Llafranc is just up the coast from me and is indeed a lovely little place. A short bike ride takes you up to Tamariu, which is really nice. I've been here for five years now and in that limited time I've seen the cost of living increase. This, coupled with wage cuts, means that tourist towns along the Costa Brava and throughout Spain are relying heavily on foreign tourism, noticebaly Russian.
I've always wanted to go to the Dalmatian coast and very nearly did when I was working in Ancona, Italy. Due to (happy) circumstances it's not going to happen for a year or so. Where exactly did you stay?

I wouldn't mind going to Menorca again, the last time I went I stayed at S'algar out of season which was like a ghost town with very little around. Just having a look at Cala n Bosch which looks like a nice place

Have been lots of times to Menorca but mainly to Es Castell (next to the main town Mahon) and to Son Bou which we went to several times - have also travelled all over the island as I'm not a "lie around the pool" sort of person but prefer hiring a car and pottering around, driving around Menorca is really easy and I defy even an idiot to get lost



Cala n Bosch is a place I have visited as the son of a friend of mine was a Thompsons rep there and we went to see him one day, it is nice place but like a lot of the resort towns on the island its very much a tourist-only place, has bars and restaurants a-plenty, has a very nice looking four star hotel that seems to cater for the more wealthy Spanish clients (couldn't see any UK operator using it a few years ago), its close to Ciutadella which is the sort of place that I like mooching around in being that its a former main town and still retains lots of original buildings - you are up the far end of the island though and a car is necessary if you want to go further afield, if you're happy with a one resort holiday then Cala n Bosch would be fine.

A place called Makarska which is in Split-Dalmatia county on the Adriatic. Been a few times, and it's about 60km from Split airport. I'm a non-driver so just jump on a bus for pennies and it delivers you at destination, easy-peasy. The bluest sea I've ever seen and some great coastal walks through pine forests either way from Makarska. Lack of Brits as well, which is another bonus.

We started at Trogir, which is like a tiny Venice and we took two weeks moving down the Dalmatian coast bit-by-bit as far as Dubrovnik, where we stayed in the Old Town.
The very Venetian-style architecture, the limestone mountains, the blue sea and Diocletian's palace in Split stick in my memory.
Makarska is a lovely place, I can well understand why you've been back.
All the way down the coast there are opportunities to visit many, many islands for a day (or longer?) of peace and quiet.
One of the places we stayed at on the coast was a small village called Mali Ston where the seafood is absolutely unbeatable.

This was just after the war was over and there were still enough places un-rebuilt and new tombstones with lit candles in the cemeteries to remind you just how recent it all was.
Walking around the walls of Old Town Dubrovnik, you only need to notice the number of buildings (the majority in fact) with replacement new orange tiled-roofs to realise just how much ordnance was lobbed onto them from the top of the hill.

Strange as it seems, I was actually recommended the country by a mate of mine who was over there just after the war. He is a 360 digger driver and he was over there tidying up, digging mass graves for the deceased being one of his more horrific duties. Managed to do a bit of exploring during his time off and was still suitably impressed with the beauty of the place excluding the extenuating circumstances of his reason for being there. Went for the duration of the whole World Cup in 2006 (5 weeks), sitting in bars with Croatians watching their team compete in the finals. Friendly as you like, sending me bottles of beer over...Nice people, cheap beer and fantastic scenery.

Ended up booking 9 Nights in Cala D'Or at a place called Club Martha's self catering which looks nice enough. Seems like Cala D'or and Cala Egos aren't the liveliest places in the world but hopefully will be ok for a quiet break.

Ive booked my flights for Las Vegas for end of september but I have yet to decide on a hotel. Due to budget and me wanting to be on the strip, the hotels in my range are Circus Circus, Excalibur, Riviera and the Luxor. The stratosphere is also in my budget but its location seems to not be ideal. Would the Luxor be the best out of this bunch?

Cheers

Hi, im thinking of booking Sorrento for a hoiday this July for two weeks i know theres lots to do during the day with places to go, but what is the nightlife like ? I have done Madrid and Lisbon in the last couple of years and liked there bar culture. has Sorrento got something similar or is it mainly restaurants. Thanks for any help on this.

Avoid Circus Circus kids and clowns everywhere!

They did a nice hot beef sandwich in there in 1974, first time I'd been served a sandwich with gravy.

Anyone been to the west coast of Canada, Vancouver or Vancouver Island?? Looking at staying in a log cabin on the island if possible, for a week and do a load of outdoor sports stuff and whale watching if possible.

Yep, been on the Island and around the rain forest, Kelowna, Whistler, other places.

Great place if you're into outdoors stuff as it's very much the way of life over there.

