Search This Blog

Showing posts with label Hrvatska. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hrvatska. Show all posts

Sunday, 15 October 2023

Travel Tips: The Best Hotels I've Ever Stayed in

Seeing as I won't be going on any "big trips" for at least a couple of months, my plan for the blog is to alternate between writing posts about my travels and day trips around Bristol and beyond, and writing posts about other travel-related topics, in order to keep things varied.

My latest post was about a local trip, so this one is going to be something a bit different. I had a look through the list of post ideas I've built up over the years (quite a few!) in order to decide what took my fancy to write about today, and in the end, I decided to write about the topic of hotels, as it's something I haven't really done before!

Generally, these days, I'm happy to stay somewhere clean, comfortable and reasonably priced. I used to try to look for more unique, characterful places to stay, with somewhat mixed results - I remember regretting staying at the old-fashioned pub/hotel in York that was freezing cold with a smelly bathroom, and the supposedly fancy boutique hotel in Bournemouth where my room was tiny and the shower didn't work. Both times I wished I'd opted for the reliability of an Ibis or Premier Inn! Having said that though, when you do stay in a hotel that's really special, it definitely makes your trip that extra bit special too.

I like to think that nowadays I'm quite good at choosing hotels that are both good value and super nice places to relax after a day of exploring. I've stayed in quite a few really great ones over the years, particularly during the last couple of years, and so I've decided to put my favourites together into a list.

Here they are!


Admiral Grand Hotel, Slano, Croatia


















Image by Rachel Claire from Pexels.com

This hotel in the Dalmatia region of southern Croatia is one of (I think) only three 5* hotels that I've stayed in during my life so far. I went there with my family in 2012 and we had a wonderful week in the hotel, which is located in the village of Slano, and also took day trips to Dubrovnik, and Neum and Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The hotel is pretty huge, and has lots of facilities, including an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, various bars and restaurants, a nightclub, and a beautiful private beach surrounded by mountains. Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera phone at the time, and I've got no photos to show of the hotel, so enjoy this nice image of Dubrovnik instead!


Cedar Manor Hotel, Windermere, England, UK





























My parents actually won a competition to stay at this 5* hotel in the Lake District, and seeing as Covid kept me still living at home in 2020, I got to come along with them! My room was huge, with a four-poster bed, dressing table, and a bath the size of a hot tub, so staying there was quite a special experience. It was also great to be surrounded by the beautiful nature of the Lake District, and overall, it was a really relaxing few days. I actually enter travel competitions on a weekly basis and hope to win something like this myself some day, but it hasn't happened yet - maybe I'll be lucky soon!

Read more here!


Novotel, Arica, Chile























My partner Claudio and I both loved staying in this hotel located right on the beach in the city of Arica in the far north of Chile. The room was so comfortable and luxurious, as well as being reasonably priced, and the view from the window of the beach and Morro de Arica was absolutely stunning. I hope we'll get to go back there again at some point in the future!

Read more here!


Ayenda Estancia San Pedro, Cusco, Peru





















My solo trip to Peru in October 2022 was a week where I really tried to immerse myself in the Peruvian culture and history as much as possible. I spent my first four days in the historic city of Cusco, which I used as a base to take day trips around the Sacred Valley of the Incas. During this time, I stayed in Ayenda Estancia de San Pedro, which is actually a hotel created inside an old colonial building. It's a beautiful place and really added a sense of authenticity to the trip.

I also want to give an honourable mention to Machu Picchu Adventure House, the hotel I stayed in in Aguas Calientes after my time in Cusco. This place was super comfortable and had very nice Inca-style décor.




















Read more here!


Park Inn by Radisson, Puerto Varas, Chile
























There are actually two Radisson hotels in the charming town of Puerto Varas in the south of Chile: a more expensive one right on the shore of Lago Llanquihue, and the more affordable Park Inn further into the town. We chose to stay at the Park Inn during our trip and found it so cosy and comfy. The hotel was built in a traditional German style, typical of the area, and has beautiful views across the rest of the town and the lake.

Read more here!


B&B Vergilia, Syracuse, Sicily, Italy




















I earned some hotel vouchers from doing weekly surveys when I was living at home between 2020 and early 2022, but wasn't able to use them while I was living in Chile, and had to quickly decide what to do with them before they expired in May this year. I chose to use them on a stay in B&B Vergilia during my trip to Sicily in June and was very happy with my choice! This is one of these sorts of hotels that are quite common in Italy (I stayed somewhere similar in Florence), which are built inside grand, old houses, meaning that all of the rooms are incredibly spacious. B&B Vergilia is also a family-run hotel, and the owners are super friendly and welcoming, so I'll definitely be staying there again if I return to Syracuse in the future!

Read more here!


39 St. George, Victoria/Rabat, Gozo, Malta






























This hotel is located in Victoria (also known as Rabat), the capital of Gozo, Malta's sister island, and is a really characterful place. I loved the Medieval vibe of the building, as well as its amazing views over the stunning St. George's Square. It was also super comfortable, which made a nice change from the hostel that I was living in in Malta at the time!

Read more here!


I had a fantastic time staying in all of these hotels, and they were great bases to come back to after days of exploring incredible places. I hope to continue with my run of choosing great hotels, and then perhaps I'll have another one of these posts to write in a couple of years' time!


Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here!

