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

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

India Travel Plan - West Coast

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

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/india-travel-plan/

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
Read more http://www.sandspice.com/final-venice-budget/

Secluded Tropical Beaches

Secluded Tropical Beaches
Secluded beaches are just one of the great rewards when visiting remote destinations in less-accessible areas of the tropics. Here are some of our favourites. All you need to take along is a towel, a picnic and a long cool drink.  :-)

 






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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
Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/venice-dont-look-now/

Venice Osteria and Trattoria

Considering that Italy is pretty much one big restaurant, there’s never any difficulty finding somewhere to eat. Whether a Venice osteria and trattoria or pizzeria, there are plenty of places to choose from. In our experience, the overall quality of food in Italy is generally good to very

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/venice-osteria-trattoria/

Vaporetti Essentials: Get a Day Pass

Of course, one of the reasons we all go to Venice is to travel on their unique vaporetti transport system. Unless you are particularly flush with cash, you’ll want to do this in the easiest and most economical way possible. For a short weekend, a Vaporetti Day Pass is the answer.
Vaporetti Day

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/vaporetti-day-pass/

Booking a Venice Hotel

Choosing the Ca ’Fortuny Hotel Venice was the result of some precise online research. Finding a good, reasonably-priced hotel in Venice that’s not too far from the centre can be a challenge in itself. It's therefore always a good idea to scrutinize the best deals that are currently on offer.

We

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ca-fortuny-hotel-venice/

Venice off-Season

How much should a short 2-night break in Venice off-season really cost?

With low-cost airlines flying from numerous destinations, the return flight is possibly one of the cheapest items of a trip to Venice. However, even this can be deceptive: The budget airlines fly to Venice Treviso, not to

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/venice-off-season/

Elephant Orphanage - Return visit, but none of them remembered me... http://sandpiper.local/pinnawala-elephant-orphanage/ #ElephantOrphanage #Pinnawala #SriLanka

Elephant Orphanage - Return visit, but none of them remembered me...
http://sandpiper.local/pinnawala-elephant-orphanage/
#ElephantOrphanage #Pinnawala #SriLanka

Kandy Lake Comfort

From Sigiriya, we travelled the short distance to Dambulla by tuk-tuk. We were in two minds whether or not to visit the Dambulla Cave Temple. The deciding factors were time and the weather. It was still raining, and we didn't want to delay our bus trip to Kandy. We were heading for the Kandy lake

Read more... http://sandpiper.local/kandy-lake-comfort/

Temple of the Tooth

Before we left Kandy we took a few hours to visit the celebrated Temple of the Tooth. This is where they keep one of Buddha’s teeth as a holy relic. The relic is regarded as a symbolic representation of the living Buddha and is the focus of a daily series of offerings, rituals, and

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/temple-of-the-tooth/

Beneath the Knuckle Mountains

During our stay at the , we arranged several treks through the surrounding thickly-jungled mountain areas. Whenever we emerged into a clearing, we could see the Knuckle Mountains bathed in mist in the far distance.

It's clear to see how these mountains got their name. Local residents

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/knuckle-mountains/

Loro Park Tenerife

The town and waterfront areas in Puerto de la Cruz are pleasant enough to walk around, but if you're looking for a really special activity that will appeal to all the family, then you need to head out west a little. This is because Loro Park Tenerife, together with its sister park in the south -

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/loro-park-tenerife/

Polwaththa Eco Lodge

From Kandy, we had arranged a pickup by tuk-tuk to take us up into the surrounding mountain jungle to the Polwaththa Eco Lodge.

We were looking forward to a peaceful break, close to nature and away from the hustle and bustle. Our tuk-tuk driver arrived on time shortly before noon. We paid Rs

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/polwaththa-eco-lodge/

Elephant Orphanage - Return visit, but none of them remembered me... http://www.sandspice.com/pinnawala-elephant-orphanage/ #ElephantOrphanage #Pinnawala #SriLanka

Elephant Orphanage - Return visit, but none of them remembered me...
http://www.sandspice.com/pinnawala-elephant-orphanage/
#ElephantOrphanage #Pinnawala #SriLanka

Kandy Lake Comfort

From Sigiriya, we travelled the short distance to Dambulla by tuk-tuk. We were in two minds whether or not to visit the Dambulla Cave Temple. The deciding factors were time and the weather. It was still raining, and we didn't want to delay our bus trip to Kandy. We were heading for the Kandy lake

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kandy-lake-comfort/

Lion Rock Sigiriya

After spending our first wet night in Sigiriya, it was still raining the next morning. However, our plan was to climb to the top of the famous Lion Rock buddhist monument, and a wet day wasn't going to stop us doing that.

