Girona in Giro - What to see

What can you do in Girona if you have just 5 or 6 hours to spare?

Actually, quite a lot.

Our hotel was located in the centre of Girona, next to the Onyar river. We started out early after breakfast and followed the river northwards - passed the brightly painted façades of the houses -

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/girona-ingiro/

Girona City Transfer Tips & Options

Located within sight of the Pyrenees in the northeast of Catalonia, Girona city is a great place to start a journey to some really exotic locations. This is due to Girona's proximity to Barcelona - a main Spanish hub from where many flights depart in the direction of South America and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/girona-city-transfer-tips/

Canary Islands

A trip to the Canary Islands had long been on our agenda. This year, the availability of cheap budget-airline flights with stopovers in Spain finally made this trip too good to resist. We carefully put together our 14-day Canary Islands itinerary.

Instead of getting return flights direct to the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/canary-islands-itinerary/

Breve Azurine Karimunjawa

The Breve Azurine Karimunjawa was our last accommodation choice on the island. Due to the cost (IDR 1,410,000 per day) we planned to stay here only for 2 nights.

Following on from an enjoyable stay at Cocohuts just 15-minutes walk away, our expectations were high.


Why we chose the Breve

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/breve-azurine-karimunjawa/

Mumbai & The Thousand-Yard Stare

After spending more than 3 weeks in India, absorbing the dubious charm of overcrowded Sleeper coaches and chaotic inner city streetlife, we were apprehensive that Mumbai would trump - in aces - anything that had gone before.

This was the reason we saved Mumbai metropolis until the last.

We

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mumbai-thousand-yard-stare/

Mumbai City Fort Area

We'd put off visiting Mumbai City until the end of our trip to India. Arriving by plane from Goa, we planned to spend 2 nights in the central Mumbai city Fort area.

We would be staying at the .

At €59 per night (excluding breakfast), this hotel was considerably more expensive than anywhere

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mumbai-city-fort-area/

In the Footsteps of Jason Bourne

It's no doubt due to the seclusion and natural beauty of Palolem beach that this location was chosen for the shooting of The Bourne Supremacy - the 2nd of the Jason Bourne movies, in 2004.

The beach itself is immediately recognizable at the the beginning of the movie. Two years after the events

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jason-bourne-footsteps/

Palolem Beach Guesthouses

It was through circumstances rather than planning that we ended up spending around 10 days in a variety of Palolem beach guesthouses.

Cancelled trains and poor or overbooked guesthouses meant we had to change our itinerary on the fly. However, this all turned out for the best, since Palolem is

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/palolem-beach-guesthouses/

Ushuaia Guesthouse Bastimentos - Panama

Our first impressions of Isla Bastimentos were not promising. We were just hoping that the guesthouse we had booked 3 months earlier - the Ushuaia Guesthouse Bastimentos - would ease our misgivings and provide us with a clean and relaxing place to chill out.
The Ushuaia Guesthouse

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/?p=8386

Mumbai City Fort Area

We'd put off visiting Mumbai City until the end of our trip to India. Arriving by plane from Goa, we planned to spend 2 nights in the central Mumbai city Fort area.

We would be staying at the .

At €59 per night (excluding breakfast), this hotel was considerably more expensive than anywhere

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mumbai-city-fort-area/

In the Footsteps of Jason Bourne

It's no doubt due to the seclusion and natural beauty of Palolem beach that this location was chosen for the shooting of The Bourne Supremacy - the 2nd of the Jason Bourne movies, in 2004.

The beach itself is immediately recognizable at the the beginning of the movie. Two years after the events

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jason-bourne-footsteps/

Palolem Beach Guesthouses

It was through circumstances rather than planning that we ended up spending around 10 days in a variety of Palolem beach guesthouses.

Cancelled trains and poor or overbooked guesthouses meant we had to change our itinerary on the fly. However, this all turned out for the best, since Palolem is

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/palolem-beach-guesthouses/

Goa Beach Hopping

One of our favourite activities on visits to Asia is beach hopping. Just pack a lightweight bag with a picnic, grab a hat and plenty of water, and head out to discover whatever is beyond that distant headland. We spent some really enjoyable days doing this in Sri Lanka and Borneo. Now it was time

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/goa-beach-hopping/

Karimunjawa Snorkeling Excursions

No trip to these islands would be complete without trying one of the organized Karimunjawa snorkeling excursions. We made our arrangements through Jon from SeaSky, and booked his full-day snorkeling trip to the western islands for IDR 200,000  per person (€14).