In fact, if you get the ferry over to Nanaimo from Vancouver, as you enter Departure Bay, look up to the left and there's a big ranch type house on the top of the mountain, that's one of my best friends house.

Not the Canadian West Coast but have spent a lot of time in Oregon & Washington states. The Pacific North West has some of the most amazing coastline you'll ever see. Go inland and you've got the Coast and Cascade mountain ranges before hitting desert country.

Go, you won't be disappointed

Vancouver Island is great.


Try and seek out the "cable cook house", (if it's still open!).

Beware of the Bears when out in the sticks, especially in the spring when they're coming out of hibernation, and hungry.



Victoria is the main town, and is thriving with both ancient and modern architecture. Also there are plently of bars there serving British style Real Ales (often brewed on the premises), which is a welcome change to the generic swill found in the surrounding areas.

Prices, however are very misleading, as what is displayed is the 'basis' price. On top of that you need to add VAT then local Tax, and finally a tip of around 15% is expected

My money is on the chef having been an expat Lancastrian.
Gravy-mad they are.

I went to Vietnam and Cambodia last month

An amazing experiance. Landed in Ho Chi Minh City at 8pm and the following morning started a 14 hour coach journey to Siem Reap in the North West of Cambodia to go see the temples around there. Spent 4 days there before going to the capital, Phnom Penh for 2 nights. Then ventured back to Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City for a few days. HCM is one of the most bonkers places I have ever visited with its mental road system but a fantastic place to visit

I would visit these two countrys soon as I think they will have change a great deal in the next few years

Someone that I work with has a Thai wife and he tells me that when the wealthy Thai's go on holiday they go to Vietnam and/or Cambodia to remind themselves of what their country used to be like before tourism.

I can see that


HCMC is a massive growing City that in 5/10 years time could well be a financial/industrial powerhouse

As for Cambodia yeah, the bigger towns and citys are growing but villages etc are nearly 3rd World

Wasn't greatly impressed with HCMC, loved Cambodia though.

Quote ="Saint77777"Ive booked my flights for Las Vegas for end of september but I have yet to decide on a hotel. Due to budget and me wanting to be on the strip, the hotels in my range are Circus Circus, Excalibur, Riviera and the Luxor. The stratosphere is also in my budget but its location seems to not be ideal. Would the Luxor be the best out of this bunch? Cheers'" Have you booked yet? All poor hotels in poor locations. Luxor would be the best if you are determined to stay in one of those, but have a look at this website... www.smartervegas.com/deals.aspx ...and see if you can stretch your budget to the Flamingo. Great hotel, reasonable prices and brilliant location.

Quote ="Saint77777"Ive booked my flights for Las Vegas for end of september but I have yet to decide on a hotel. Due to budget and me wanting to be on the strip, the hotels in my range are Circus Circus, Excalibur, Riviera and the Luxor. The stratosphere is also in my budget but its location seems to not be ideal. Would the Luxor be the best out of this bunch? Cheers'" Have you booked yet? All poor hotels in poor locations. Luxor would be the best if you are determined to stay in one of those, but have a look at this website... www.smartervegas.com/deals.aspx ...and see if you can stretch your budget to the Flamingo. Great hotel, reasonable prices and brilliant location.

Ive lived here for 5 years and work all around the island and Cala D'Or is great. Make sure you go to the Tex Mex all you can eat ribs on the main road in Cala D'Or you cant really miss it. Cala Egos is really quiet one main road with about 6 bars and restaurants. Hiring a car for a couple of days would be a good shout to drive up the east coast.

I've just spent a few days in Ireland. Went to see the Titanic thing in Belfast, but also the Giants Causway, the rope bridge at Carrick-a-Rede great views across to Scotland. We also went to Downies which is at the top of Donegal. Fantastic views of the Atlantic in brilliant weather. A bit expensive for eating and drinking though, but we enjoyed it. Wanted to see the Bushmills distillery but it was closed because of the 12th July stuff - saw quite a few Orangemen but no trouble. I'd go again.

I found Cambodia very unexpected and also the people are so nice!

I'm going to be spending two and a half days in London at the end of this month. My girlfriend is American, and wants to see Buckingham palace, the changing of the guard and Westminster Abbey. I haven't spent much time in London myself, I will visit a museum or two and most likely the Tate Modern. Other than that I don't really know too much more about the city. I was hoping to walk to most places, as I think I will find a lot of nice spots in the areas between the 'bigger' attractions. Obviously I'll use the tube for the bigger distances. I was just wondering if anyone knows of any good places/things to do that are a little less well known. Is there anything that you would say is an absolute must see? Thanks in advance.