Before that, we had a look around the grounds of our guesthouse. It was

Read more... http://sandpiper.local/lion-rock-buddhist/

Ceylonica Beach Hotel Negombo

Our flight arrived in Sri Lanka in the early evening. Since Bandaranaike International Airport is actually much closer to Negombo than to Colombo, we decided to make Negombo our first port of call. This actually makes a lot of sense if you are first heading east to the central areas. We were

Read more... http://sandpiper.local/ceylonica-beach-hotel-negombo/

Ceylonica Beach Hotel Negombo

Our flight arrived in Sri Lanka in the early evening. Since Bandaranaike International Airport is actually much closer to Negombo than to Colombo, we decided to make Negombo our first port of call. This actually makes a lot of sense if you are first heading east to the central areas. We were

Read more... http://sandpiper.local/ceylonica-beach-hotel-negombo/

Ceylonica Beach Hotel Negombo

Our flight arrived in Sri Lanka in the early evening. Since Bandaranaike International Airport is actually much closer to Negombo than to Colombo, we decided to make Negombo our first port of call. This actually makes a lot of sense if you are first heading east to the central areas. We were

Read more... http://sandpiper.local/ceylonica-beach-hotel-negombo/

Lion Rock Sigiriya

After spending our first wet night in Sigiriya, it was still raining the next morning. However, our plan was to climb to the top of the famous Lion Rock buddhist monument, and a wet day wasn't going to stop us doing that.

Before that, we had a look around the grounds of our guesthouse. It was

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/lion-rock-buddhist/

Ceylonica Beach Hotel Negombo

Our flight arrived in Sri Lanka in the early evening. Since Bandaranaike International Airport is actually much closer to Negombo than to Colombo, we decided to make Negombo our first port of call. This actually makes a lot of sense if you are first heading east to the central areas. We were

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/ceylonica-beach-hotel-negombo/

Sri Lanka Travel Plan - Central & South

Our Sri Lanka travel plan was designed as a 21-day rollicking rollercoaster of a ride to the World’s End and beyond. It promised to be an eventful trip, with all content published from my tiny Samsung smartphone.



 
Researching the Trip - Sri Lanka Travel Plan
Our idea was to choose a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/sri-lanka-travel-plan/

Maldives Under the Reef

Maldives under the reef: Your first underwater experience of the Maldives is likely to be your local house reef. All the islands have their own unique housereefs. For many people, this is all you actually need. Just put on a mask and step into the shallows. You don't need to go further than a few

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/maldives-under-the-reef/

Sandbank Affaire

The Sandbank Affaire Makunudu Maldives is a special experience devised by the Management of the . This is a private evening excursion to a distant mini-island (the Sandbank). You are accompanied by just your waiter and a chef, and are treated to a Lobster BBQ with a bottle of wine.

Since this

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/sandbank-affaire-makunudu-maldives/

Makunudu Island Paradise, Maldives

Travelling with Emirates from Europe to Makunudu Island, we had an initial stop in Cyprus. We then had another stop in Dubai for our connecting flight to Male - The Maldives capital.
We had a couple of hours to kill in Dubai, so spent most of it queueing up to spend a penny in a toilet not big

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/makunudu-island/

Maldives Planning a Break

Maldives Planning a Break: The luxury of some of the smaller islands in the Maldives comes at a price. However, if included as a short addition to a longer trip through other countries in the region, this unforgettable experience can be enjoyed without drastically over-doing the budget.

The

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/maldives-planning-a-break/

The Dubai Mall

Dubai seems to be all about extremes: Not only do they have the tallest building in the world, they also boast the Dubai Mall: The largest shopping mall in the world, in which you can find one of the largest suspended aquariums in the world, with the world's largest acrylic panel.

Oh, and just

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/dubai-mall/

Burj Khalifa Dubai

How can you visit Dubai and not experience the slim eloquence, modernity and quality of Burj Khalifa Dubai - the tallest building in the world?

