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Guests on this ultra-luxury line's 208-passenger ship Seabourn Spirit, enjoy fine dining (especially at dinner), all-suite cabins, and doting service. You won't find much razzmatazz here, but you will find an opportunity to enjoy some quiet time and converse with your fellow travelers in a refined environment.

The champagne flows liberally, there's opportunity to eat caviar, and all women get the arm of a waiter when they enter the dining room. Since you've paid considerable bucks upfront, the line can afford to throw in freebies. And they do: Included in the cruise fare is a welcome bottle of champagne, an in-suite bar setup, nearly all drinks (you pay extra for some premium brands), decent wine with lunch and dinner; and crew tips.

Seabourn also has a complimentary shore excursion program. On each cruise, at one port of call, there is one free shore-side event to which all passengers are invited. As with a shore excursion, you sign up and get tickets (but in this case you don't pay). These events are often a highlight of the voyage, and may include an Attack by PIRATES


Pirates attack luxury cruise liner at sea

British passengers aboard a luxury cruise liner are recovering after the ship was attacked off the coast of Africa by pirates firing a rocket propelled grenade and machine guns.
The Bahamas-registered Seabourn Spirit was 100 miles off the coast of Somalia when the attack took place.

Terrified passengers were woken by the sound of gunfire as two 25 foot rigid inflatable boats came up to the liner and started shooting as their occupants tried to get on aboard.

As seen in the Daily Mail

Azerbaijan airlines are the cheapest way to travel to Turkey. The name didn't necessarily instil confidence but they are an extremely professional and competent company.

A return flight costs less than a weeks wages (160) you will receive an in-flight meal (take sandwiches if you are a vegetarian) and as much wine as you can drink - since they had no vegetarian option on the way back I kept asking for another glass of white wine instead and had a bit of a headache by the time we landed!

You can watch the in-flight movie in either Turkish, German, English or Russian - all of the air-hostesses are fluent in all of these languages too, or listen to the news or the radio. There is an excellent monitor above your seat which shows visually how many miles you have travelled, the speed, height, outside temperature and how long it will be before you reach your destination.

If you're very lucky you will be able to sit next to a sweaty, middle-aged Turkish man who will hit on you only after he has been shot-down by every other female in the vicinity.

Upon arrival in Turkey there are two queue's. The one for Turks and the one for non-Turks - don't make the mistake of joining the wrong queue to depart the airport or you will wait for 30 minutes and be re-directed to the queue for 'non-Turks' Turks get through free but non-Turks have to pay 10.

The airport staff are very friendly and will invite you to jump to the front of the queue if they know you have already queued for 30 mins in the wrong queue. If you ask the man behind the counter if it's ok to smoke (he had a cigarette in his mouth as he checked my passport) he will smile widely and offer you one of his cigarettes.

Very friendly people and when you lose your luggage because you forget what colour your suitcase is they will politely locate it for you and offer you another cigarette.

Beware of foreign people who come up to you and ask you a question in a foreign language and you don't know what language they are speaking and they don't speak a single word of English. It's very hard to politely end a conversation when you don't know a single word of what each other are saying.

Don't believe the myth that Turks always hit on or pester blue-eyed, blonde females. They are actually very polite and friendly and I never got chatted up once! Hmmm can't be bcz I'm ugly can it? No it must be bcz at the time I didn't speak much Turkish so my bf had to be by my side all the time! Yes that must be it! *nods!

When you are met at the other end by your bf (first time I'd ever flown on my own! ) On no account should you shout out 'Huseyin!' as 30 people will look around and wonder how you knew their name. For that matter never shout out the names Mehmet, Yilmaz or Kemal as it seems most Turkish men are called either Mehment, Yilmaz, Huseyin or Kemal...

Prepare to be confused when you see women in Burka's in the market and their husbands call out to them - how did they know which one was their wife?

Don't believe the hype. I was given a lot of advice before travelling alone to a foreign country and 99% of it was wrong.

As I was staying for more than a month I decided to ignore the advice about 'don't drink the water'. Most people who follow that advice seem to get sick anyway so I thought why waste my time following this rule if I'll get sick anyway? I will drink the water, get sick, get better and get on with the holiday - So I drank the water, ate pomegranates, figs and hazelnuts straight from the tree. My then bf's uncle had a farm and a derelict house that my bf grew up in on his land. The house is now used to store Walnuts and hazel nuts and I blew the dust off them, cracked them open with my teeth and ate them and I didn't get sick once!

When you see a chicken the size of a small horse - never be tempted to exclaim - 'My God! I've never seen such a big ****!' My bf responded with 'Oh I've seen bigger' and then we suddenly realised what I had just said and cried with laughter. How do you explain to his uncle what you are laughing at!