This price included the use of

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-snorkeling-excursions/

Palolem Beach Goa

A few kms south of Agonda beach is Palolem beach.

Palolem Beach stretches across a 1.6 km curved bay. The beach is pretty much built up from end to end with a large variety of accommodation, restaurants and shops. Rooms and cabins range in price, for anything between 200 to 5,000 rupees per

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/palolem-beach/

South Goa Beaches - Agonda

When we arrived in Goa, fresh off the night train from Kochi, we hadn't yet decided between the South Goa Beaches - Agonda beach or Palolem beach. We had nothing booked, so left it to chance. As it turned out, our first experiences would be on Palolem beach.

After an hours march from the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/south-goa-beaches-agonda/

South Goa via AC2 Train Class

As relieved as we were to be leaving Kochi, we were a little apprehensive about our forthcoming train journeys to South Goa via AC2 train class.

We had pre-booked berths on an AC2 train leaving that evening from Kochi at 10pm. We should arrive early the following morning in Madgaon, Goa. From

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/south-goa-via-ac2-train-class/

I'm a Celebrity - Get me out of Fort Kochi!

We arrived at Ernaculum Town station in Kochi later than expected - it was already getting close to dusk. We didn't know it, but we still had another 1 hour journey to take us to our guesthouse in Fort Kochi.

Outside the train station, there was a large queue ... and a surprisingly orderly

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/fort-kochi-india/

Isla Bastimentos Bocas Del Toro - Panama

Following our 5-day tour of Isla Colón, we were ready to venture further afield to one of the other large islands of the archipelago - Isla Bastimentos Bocas Del Toro. We were looking forward to pristine beaches and fascinating jungle trails, similar to what we had discovered on Isla Colón.
Isla
Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/isla-bastimentos-bocas-del-toro-panama/

Indian Railways Sleeper Class to Kochi

Our next destination after Varkala was Kochi. 5 days earlier, while we were still in Kovalam, we had purchased train tickets from a Travel Agent. He had explained to us which ticket classes were available for a trip from Varkala to Kochi, and advised us not to take Indian Railways Sleeper Class or

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/indian-railways-sleeper-class/

The Windswept Cliffs of Varkala, Kerala

The next place of interest travelling north up the coast from Kovalam is Varkala. This journey takes almost 2 hours by taxi and cost us 1,800 rupees (€25). There is just one bus that goes there direct, leaving Kovalam at 6-15 am. Otherwise you have to change buses in Trivandrum. They say the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/varkala/

Kovalam Lighthouse Beach

One week before arriving at Kovalam Lighthouse Beach, I sent an email to our hotel requesting an airport pickup. The fact that I got no reply should have been an early warning sign.

When we arrived at Trivandrum airport, I reckoned there was a 50/50 chance that someone would be waiting to pick us up.
There was no-one.
No problem. Instead we took a prepaid taxi from the Trivandrum Domestic Airport Taxi Service, This cost 500 rupees (€7) - half the price that the hotel would have charged us.
We found our run-down looking hotel not far from the taxi drop-off at Kovalam lighthouse beach.

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kovalam-lighthouse-beach/

Jet Airways Inflight Experience

Several weeks before starting our trip to India, we went online and booked 2 domestic flights directly with Jet Airways. We had never heard of the airline before, so we were curious how our Jet Airways inflight experience would compare to other budget airlines.

We booked the following one-way flights, inclusive all fees:
♦  Mumbai-Trivandrum (4,043 rupees per person. Approximately €56)
♦  Goa-Mumbai (2,556 rupees per person. Approximately €35)

The Jet Airways website and booking procedure is straightforward and efficient, and we received our PDF eTickets within a few minutes by

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/jet-airways-inflight-experience/

Mumbai International Airport

Arrival at Mumbai International Airport (Chhatrapati Shivaji) and transfer to the Domestic terminal was blissfully straightforward and efficient. At passport control we produced our e-Tourist Visas, and were processed quickly enough.