We're all used to the old high-rise skyscrapers of Shang Hai, Hong Kong and NYC, but the Burj Khalifa exudes a slim eloquence, modernity and quality

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/burj-khalifa-dubai/

Dubai Desert Safari

Our final full day in the United Arab Emirates, and we’re off on the obligatory Dubai Desert Safari. We’re not expecting much, but it turns out to be great fun with Dune Bashing, an Arab campsite way out in the desert, sunset photos, getting dressed up in the traditional gear, henna tatooing,

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/dubai-desert-safari/

A Short Dubai Stopover

Since a lot of South-East Asian flights stop there en route, a Dubai stopover seems to be a great addition to your vacation. In fact, for many travellers this is often where the holiday begins (or ends).

In our case, this came at the end of our trip to the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Our Emirates

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/dubai-stopover/

Our Karimunjawa Travel Budget & Impressions

Our 19-day journey through Indonesia started and ended in Jakarta. From there we took our return Qatar Airways flight back to Rome. But did our Karimunjawa travel budget cover our costs? and was it all that we were expecting?
Our Karimunjawa Travel Budget
Before leaving, we had worked out a

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/karimunjawa-travel-budget/

Jalan Petaling - Kuala Lumpur Chinatown

Jalan Petaling, otherwise known as the Kuala Lumpur Chinatown, is as good a reason as any to visit this cosmopolitan city. After just 3 nights in Sepilok, we packed up our bags again and made our way to the airport at Sandakan.

We had pre-booked flights back from Sandakan to Kuala Lumpur via

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kuala-lumpur-chinatown/

Borneo Rainforest Discovery Centre

Located within the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, the Borneo Rainforest Discovery Centre is one of Sabah's most popular and most accessible environmental education centres. It is open daily from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm.

We made a special trip to the Discovery Center, since it was within easy walking

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/borneo-rainforest-discovery-centre/

East Malaysia & Borneo

East Malaysia & Borneo - 3 weeks of islands, rivers and jungle
Want to get off the beaten track to find some secluded out-of-the-way places? Our East Malaysia & Borneo travel plan allowed us to enjoy both sea and jungle, with various modes of transport to keep it all interesting. Be sure

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/east-malaysia-borneo/

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center

Our first day in Sepilok, and we were keen to get a closeup view of the orangutans. The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center is the reason most visitors come to Sepilok, and it is indeed a very pleasant and informative day out.



The reserve is just 5 minutes down the road from the . They

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/sepilok-orangutan-rehabilitation-center/

Sepilok Borneo - Where to Stay & Eat

After 4 days in Kuala Penyu, we organized a taxi to take us to the airport at Kota Kinabalu. Our next destination was Sepilok Borneo, not far from Sandakan.

We had a late morning flight booked with Malaysia airlines (RM99 per person, 1-way Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan). This is a short 40-minute

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/sepilok-borneo/

Tenerife & Gran Canaria with Stopovers in Spain

Tenerife & Gran Canaria with Stopovers in Spain
We put together a 2-week multi-destination itinerary which includes Tenerife & Gran Canaria with stopovers in Spain - the medieval city of Girona and the capital Madrid.  It’s quite a lot of travelling for a 14-day trip, but well enriched

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/tenerife-gran-canaria/

Borneo Wavehunters

White Water Rafting is a "must do" activity if you are staying a few days in the vicinity of Kota Kinabalu. As a result, the Borneo Wavehunters had been on our agenda from the very beginning of the trip, and we were lucky enough to experience it.

I say “lucky” because these excursions are very

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/borneo-wavehunters/

Kuala Penyu Tempurung Seaside Lodge

Before leaving Kota Kinabalu, we telephoned ahead to our next lodging - the Kuala Penyu Tempurung Seaside Lodge - to arrange a pickup once we arrived in Kuala Penyu. We needed to do this, since there are few transport options in the area around Kuala Penyu- even taxis are difficult to find.

We

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kuala-penyu-tempurung-seaside-lodge/

India West Kerala to Goa

India West Kerala to Goa
This India West Kerala to Goa itinerary spans 31 days, primarily in India, but including 3 short city stays in Rome, Istanbul and Edinburgh. Not bad for just €457 per ticket… and flying with one of the top airlines in the world. Be sure to first check out our Plan, Maps

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/plan-your-travel/india-west-kerala-to-goa/

Kota Kinabalu, Borneo

From Kuantan, we would have to take 2 flights to reach Kota Kinabalu, with a change in Kuala Lumpar.

After the disappearance 6 days earlier of Malaysian Airlines flight 370 out of KL, we were a little apprehensive about our forthcoming flight with the same airline, also travelling into and out

Read more... http://www.sandspice.com/kuantan-kota-kinabalu/