Useful phrases:

Imdat! Agrippe! - Help it's a scorpion (very hard to tell someone there is a scorpion under your bed if you don't know that one!)

Hayir, Alman degil - Irlande var - No I am not German I am Irish (Turks tend to assume that blondes are either German or Russian)

bir sise beyaz sharap lutefen - a bottle of white wine please

bir fincan chay lutefen - a cup of tea please

bir paket kedi yemek bisküvit lutefen – a packet of cat-biscuits please

içecek koyun - drink the water!

Turkey is fabulous.

Feed the local cats, drink the water take a phrasebook, plenty of sun-cream and enjoy!

am going to try and write some proper stuff for this thread at some point, but in the meantime, here's something for ellie....


San Francisco has an atmosphere of genteel chic mixed with offbeat innovation and a self-effacing quality so blatantly missing from brassy New York and plastic LA. Its hilly streets provide some gorgeous glimpses of the sparkling bay and its famous bridges.

The treats of San Francisco are not just for locals. The basic pleasures of life here - wonderful food, sparkling nightlife and those glorious views - are there for everyone. Watch the white fog fill the Golden Gate as the sunset lights up the windows across the bay, and prepare to leave your heart.

When To Go
Pick a month of the year and there's always a festival or street party on somewhere in San Fran. Unless a bit of fog or a brisk morning perturbs you, you can't go too wrong visiting the city. The best months to come are either side of the summer peak season, with the September to November period being particularly festive.


Lonely Planet

Budapest By Taffysteve

The first thing that strikes you when you arrive in Budapest is the staggering architecture surrounding you. We arrived at around 9.30 pm to find the city’s various monuments and bridges illuminated, giving the place a feeling of grandeur.

Gellert Hill
Without question, the first thing that catches your eye is the Liberation Monument. This monument commemorates the liberation of Budapest by the Russians. Of course, the Russian liberation of Budapest also marked the beginning of Soviet rule in Hungary, so the monument is regarded with mixed emotions. The walk up to the monument is a tough one and whilst you can use public transport to reach it, the reward of making it to the summit wouldn’t be anywhere near as gratifying.

Citadel
Also at the top of the mountain (where there are the most stunning views of both the Buda and Pest sides of the city) you can find the Citadel. The fortress was built in 1851 by the Austrians as a symbol of their power over the Hungarians after the 1848-49 revolution and war of independence.

A short way up Gellert Hill (named after the martyred Bishop Gellert) you will find a stunning church which is built into the side of a cave. The church is home to a number of monks of the Pauline Order. Entry into the impressive place is allowed as long as peace and quiet is maintained and there is no mass taking place.

Have a spa!
At the bottom of Gellert Hill is the stunning Gellert Hotel and Spa complex. Here, visitors can pay around 4,000 HUF (Hungarian forint), equivalent to £11, to go into one of the single-sex spas. You can take swimming costumes with you or if you’re feeling very brave, you can wear the ‘apron’ that is provided for you. (I don't know what ladies are provided with!) The apron leaves little or nothing to the imagination, which you may find very uncomfortable at first. Once inside the spas though, you will feel somewhat overdressed as most of the patrons are naked. For the more modest among you, there are a number of mixed-sex spas, which have a ‘well-covered’ policy. The architecture of these places should not be missed!

If you fancy something a bit more modern, you can go to the Mandala Day Spa, which offers full Clarins massages, facials and spas for around £30. The environment is incredibly relaxing and the staff attend to your every need with professionalism. Complimentary herbal teas and fruit is provided for however long you decide to stay. For the truly adventurous, you can even float in the ‘Dead Sea Pool’, which has relaxing music playing under the surface!

Accommodation
We stayed at the five star Sofitel Atrium, which was right on the bank of the Danube. Our ‘executive suite’ overlooked the Danube and most of the other sights could be seen from our window. Also included in the room price of €99 was a full American-style buffet breakfast and entrance to the Executive Lounge where a hostess served unlimited free drinks and snacks from 07:00 to 21:00

The hotel also offers a complimentary half-hour massage for both guests plus free entry to the fitness facility. There is also a casino within the hotel with all the usual fruit machines and card games.

Shopping
Shopping in the city is almost as cosmopolitan as London, with many famous brands from Tommy Hilfiger to Marks & Spencer all within a five-minute walk of the hotel. But, by far the most exciting shopping can be found in the ‘Westend City Centre’ shopping outlet, which sprawls over three floors and has over 400 shops. Shopping isn’t as inexpensive as you may have thought it would be, so be prepared to spend some forint!

