We are staying with friends at the Villa Champagne Executive Retreat in the Efate region of Vanuatu.

Aerial view of Villa Champagne Vanuatu

Aerial view of Villa Champagne Vanuatu

Villa Champagne claims to be the largest holiday home in the South Pacific, with a 3 acre property,  and comprising a main home of over 700 sq metres and two identical fully self-contained 2-bedroom villas. It is ideally situated on the south coast of Efate Island, just 20 minutes away from Vanuatu International Airport.

The 4-bedroom main residence combines an amazing and expansive open area at ground level with dining and 2 living areas, dining room, kitchen,  laundry, powder room and office and opening directly onto an immaculate outdoor area which faces the beach and contains a large swimming pool, attached spa, two outdoor entertaining areas and also leads to the adjacent villas.

We have found that the level of luxury and convenience of all of the resources necessary to have an enjoyable break from  the hassles of day-to-day life to be a great surprise, and very much appreciated. And remember that Vanuatu is only a short distance form Australia and New Zealand.

I’ll be writing more about this property in a few day’s time, but if you are planning any special event inVanuatu, this is absolutely an opportunity that you should be seriously considering.

     

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Upon arrival into Vanuatu, we stayed for the first night at Moorings Hotel in Port Vila.

Moorings Hotel pool view onto Port Vila harbour in Vanuatu

Moorings Hotel pool view onto Port Vila harbour in Vanuatu

Moorings is promoted as a boutique waterfront hotel just a few minutes walk from downtown Port Vila, and only a short drive form theVanuatu International Airport.

The hotel comprises 30 rooms, including 4 family rooms. Moos Bar and Grill is adjacent to the private pool, and offers great food as well as a wide range of delicious cocktails and of course also offers Tuskers beer (the firm farorite in Vanuatu) on tap.

Moos Bar and Grill seats around 70 people, and offers a varied a-la-carte menu as well as a number of special fares on several days of the week,  including some dishes that really do highlight the variety of food choices available while you’re visiting Vanuatu.

Our group enjoyed a number of excellent tapas and other entrees, followed by a range of seafood and beef dishes. The service was excellent and the pricing was very good for such a facility in Vanuatu.

Our room was located directly adjacent to the pool. We would recommend these deluxe poolside rooms for younger travellers, since there is somewhat more sound from the bar floating through this area.

The people looking after us were very nice, friendly and helpful, and more than happy to offer that extra bit of service that is always appreciated. This seems to be typical of the interaction that we found all over Vanuatu.

In summary, Moorings is a great place for visitors to the capital of Vanuatu, either for a short overnight stay or for a longer period to truly enjoy the beauty and vibrancy of this delightful South Pacific country only a few short hours away from Australia’s east coast.

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Marrol's Hotel Bratislava - Lobby

Marrol's Hotel Bratislava - Lobby

While we were visiting Bratislava, we decided to experience the ambience and facilities of Marrol’s Boutique Hotel, just a three minute stroll away from the waterfront of the Danuj (Danube River).

You can find out more about this hotel by visiting their website at: http://www.hotelmarrols.sk/

Marrol’s is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels group, a selection of small boutique hotels around the world.

Members of this group of hotels must meet certain minimum standards, yet offer a much more personalised level of service than is usually available with the larger hotel chains.

This was certainly the case when we checked in at Marrol’s  Hotel .

We were ushered in to a space more reminiscent of a Victorian salon than reception desk. After being seated, we were offered a choice of welcoming drink whilst going through the paperwork. We both selected to sample the Slovakian sparkling wine Hugo, which is available in a sweet or dry variety.

Once we finished the check in process, we were taken up to our room where we had been told that everything in the room was complimentary. This inlcuded all of the tea and coffee materials, chocolates and wafer biscuits, as well as the contents of the mini bar, which was refilled daily.

The mini bar contents included the usual natural and lightly gassed waters, Slovakian beer, a hlf bottle of really enjoyable Slovakian Riesling wine andd some chocolates and nuts.

The room itself was extremely comfortable, beautifully furnished and appointed with real timber finishes and lovely bathroom amenities. The hotel also provided good quality bathrobes, slippers and shoe cleaning and polishing accessories, etc.

Marrol’s hotel had an enclosed summer garden, ideal for guests wishing to relax outside but still in the privacy of the hotel. Complimentary soft drinks were available to guests enjoying this space.

Complimentary internet access and breakfast were of course included in the tariff for the hotel.