After clearing passport control, we strolled into a large and surpringly empty Arrivals Hall.

This was a welcome outcome. We had been expecting to be mobbed by taxi drivers as soon as we'd passed through security, as has happened on previous visits to India. Access to the airport buildings is now much more secure, which makes arrival far less

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/mumbai-international-transfer-to-domestic-terminal/

Cocohuts Karimunjawa

Following our hit-and-miss fortune with guesthouses in Karimunjawa, at well over 3 times the price of a regular homestay, we expected Cocohuts Karimunjawa to be quite an upgrade on the 2 places we had stayed so far in Karimun town.
Fabulous Views from Cocohuts Karimunjawa
Perched high up on the hillside overlooking the port and town, Cocohuts definately offers the best views.



We chose a deluxe bungalow for IDR 500,000 (€35) per night. There are 2 of these cabana-stlye lodgings, which share a large open balcony and stunning views.

A little higher up the slope, you can rent one of

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/cocohuts-karimunjawa/

Istanbul Leather Shopping

One of the bonuses of a short stay in Istanbul is the opportunity for shopping. There are some great bargains to be had in the bazaars and highstreets of the city, and if its leather you're after, look no further. You'll find that shopping for leather in Istanbul can be a very social activity.

If you have the time, probably one of the cheaper places for leather shopping is away from the center - in the Zeytinburnu district. This is around 5 km to the west of central Sultanahmet. It was our intention to spend our last afternoon shopping for a couple of leather jackets, but our limited time

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/shopping-for-leather-in-istanbul/

Istanbul Mosques and Minarets

We dedicated our first full day in in the city to visiting some of the “must see” Istanbul mosques, museums and monuments. Because there are so many of these, and with a limited amount of time, we had to be quite selective.

In part, this was made easier for us by the opening times of some of the places we wanted to visit. Hagia Sofia is supposed to be closed on Mondays, and we read that the Topkapi Palace was closed on Tuesdays.

Since we had just a Monday and a Tuesday, we decided to start from the Blue Mosque and see how far we could get. After the Blue Mosque, we found Hagia Sofia to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/istanbul-mosques-minarets/

Istanbul Eateries and Accommodation

We would only have 2 nights and days in Istanbul. To optimize our time in the city, and to find the best Istanbul eateries, we did as much planning as we could before leaving home.

After sorting out our transfers, our next priorities were accommodation and food. Following a good deal of online research, we'd decided that the best area to base ourselves for such a short stay was Sultanahmet. There we would be close to most of the attractions and restaurants, and wouldn't need much use of any local transport.
Finding a Good Place to Stay
From our shortlist of around a dozen hotels, we

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/istanbul-eateries-accommodation/

Isla Colon Bocas Del Toro - Panama

After spending a couple of days in Bocas town, we decided to spend a few more days in a more secluded spot where we could enjoy beaches and jungle. The Tesoro Escondido guesthouse seemed to be the answer, located by the sea just 5 kms north of the town, but still on Isla Colon Bocas Del Toro.
Isla Colon Bocas Del Toro - Accommodation & Food
Before heading up north from Bocas town, we visited the local supermarket to stock up on fruit, snacks and drinks. There are no shops in the area we were planning to visit, and we would be staying up there for 3 nights.


Tesoro Escondido Eco

Istanbul Airport-City Transfer

Planning our visit to Istanbul from the comfort of our living room, using Google Earth as our map reference, seemed straightforward enough. To avoid the expense of taxis, we decided to arrange our own Istanbul airport-city transfer.

We would be arriving at Sabiha Gokcen - the furthest of the 2 airports which service the city, in the mid-afternoon. Our plan was first to get some local cash from an airport ATM. We would then purchase an Istanbul Card (a sort of all-purpose top-up travel card). After that, we would take a Havatas bus from the airport to Yenikapi bus station south of the city

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/istanbul-airport-city-transfer/

Turkish Airlines Inflight Experience

We were quite excited about flying with Turkish Airlines for the first time. Our expectations of the Turkish Airlines inflight experience were justifiably high, considering they are currently the No.7 airline in the world - recently overtaken by  who are now No.1 (see The World's Top 100 Airlines).