Getting around
Getting around the city is easy, with trams, buses and trains running regularly at very little cost. You can buy the Budapest Card for 4,500 HUF (around £15), which gives you four days’ unlimited access to all public transport plus discounts on some restaurants and museums. Taxis are not too expensive but you are in danger of being overcharged if you take a taxi from the main railway station.

Museums
There are too many museums in Budapest to list them here, but the one I visited was the Hungarian National Museum. The history collection is organised as a timeline and there you can follow the line of events that led to Hungary’s 50 years of communist rule and oppression.
You will see propaganda posters, newspapers and photos detailing the events of the 1956 revolution when the people of Budapest tried to turn the country into a democracy but were suppressed by the Russian army. The museum provides a fascinating look at the major events in Hungary’s colourful history and helps bring to life some of the struggles that Hungarians faced under communist rule.

Eating out
There is an incredible selection of restaurants and cafes to choose from, serving traditional Hungarian food. There are also a few Italian and Greek restaurants in the area. Also, in the hotel there is the ‘Focaccia’ restaurant, which serves food with a Mediterranean feel. For good service, a tip of around 15% is recommended, but check that the service charge isn’t included in the bill first.

Top tips
• On arrival, take a taxi from outside the terminal to your hotel (around 5,200 HUF to the centre). This taxi will provide you with a card, guaranteeing your return journey for 3,500 HUF. Keep this card safe, as a taxi from the hotel to the airport costs double this amount.
• If approached on your way back to the hotel in the evening, politely decline any offers as the people will almost certainly be trying to lure you into one of the many strip-clubs in the area which charge extortionate prices for drinks.
• The same as when you travel to any city, you should keep wallets and purses close to your person, as pickpockets operate around tourist areas.

My trip to Budapest was four days long, which I found to be ample time to take in the key sights of this magnificent city.

just in case you're interested - some of my Antipodean adventures!! sadly it's all coming to an end too fast and I'm heading back to Aberdeen on Tuesday (and apologies to those who already got this wee story via the email - you know who you are )

g'day again...............am back in Sydney again after the joys of the tropical north - so bizarre to have rain, but still be warm throughout it all. We had a brilliant time, and really made the most of being there - spending a small fortune on the way....

The four wheel drive trip to the Daintree rainforest was fantastic - there were six of us in the vehicle and our driver/guide called Ian. He was very knowledgeable about the area, plants, animals etc (as you would expect I spose) and I learned loads of geographical stuff that I had no idea about before (I took History at school you see). It was an eventful day - first off we had a trip down the Daintree river in a wee boat and we saw an ENORMOUS crocodile lying by the side of the river. I was doing ok until the guy told us that they could leap their own length (and then some) quite easily - eeek. We also saw tree frogs, snakes and slightly smaller crocs.

We rejoined Ian and the transport, then kept going north towards Cape Tribulation - nearly had a wipeout with a woman coming the other way too fast - but got there safely in the end. We did a few rainforest walks which were great - however at the last one, Jen got two leeches stuck to her - it was horrid. They are not harmful (so they say) apart from the fact they attach themselves to you and suck your blood til they fall off (yuck) - and you can get rid of them by sprinkling salt. Jen was correct in her statement that it was just as well it had happened to her rather than me - I have never been known for my ability to cope with critters (that's beasties to you and me)

The next day we went for our Great Barrier reef adventure, and went out on an organised trip with about 30 other folks. We stopped at two places, both of which were amazing. They gave us a 'reef brief' which basically meant they told you a bit about the coral, and the fish and other marine life - really interesting as I knew nothing. I was surprised by how much I loved the snorkelling though - I knew I had to do it, but didn't expect to like it so much!! Jen and I searched high and low for Nemo - but sadly he was not to be found that day. We did however see his little cousin - who was the same design but blue and yellow instead

Our day on the reef was the only sunny-ish day to be honest - and even though we had slathered on the sunscreen, we still ended up a bit burnt and pink. Not so good. And probably a blessing that it was the only sunny day if that was what one day did to our poor Scottish skin (I have to say it was Jen who was the worst though)

Am now back in Sydney from being in Melbourne - and I LOVED it down there. It is a really great city and even though I was only there a couple of days I still feel I got a chance to explore and enjoy it.

hope everyone else who is on hols is having a great time too

love Felly x x x

Now trying to rack my brains and find out if you actually get a blue/yellow clown fish after reading that I never thought you did but maybe it's just one that looks similar as felicity said "Nemo fish" rather than Clown fish... Actually - I know from seeing the film a lot of people have expected clown fish to be bigger than they are which I found quite funny but understandable I guess.

