroes Square. The main sites can be viewed in this entertaining video by the popular Hungarian band “Kowalsky meg a Vega”. The title roughly translates as “Still not Eden”. No it might not be Eden but its a great place for a short break from London with flights from BA, Wizz Air and LOT.

Tour Budapest with Kowalsky meg a Vega

One memorial often missed but extremely moving is the “Shoes on the Danube. You can read the story behind it here.

Shoes on the Danube. Copyright https://www.budapestinfo.h — Shoes on the Danube.

There are plenty of hidden gems to discover in Budapest. Amongst our favourites are the Hospital in the Rock, the Café Gerbeaud and the Budapest Pinball Museum. All great attractions if you are taking the children. Finally if you are a “Columbo” fan then don’t forget to seek out the “Peter Falk” statue.

Guantanamera

Guantanamera is probably the most iconic Cuban song. Based on a poem written by the Cuban poet José Martí the title literally means “a woman from the Guantánamo area”. It was made famous outside Cuba in 1963 by The Sandpipers.

Guantanmera – Celia Cruz.

If you watched the video above that should be enough to get you on the plane to Havana.

Cuba has to be close to the top of the list of places to visit once we can travel again. Thanks to US sanctions it is caught in a partial time warp. Cuba is one of the few places in the world that you still can’t buy a McDonalds, unless you are serving or detained at Guantanamo Bay!

So you need to visit before it all changes. Unlike former Communist Central and East European countries where almost all vestiges of socialist ideologies have disappeared there are plenty of reminders around.

Destino Cuba – Infotur www.cubatravel.cu

Outside of Havana where you must visit UNESCO listed the Old town and its impressive colonial buildings, you can access some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, with crystal clear waters and fine sandy beaches that are not overrun with tourists.

And if you need any more reasons to visit, did we mention the old cars, the cheap beer and rum and world renowned cigars.

On a Little Street in Singapore

Written 100 years ago, many of us will know this song from Glenn Miller, Bob Dylan or Manhattan Transfer. Today, it’s the attraction of those “Little Streets” that draw us to this Island State. Those “Little Streets” are the result of Singapore’s multi-cultural, colonial and wartime past and make it a destination in its own right rather than just a stopover. Being uniquely placed at the tip of the Malay peninsula, at the cross roads of trade routes it has been the meeting point for Asian and European cultures. British influence is clearly evident as many of us are familiar with the Raffles Hotel named after Sir Thomas Raffles who brought the British to the island and the Anderson Bridge named after the Governor of the Region in 1910.

Due to its size and history there is so much to see and do, it’s all very easy to access and so much can be packed into such a short space of time. On the one hand you have traditional Chinatown and on the other the Sands Skypark and shopping in Orchard Street. Singapore’s nickname is “City in a Garden” and it’s possible to get away from it all at the National Orchid Garden and the Jurong Bird Park which home to 400 species of birds.

Little Streets Copyright Christian Chen on Unsplash. — Little Streets – Tall Buildings

So sick and tired of the pouring rain I took a train to Morocco just to kill the pain

Sang the American band Moon Taxi in their song entitled Morocco. Maybe they were catching the Marrakech Express 45 years after Crosby, Stills and Nash did the same. Despite the time lag between the two songs, Morocco is still a draw for tourists today.

Ouarzazate Copyright https://www.visitmorocco.com — *Ouarzazate* – The door of the desert

If you fancy getting away from the wet weather of the past few weeks and fancy some sun then it seems that Moon Taxi had the right idea. Temperatures in Morocco are already into the early 20s and will gradually rise to the low 40s in the summer.

Marrakech was named as the 9^th best destination in the world by Tripadvisor in 2019. Known as the red city because of the colour of the walls that enclose the Medina in the old city. Here you are likely to experience something closer to traditional Moroccan life. Experience traditional Moroccan cuisine, culture and haggle over a bargain or two.

Traditional Crafts Copyright https://www.visitmorocco.com — Traditional Crafts

Agadir on the coast will provide you with a contrast. Much of the city was rebuilt after an earthquake in the 1960s. Near the base of the Atlas Mountains on the Atlantic Ocean, it is has a long wide beach perfect for swimming and watersports. This makes a great contrast to bustling Marrakech.

These boots are made for walking.

So sang Nancy Sinatra. I imagine that one of the last places that she thought of walking all over was New Zealand. There are 10 so called Great Walks of New Zealand developed and maintained by the New Zealand Department of Conversation. The newest and 10^th Great Walk, called the Paparoa Track was officially opened along its full length on 1^st March 2020. It is unique in that it is a dual walking and mountain biking route.

Paparoa-Track-CREDIT-Jase-Blair — Paparoa Track – West Coast of the South Island, New Zealand

The Paparoa Track is the first Great Walk to be added in 25 years. The Great Walks take an average of 4 days to complete with campsites or huts available along the way. You can compare the Great Walks here. The Great Walks provide a superb opportunity to take in the wide variety of landscapes in both the North and South Islands. According to the New Zealand Department of Conservation 80% of all international visitors to the country took part in some kind of walking related activity and over the past five years there has been a 20% increase in the number of international visitors undertaking the Great Walks.

Walk like an Egyptian.

With summer temperatures well up into the high 30s / low 40s you might not want to do much walking in Egypt, however you will want to dive in the Red Sea.

Diving Egypt - Copyright Egypt.travel (Egypt Tourism Board). — Diving in the Red Sea.

With flights now resumed to Sharm El-Sheikh, all of the Red Sea resorts including Hurghada, Marsa Alam, El Gouna and Taba are bookable all year round for diving holidays. There is a dive school and dive destination to suit all standards of diver including beginners. I never fancied diving in a cold quarry in the UK! Red Sea from me every time.

Abu-Rimata - Underwater
Copyright egypt.travel (Egypt Tourist Authority) — Abu-Rimata

Beware of Dennis the Menace.

So sang Rosemary Clooney in 1953. Over 50 years later and after being battered by Ciara, this weekend it was our turn to “Beware of Dennis”.

Egremni beach, Lefkada, Greece, Beach, Copyright GNTO — Egremni beach, Lefkada, Ionian Islands, Greece

The name Dennis itself derives from Greek and means follower of Dionysios. So this time out we head off to Greece for a holiday of a lifetime. The birthplace of Western Civilisation, Greece has so much to offer. History and culture by the bucket loads, exquisite cuisine, 300 days of sun, beautiful beaches and much more. With 227 inhabited islands and the mainland to visit you will always find somewhere to suit you.

Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to Bermuda, Bahamas

Have you been windswept, battered and soaked by Storm Ciara? Then think back to September 2019, Hurricane Dorian hit the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama island causing $3.4bn worth of damage, 70 people lost their lives and as of November 2019 282 people were still listed as missing.

The Bahamas - Courtesty of the Bahamian Ministry of Tourism — The Bahamas

If you are thinking of a getaway, it’s easy to understand why the Beach Boys would have wanted to take you to the Caribbean.

A holiday in the Bahamas makes great sense at this time of year. Average daytime temperatures range from 25C in February to 28C in April, and your tourism pounds will help the country rebuild.

The Bahamas has beautiful clear waters which are ideal for snorkelling and scuba diving. Explore some of the world’s largest underwater cave systems and one of the largest barrier reefs. The Bahamas consists of 700 islands of which 14 are tourist destinations.