They would surely provide an inflight experience to savour and remember.

In fact, finding this particular flight - with such a highly recommended airline - was a major factor in determining our holiday itinerary.

The flight ticked all our boxes:
♦  Depart from Italy: Great excuse for a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/turkish-airlines-inflight-experience/

Rome Attractions

For a short 2-3 day break in Rome, you need to be extremely selective: There are just so many Rome attractions to see, and to see the sights properly you need to spend the time.

It also helps to pace yourself and vary your activities to avoid a cultural overload. There are only so many museums and churches your head can comfortably absorb before needing a break.



Our budget for a short stopover in Rome is around €150 per day for the pair of us, including hotel, restaurant, travelling around, snacks and sundries.

Instead of paying exorbitant taxi fees to travel in and out of the

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-attractions/

Rome Restaurants

Rome is like one giant restaurant. Every street seems to host a series of eateries tempting visitors with their delicious Italian kitchen aromas. In our experiance, it's pretty difficult to get a bad meal in Rome, but if you're looking for inspiration, here are our current favourite Rome restaurants.
Rome Restaurants - Ristorante Isidor
Since our first visit 3 years ago, we've returned to Ristorante Isidor several times. Each time the food and service has been excellent.

Among our favourite dishes are some great multiple-pasta tasting combinations, juicy fillet steaks, chicken breast in

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-restaurants/

Rome Hotels & Guesthouses

We often use Rome as our launching pad for long-distance flights to Asia. Many of the bigger airlines offer a variety of flight options starting or ending in Rome. As a result, prices are often cheaper than flying out from other airports, since many Rome hotels & guesthouses can be booked at quite reasonable rates.

To keep costs to an acceptable level, we're always on the lookout for a good, well-located hotel or guesthouse and reasonably-priced restaurants. Our budget for a Rome hotel is anything between €50 to €75 per night for a double room (including taxes, etc). If breakfast in

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/rome-hotels-guesthouses/

Karimunjawa Eating Out

Since Karimun town is quite a small place, you can't expect to find a great number or variety of eating establishments. Some guesthouses offer their guests meals or kitchen facilities, but most travellers end up heading out in the evenings to discover the best Karimunjawa eating out options.


Karimunjawa Eating Out
Your food options in Karimunjawa are fairly limited. Variations of egg, rice, noodles, chicken, tofu, fish and soups for the Indonesian dishes. Pizza, pasta and burgers for the Western dishes.

If you search around, you can supplement these with grilled corn and sweet or

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-eating-out/

Our India Travel Plan

Choosing the best dates and flights for a long-haul trip to the tropics involves a little more than just picking a few free weeks to visit shortly before you leave. When it comes to finding some of the best travel opportunities, whether the Seychelles, India or the Caribbean, it often pays to start making yours plans well in advance. We started preparing our India travel plan around 4 months before departure

The major cost of most trips to the tropics is the airfare. A good way to get the cheapest fares - on the best airlines - is to start searching several months before your trip.

What’s the Damage? Final Venice Budget

A short trip to Venice is potentially one of the most costly city breaks you can take. Even with a Venice Budget, why is this city so expensive?

Well, we noticed a few things that might explain this. Apart from the artists and artisans, not much is created or grown in Venice: Goods and materials have to be transported into outlying hubs, and then distributed throughout the city from there.

In the narrow streets, you’ll constantly see young guys delivering palettes of large boxes on wheeled carriers. These overheads contribute in part to the high taxes levied by the local
Read more http://www.sandspice.com/final-venice-budget/

The Venice of "Don't Look Now"

If like us you’re a bit of a movie fan, then this section is for you. The Venice of Don't Look Now is encapsulated in a 1973 British-Italian thriller directed by Nicolas Roeg, adapted from a short story by Daphne du Maurier. It was filmed at a variety of locations throughout Venice, showing a seedier, grittier side of the city.

Keen to get away from the glitz of the “must see” sites of Venice, we organized our routes around the city to include locations from the movie. This had the added bonus of taking us off-track to areas that we probably would not otherwise have visited.
Ponte di
Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/venice-dont-look-now/