Vacation Dreams

Category: Sidebar

  • Six of Rio de Janeiro

    · Espaço Brasa in Leblon – the newest churrascaria restaurant in town. Though not cheap you leave feeling that whole experience is excellent valueÂ…besides attentive service, the range of meats, salads, desserts & wines is astonishing

    · Sugar Loaf Mountain – though Christos is perhaps more iconic, SL offers the spectacular cable car ascent/descent. Not one for the faint hearted, it gives you excellent views into the city & along its coasts !

    · A long neck of Bohemia on sunny Ipanema beach at 9AM or after a swim in the ocean – clears the throat like no other !

    · Rio Scenarium in Lapa – a big, long night out in RdJÂ’s club land – DJs & bands turn their hands to all flavours of music, particularly cool & hip samba. The queues are worth the effort to get inÂ…

    · Buses – they cover all parts of the city and and are so cheap & varied. Whilst there are train lines, this mode of getting around drives the city – well worth the effort & quite easy.

    · Devassa beers & bars – a microbrewery with its own outletsÂ…try the Negra or Ruiva beers particularly, they make a grand change from lagers that dominate your choices.


  • GT Travel Award

    A member of Globetrotters Club ? Interested in a £1,000 travel award ? Know someone who is ? We have up to two £1,000 awards to give out this year for the best independent travel plan, as judged by the clubÂ’s Committee.

    See the legacy page on our web site, where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent travel trip and we’ll take a look at it. Get those plans in, as the next Legacy deadline will be 31 October 2008 !!


  • Web sites to help your problems or just to provide advice !

    · Federation of Tour Operators – http://www.fto.co.uk/

    · Air Transport Users Council –
    http://www.caa.co.uk

    · JoHo Foundation sets up development projects with volunteers in Africa-


  • Can you help?

    · We are looking for writer, John Wilcock who wrote guide book In 1964, “Japan and Hong Kong on Five Dollars a Day”, are you familiar with him ? I found your website by typing his name and there was reference to 2005 newsletter about $5 a day in Mexico by John Wilcock.

    Best regards
    Mariko Hirai
    NHK Enterprises LA Office
    Email : hirainepamerica.com

    · I would like to know from your members if you have been to Abu Simbel in Egypt and if it is worth the expense and time going ?

    Hoy Holm
    Email : hoynance@aol.com


  • Mac says

    MacRegular contributor Mac ruminates on the world of travel & some of his adventures along the way â€Â” This time round its South AfricaÂ…

    • Hotel Kilarney in Durban South Africa had a Monks Inn where they had strip shows with lunch ! You often see signs Steak, Eggs and ChipsÂ…their sign read Steak, Eggs and strips. (I collect what is said on signs). If you see a strip show in a Monks Inn is that a double sin ?…I could not get thorough to the Pope to find out.
    • The oldest bar in Capetown South Africa is the FiremanÂ’s bar. Firemen from ships used to go there. On the wall they have listed a telephone service with charges for answering phone:-
      • HeÂ’s not here – 20 cents
      • He just left – 25 cents
      • HavenÂ’t seem him all day – 30 cents.
      • HavenÂ’t seen him all week – 35 cents
      • Who ? – 40 cents.
    • At Catholic Church in Johannesburg they hear confessions in Sesotha, Padi, Tsnamia, ZuluXoise, Chiceno, African Dutch, Spanish, Italian and French but the priest did not understand my English (thank heavens) ! At Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris they even hear confessions in Esperanto.

  • Mac says&

    MacRegular contributor Mac ruminates on the world of travel & some of his adventures along the way — This time round its South Africa…

    • Hotel Kilarney in Durban South Africa had a Monks Inn where they had strip shows with lunch ! You often see signs Steak, Eggs and Chips…their sign read Steak, Eggs and strips. (I collect what is said on signs). If you see a strip show in a Monks Inn is that a double sin ?…I could not get thorough to the Pope to find out.

    • The oldest bar in Capetown South Africa is the Fireman’s bar. Firemen from ships used to go there. On the wall they have listed a telephone service with charges for answering phone:-

      • He’s not here – 20 cents

      • He just left – 25 cents

      • Haven’t seem him all day – 30 cents.

      • Haven’t seen him all week – 35 cents

      • Who ? – 40 cents.

    • At Catholic Church in Johannesburg they hear confessions in Sesotha, Padi, Tsnamia, ZuluXoise, Chiceno, African Dutch, Spanish, Italian and French but the priest did not understand my English (thank heavens) ! At Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris they even hear confessions in Esperanto.

  • In the eNewsletter

    If you enjoy writing, enjoy travelling, why not write for the free Globetrotters eNewsletter! The Ant would love to hear from you: your travel stories, anecdotes, jokes, questions, hints and tips, or your hometown or somewhere of special interest to you. Over 14,000 people currently subscribe to the Globetrotter eNewsletter.

    Email The Ant at theant@globetrotters.co.uk with your travel experiences / hints & tips / questions. Your article should be up to 750 words, feature up to 3 or 4 jpeg photos and introduce yourself with a couple of sentences and a contact e-mail address.


  • News from the travel world

    L’Armada 2008 Rouen in France, runs from 5 to 14 July and features 30+ of the world’s grandest sailing ships, firework displays, sailings pass under the new Gustave Flaubert Bridge. There’s a whole two weeks of events that aim to entertain and educate even the most dedicated landlubber…

    Read more @ http://armada.org/Home

  • “China has formally opened what it says is the world’s longest sea bridge with a ceremony and fireworks. The 36km (22.5 mile) bridge spans the mouth of Hangzhou Bay in the East China Sea, linking the commercial capital Shanghai and the port city of Ningbo.”

    Read more @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7377928.stm

  • Majority of Brits unable to identify half countries in Europe. Few can locate popular resorts, poll shows…

    Read more @

    http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/25823

  • ANZ extends carbon offsetting to UK – voluntary scheme offers the option of purchasing carbon credits

    Read more @

    http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1128919.php


  • GT Travel Award

    A member of Globetrotters Club ? Interested in a £1,000 travel award ? Know someone who is ? We have up to two £1,000 awards to give out this year for the best independent travel plan, as judged by the club’s Committee.

    See the legacy page on our web site, where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent travel trip and we’ll take a look at it. Get those plans in, as the next Legacy deadline will be 31 October 2008 !!


  • Web sites to explore !

    www.gowander.com – Wanderlust’s new community web site…just starting up but already has plenty of travel thoughts, ideas & stories

  • http://www.johngray-seacanoe.com/ – Ling Yai (Thai for ‘Big Monkey’) AKA John Caveman Gray, natural history by sea kayaks since 1983 in Thailand and Vietnam

  • http://www.ippg.net/ – informative and up to date news items on the work of the International Porter Protection Group