Sunday, 5 December 2021

Travel Tips: My Top Ten Historical Destinations

This week's blogpost is going to focus on my favourite historical destinations. Now, of course, nearly every town or city in the world has some kind of link to the near or distant past, and could therefore be counted as a historical destination, meaning there are various places I could have included in this list. But the ones I've chosen to write about today are the ones that really seem to bring history to life, and which have given me an insight into different periods of the past...


Avebury, England, UK












This prehistoric stone circle, along with the other nearby stone circle, Stonehenge, are probably the closest thing we have in the UK to a site like Machu Picchu or the Egyptian pyramids. And both happen to be located in my home county of Wiltshire, which is pretty cool! Stonehenge is definitely the more famous and popular of the two, but I personally prefer Avebury, as it's much much bigger, and access is less restricted. No one knows exactly why the circle was built, but it's amazing to look at it and think about how long it's been there for. 

Read more here!



Bath, England, UK

























Bath is another historical place that I'm lucky to live quite close to. This beautiful city was very important during the Roman era, and you can still find many Roman columns around the city centre, most famously at the Roman Baths (pictured above). The Roman Baths was a spa and temple complex that attracted visitors from far and wide, and now it's a museum that brings in tourists from all over the world.

Another reason to visit Bath is for its more recent, Georgian history. It was a very popular city amongst the wealthy during that time period, and was famously written about by Jane Austen. You can find many examples of Georgian architecture around Bath today, including the iconic Royal Crescent.

Read more here and here!



York, England, UK

























York is another British city with a long history and many beautiful old buildings. Like Bath, it's known for its Roman history, and you can still see some of the architecture from that period today, including the column pictured above. York was also a Viking city in the past, and was known as Jórvík during this time. In fact, one of the city's most exciting attractions is Jorvik Viking Centre, a museum which literally takes you on a ride through a recreation of this era.

Read more here!



Oxford, England, UK



















The final English city in my list is Oxford, which has some of the most beautiful architecture in the country. It has many historical buildings, some of which were built hundreds of years ago. Radcliffe Camera (pictured above) is actually one of the newer ones, being completed in 1749. Some of the the even older ones include St Michael at the North Gate tower, which was built between 1000-1050, and Oxford Castle, which was originally built in the Norman era.

Read more here and here!



Chepstow Castle, Wales, UK



















The last UK destination in this list is Chepstow Castle in Wales, located right next to the border with England. Construction on the castle first began nearly 1000 years ago, in 1067, and it's still looking in pretty good shape for its age! Actually there are many amazing old castles in Wales - it's the country with the highest number of castles per square mile - but Chepstow's one is actually the oldest, so it's definitely worth a visit.

Read more here!



Nîmes, France















Now I'm moving on to international destinations for the last half of this list, starting with Nîmes in the south of France. This isn't one of the best-known cities in the Hexagon (I don't think I'd heard of it before I went!) but I believe it should be, because it's really an incredible place to explore, featuring various Roman artefacts that have been unbelievably well-preserved. Two of the most impressive are the Arena of Nîmes (pictured above), which is very reminiscent of the Colosseum in Rome, and Maison Carrée, a beautiful temple.

Read more here!



Berlin, Germany



















For me, Berlin is an interesting city because of its more recent history. It wasn't that long ago that it was divided into two parts: the democratic West Berlin (comprised of British, French and US sectors), and the communist East Berlin (originally a Soviet sector, and later part of the GDR). There are still many reminders of this period that tourists can visit, including the East Side Gallery (painted sections of the Berlin Wall), Checkpoint Charlie (pictured above), and Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears), a former border crossing which is now a museum.


Florence, Italy















The capital of Tuscany is one of the most popular destinations for those interested in history of art, as it was the birthplace of the Renaissance movement, which took place during the 15th and 16th centuries. Many great artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, lived and worked in the city, and you can see examples of their artwork there today. Two of the most famous galleries are Galleria dell'Accademia, where you can find Michelangelo's famous sculpture, David, and the Uffizi Gallery (pictured above), where you can see The Birth of Venus by Botticelli.

Read more here!



Dubrovnik, Croatia

















Image by veeterzy from pexels.com

This medieval walled city on the Adriatic Sea, which was at one point an independent country, seems to have barely changed in hundreds of years. It's also incredibly beautiful, especially when viewed from above. I went there on a family holiday nearly ten years ago, so my memories of the place are slightly vague, and I didn't have a camera phone at the time, so I have no photos from my trip there. But I do remember really enjoying exploring the city, and I'd definitely go back there in the future.


Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay



















This picturesque town in Uruguay was at times a Spanish colony, and at other times a Portuguese colony, before becoming part of Brazil, and then finally Uruguay. It has a blend of Spanish, Portuguese and post-colonial architectural styles, and has been recognised by UNESCO for this reason. Going there and seeing its old buildings and cobblestone streets really does give you the feeling of stepping back into the past. 

Read more here!



I think it's really fascinating to learn about different periods of history and about how life was in the past, but it's even more interesting when you can actually explore history in a more literal way, by visiting historical destinations such as these.

I definitely plan to visit more historical places in the future; when I'm living in Chile again (which should be very soon!) I would like to visit the Chinchorro mummies in Arica (Edit: Saw them in June 2022!), and possibly Rapa Nui (Easter Island). I'm also planning on visiting Machu Picchu in Peru (Edit: Made it there in October 2022!), and maybe Ciudad Perdida in Colombia. The other historic sites I'd most like to go to around the world include Chichén Itzá in Mexico, Rome in Italy (Edit: Made it there in March 2024!), Athens in Greece, Petra in Jordan, and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Hopefully, I'll have one or two to write about within the next few months!


Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here!