Marrol’s Hotel also offers the Jasmine Spa area in which guests are able to indulge. Not only is it possible to book a wide range of massages in the spa, but guests have the opportunity to book the facility, including exclusive usage of the whirlpool spa, sauna, plunge pool, shower facilities and relaxation area as well as a complimentary bar (beer, wine and soft drink) and fresh fruit.

Breakfast at Marrol’s is also something to experience. The buffet selection was very extensive, with almost any taste catered for.

Guests could begin their meal with a glass of sparkling wine (we did), and then follow up with cereals, fruit selections, espresso coffee to order, cold meat and cheeses selections (with an extensive range of cheeses), pates, a range of hot breakfast choices, including three varieties of eggs, bacon, sausages, frankfurts, tomatoes, mushrooms and a traditional Slovakian bean accompaniment.

Not to mention the fantastic range of breads and both sweet and savoury pastries.

The hotel also boasts a great restaurant which serves a range of modern and traditional Slovakian dishes together with a very wide and reasonably priced wine list.

For anyone who would like to spoil themselves with fantastic and memorable service at a very affordable price, please make a point of booking your accommodation at Marrol’s Boutique Hotel during your visit to Bratislava.

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A six carriage tram in Budapest

A six carriage tram in Budapest

We discovered that Budapest was a city in which there were a number of things that many might find a little confusing, so it is worth while giving some hints and tips to make your visit to Hungary just that little bit smoother.

Whilst Hungary is a part of the European Union, it still maintains its own currency, so that it will be necessary to convert funds into the local currency when you enter Hungary.

You are advised to carry sufficient funds in the local Hungarian currency to ensure that you are able to pay for those purchases for which credit cards are not acceptable – we did find a few of these during our stay in Budapest.

The Hungarian florint (HUF) currently has an exchange rate of some 260 to the euro, so be prepared to have many high value notes in your possession after changing your funds (mind you, they also disappear back out quite rapidly as well).

As an example, the cost of our taxi ride from the railway station to our accommodation came to just under 5000 HUF.

We recommend that you make use of the great public transport system that Budapest has to offer the visitor as a means of getting around the City efficiently and within a reasonable time frame.

Although some parts of the City are quite compact, the division of Budapest by the Danube River means that some of the travelling distances are greater than would otherwise be the case if there wasn’t the need to travel up river or down river to the nearest bridge.

The transport system is efficient and very cost effective. Tickets can be used on all of the modes of transport, so there is no need to purchase different tickets for different types of transport vehicle. Individual tickets can be purchased at machines which are located at many tram stops, at metro stations and other City locations. These machines are mostly coin operated, although there are also note and credit card operated machines at metro stations.

When you purchase your tickets at the metro stations, you are given a greater choice in the types of ticket available. In addition, it is possible to purchase tickets at newsagents and tobacconists. Single tickets cost around 260 HUF (approximately 1 euro). However, other options are available for those wishing to make more extensive use of the system.

We purchased 24 hour tickets from a ticket machine at Moskova metro station for 1550 HUF (approximately 6 euros). These allow you unlimited access to all modes of transport for 24 hours. I did note that you can adjust the start time of the ticket on the machine prior to purchase.

Tickets for longer periods are also available at proportionately lower prices.

For those wishing to make lots of use of site visits and do a lot of sightseeing, the Budapest Card may suit your needs perfectly.

This card is offered for 2-day or 3-day periods, and also covers children under the age of 14 travelling with the card holder.

The card offers free travel on Budapest’s public transport system, free admission to over 60 museums and other important sites and discounts for city sightseeing tours by bus and boat, for folklore and cultural programs and spa baths, restaurants and a number of other businesses in the City.

Prices quoted for this card range from 6300 HUF (about 24 euros) for a 2 day card to 7500 HUF (about 29 euros) for a 3 day card.

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Tchaikovsky Restaurant

Tchaikovsky Restaurant

We were lucky enough to discover the Restaurant Tchaikovsky whilst we recently visited Belgrade (Beograd).

This eating place links the Terasije Square and Balkanska Street in the Stari Grad region of Belgrade. The restaurant is a part of the Hotel Moscow, one of the iconic accommodation venues in the most interesting part of old Belgrade.
For more information about the Tchaikovsky Restaurant and the Hotel Moskva, we recommend that you visit their website at: http://www.hotelmoskva.rs/en/ .

Here, you’ll be able to discover a lot of information about the hotel and many of the celebrities who have stayed at the hotel over the last 100 years, and also download a copy of the menu for the restaurant, so that you too an drool over some of the great dishes on their list.

We succeeded in eating at this establishment twice in the two nights that we were visiting Belgrade (it was simply so good on the first night that we had to return).

We must acknowledge the great work of Executive Chef Stojkovic Kata and his team for putting toegther such a great selection and maintaining a consistent quality.