Sorry - fish are still one of my "things" at the moment - spent hours in the shop on Sunday. I refuse to call them "obsessions" though...

I forgot about this thread and could've said something about Italy but don't want to be too specific (doubtful anyone's interested anyway) - I'm just waiting for someone from "real life" to ask if this is me as if someone I know ever comes on here from the stuff I speak about they'll know straight away it's me!!

However though on the subject of nature. Where we were staying there was a river, it was sooooooo hot though so it was all dried up and a bit manky (great word ). But yes, I used to go there every night (midnightish when it was pretty dark) and there were like flashes of light (don't know how else to descibe them - it was obvious it wasn't fake light if you see what I mean though). My dad said that they could have been glow worms or fire flies but most likely glow worms. These are apparently rare so does anyone know if this is what they could have been considering we were in Italy? They were certainly magical to look at but couldn't get a decent picture

Sorry - maybe that's not "travel" exactly but I came across them while on my travels...

Can anyone recommend a hotel in Krakow, Poland? Our footie team is planning a trip there next year. We hope to sample some traditional Pole dancing

hi tasty, I went to Krakow in May, it's a brilliant place to visit, although no Pole dancing for me....

If you're in a big group you're probably best off staying in a hotel off the main square (Rynek Glovny). We stayed in the Jewish quarter (Kazimierz) but might be a bit quiet if you're going out on the lash.

We booked through Thomson but Expedia or hotels.com are good places to look. Also http://www.tripadvisor.com, which publishes reviews of hotels by travellers who have been there.

If you go, the Buddha Bar in the main square is quite funky - nice vodka!

As you know I have just come back from New York! It's an amazing place to go and visit, there are so many things to do and see while you are there! I went for 6 days I know the average seems to be around 4 days, to be honest in 4 days you would hardly see half of it, so if you can afford to go for longer I strongly recommend it!

The Lonely Plant guide to NY is a very good buy, easy to read and gives you tips that you wouldn't know about.

One tip we found out about through asking the right questions is, you can go to the Statue of Liberty Island but we wanted to know whether you could go up it, I know some years back they stopped people from doing so, anyway you can get a pass to go to the viewing point just below where the feet are on the statue and can look up inside the Statue and see how it's held together. To get this, you have to reserve it over the phone or alternative get to the Statue for 8 am in the morning. We booked ours over the phone, but loads of people didn't know about it and tried to get a pass on the island and of course they are all gone. That's my no 1 tip!!

The second tip I would say is to go up the Empire States building, the ques are far less at night or late evening last admission is 12am at night, we got there for 11:30pm although we qued it only took us 40 mins to get to the top also it's best to not go to the very top which is 102 floor because you are enclosed and looking through glass, which is no good for photo's plus it's an extra £15 to go, so I would only go to the main viewing floor which is 80 something there you can walk around outside and get an amazing view of NY at night!

If you wanted to go up in the day I would choose the Rockafellor Centre as it's cheaper and hardly any ques, by doing the different sky scrapers like this we saved time!

Third tip is that I found it really difficult to change traveller's cheques, only in big restaurants or museum's I could do this, I even tried the bank and all they said was, did I have an account with them, I said no I'm from England!!! I was really surpised by this because I was so sure I wouldn't have a problem with a bank of all places!!!! Also they don't seem to like exchanging $50 they are more happy with $20's

Show's are really easy to go and see not like London at all, we booked 4 days in advance and had no problems getting in, the newest shows out, were more or less booked but we saw The Lion King and also Tarzen which has only just come out this year! Both shows were fantastic so if your a musical lover, it's a really good opportunity to see quite a few shows!

Staten Island ferry is free so worth a ride goes right past Statue of Liberty plus either way if you get on the very end of the boat you can get a great picture of Manhatten Skyline. The Subway isn't the easiest to use, it does take some working out, the station numbers don't quite correspond to the road numbers which is strange! Loads of New Yorkers are very friendly and happy to help!

We also did a movie tour which was really good if your really into films, so many are made in New York because it's a coach tour it's a really good way of seeing suburb areas and different areas where you may not go!

I had such a great time I really highly recommend going while you have the chance to go! It's extremely tiring walking everywhere and getting the Subway, but it's well worth it! I hope this helps some of you that may take a trip out there!

I can't WAIT to see that one

LOL!

You might need to go to a 'special' theatre for that one, felicity !

Puh-lenty of those in New York, believe me...

Thank you for pointing out the huge mistake, I have corrected it now! but very funny anyhow!

Speaking about travel - anybody with any decent suggestions of what to do whilst travelling in New Zealand would be welcome to post suggestions here too.