The range of selections on the menu is excellent. We counted 8 cold appetizers, 8 soups and 8 hot appetizers before we got to mains and desserts.

We tried a number of the soup choices, and have to say that each of our selections were absolutely delicious, each with a range of unique flavors, beautifully presented and a wide selection of breads to enjoy with the soup.

For mains, we sampled the grilled marinated squid, stuffed pork fillets and turkey breasts with gorgonzola sauce. Each of these were accompanied by delicious fresh vegetables.

The salad we selected, Sopska Salad, was just magnificent, with tomato, cucumber, ground black pepper and topped with grated fetta cheese. Following the first night, we had become aware of fine slices of hot chilli carefully disguised to look like cucumber.

Although we didn’t manage to sample the desserts, we must say that they also looked absolutely magnificent.

On our second night at the restaurant, we also asked the waitress about a possible choice of wine. Having explained that we enjoyed a dry red wine without too much bite, we were recommended to try a Serbian Cabernet Merlot variety that she personally enjoyed and believed would suit our tastes. She was exactly right! The wine was one of the best that we’ve experienced out of Europe, with a subtle complexity and nose that we found very enjoyable.

In terms of costing, we found that this restaurant didn’t break the bank. The bill for the second night (with our bottle of wine) came to just over 5,100 rsd (which equates to around ? 50). We consider that this is extremely good value for a meal of this quality served in lovely surroundings, complete with background accompaniment of a pianist on a grand piano.

Whatever you do, when you visit Belgrade, don’t miss this opportunity.

 

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Las Ramblas - Barcelona, Spain

Las Ramblas - Barcelona

 

We’re in northern Spain today.

We have have just completed two days attempting to experience and see everything that Barcelona  has to offer the visitor – an impossible task.

Barcelona truly captures the essence of a wide range of artists, architects, and others with an intense imagination and vision of just how exciting a city that combines a wealth of vivid colors, rich and vibrant scents, amazing shapes and unforgettable flavors.

The names of some of the most well known individuals with links to Barcelona and its northern Spain include:

  • Antonio Gaudi
  • Pablo Picasso
  • Salvador Dali
  • Joan Miro
  • Jose Carreras
  • Pablo Cassals

Within the old quarter of the city of Barcelona, it is easy to become entangled in the history of this part of Spain and the vibrance of the narrow winding streets and alleyways often crowded with a mix of locals and tourists from all over the world, especially during the weekly Sunday family promenade.

According to legend, Hercules founded the city in Spain some 4 centuries before the establishment of Rome.

In the 3rd century B.C. The region was redeveloped by Hannibal’s father, Hamilcar Barca of Carthaginia. The current name for the city owes its origins to this time. However, another school of opinion credits the name to the ancient Iberians who are said to have founded a village named Barkeno on the site over 2000 years ago.

However, whatever the true origins of the city, Barcelona remains an exciting place to visit whilst you’re traveling through northern Spain and in which to become immersed during your stay.

It nowadays boasts some 1,700,000 residents, with its urban region being home to more than 12% of all Spain and well over 75% of Spain’s  Catalonian community.

We arrived at the Port of Barcelona on board Royal Caribbean’s Liberty Of The Seas on the morning of Saturday April 16th, after stopping in a number of ports in Spain, and were taken directly to our hotel for our overnight stay, the Salles Pere IV Hotel. To find out more visit: Peres IV Hotel Barcelona Spain

We were lucky enough to be able to access our room immediately, and consolidated the plans for our activities during our stay in Barcelona.

We purchased a 2-day metro card for 11.5 euros each, and this allowed us access to a wide range of transport options, including the city’s underground metro system, the Renfe (railways of Spain) local rail network, many buses and trams.

We made extensive use of this means of transport, since Barcelona does have an extremely efficient and effective public transport system.

Our travels took us for a stroll along La Rambla – the main tourist shopping region of Barcelona. In addition, we travelled on the Rodalies de Catalunya rail service to Castelldefels, a great seaside community some 20 km south of downtown Barcelona. We spent time exploring the historic quarter, admiring the wide variety of architecture and also enjoying the waterfront marina featuring Historical Museum of Catalunya.

We’ll shortly be boarding our TrenHotel (the Salvador Dali service) from Barcelona’s Estacio de Franca to Milano.

More of experiences in Spain later.

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John and Barbara With The Get Packing BookWe have a couple of personal milestones coming up, and as a result have planned a trip that takes us first from Melbourne in Australia across the Pacific into the US of A, thence by cruise ship across the Atlantic and into Spain.

We plan to then travel largely by train around a number of the Eastern European countries before arriving in London en route back to Melbourne via Singapore.

We will be posting stories and experiences about this trip and the places we visit on this website as we go.

 

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VillaReal Heights Hotel - Phuket

We’re on the last day of a great relaxation break on Phuket Island in Thailand. As a part of our vacation planning exercise we searched for a suitable accommodation venue to meet all of our requirements:

            • within walking distance of Kata and Karon beaches
            • away from the bustle of this location (particularly at night)
            • a small venue, without the impersonality of  larger hotels
            • great personal interaction with the owner or manager
            • ability to interact with the locals
            • assistance in finding out where to go and what to do

As a result of the research we carried out, we were lucky enough to discover the VillaReal Heights Hotel located on the hill, and about 10 minutes walk from both Karon and Kata Beaches on the western shore of Phuket Island.

Deluxe Sea View Room - VillaReal Hotel - Phuket

VillaReal Heights Hotel is of course reviewed on the TripAdvisor website, and is distinguished by having an absolutely marvellous rating on that site. At the time of writing, the hotel has 118 ratings, of which 111 are “excellent”, with the others all being “very good”.

Our experience, based on many years of travel and staying in a wide range of accommodation options all over the world is that one’s pleasure from a stay (or otherwise) is as much related to the treatment you receive from the people working at the place as it is from the facilities, location and added extras provided by the venue.

We were therefore very happy to discover on TripAdvisor and on other sites that Phil, the owner was rated so highly by people who have stayed at his hotel.
Our experience has been no different to that of other guests – Phil is always available and ready to do whatever it takes to make his guests feel at home and to assist them in finding whatever it is that meets their individual needs and wants.
We can’t recommend VillaReal Heights highly enough for any visitors to the friendly and cosmopolitan island of Phuket.
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The Quincy Hotel, SingaporeWe recently had the great pleasure of staying at The Quincy Hotel in Singapore.

The reason we decided to stay at The Quincy was its claim to offer Singapore’s only all-inclusive accommodation experience – and what an experience it was!

Not only is limousine pick-up from the airport or Singapore Cruise Centre included, but the genuine friendliness that is extended when you first arrive signals that this will indeed be a different experience.

We were booked in to The Quincy for 2 nights, and could only wish that our stay was longer.

The Quincy hotel should be seriously considered by both corporate and holiday visitors since it is able to offer you a range of quality accommodation and support options with friendly and helpful support and a great experience for your time spent in Singapore.

We have certainly noted this hotel as one we will be sure to visit on our next visit to Singapore and strongly recommend to others.

The long list of complimentary items on offer at The Quincy includes:

  • limousine pick-up
  • three lovely meals every day (with daily dinner menu changes)
  • minibar selection
  • wireless and wired high speed internet
  • magnificently equipped gymnasium
  • sauna and steam room
  • 2 hour daily cocktail hour with wines, beers and mixed drinks
  • glass sided swimming pool on level 12
  • 2 laundry items per room per day
  • Molton Brown amenities, replenished daily
  • carparking
  • local telephone calls
  • robes and slippers

Quincy Hotel Stateroom

To find out more, visit the Quincy Hotel website at: http://www.quincy.com.sg

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We have recently discovered a great new apartment block at Biggera Waters in south-east Queensland Australia.

Silvershore Apartments at night Silvershore Apartments consists of 1, 2 and 3-bedroom self-contained units.

There is a choice of water view or mountain view units, and we reckon that it’s worth paying the extra for the magnificent view out over the Broadwater.
We would also recommend that you request a room on one of the upper floors, so that you can enjoy the view out over the top of the low island that usually blocks the entrance to the Gold Coast Seaway.

This part of the Gold Coast is well away from the bustle and glitz of Surfers Paradise itself, yet is still only a short drive or bus ride away (or a good walk for those feeling energetic).

The non-smoking block boasts  the following features:

BBQ facilities, direct access to the beach, gym and fitness room, lift/elevator, onsite secure undercover parking, an outdoor heated pool, spa/hot tub/Jacuzzi, individual air conditioning, balcony / courtyard, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer, full kitchen, iron & ironing board, opening windows, refrigerator, full size Shower over bath, TV and of course tea and coffee making facilities.

The pricing is currently very reasonable indeed, but be prepared for this to rise once the secret gets out!

We will definitely be returning to Silvershore in the near future.

To find out more, visit the TripAdvisor website:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Search?q=silvershore+apartments&sub-search.x=6&sub-search.y=8

As you can see, Silvershore is right on the beachfront:

View of beach from Silvershore Apartments
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