Sightseeing

If you are staying in Kowloon or on Hong Kong Island it can be nice to get the bus from Central (although you can get it from other places also) to Stanley Markets which is on the back side of the Island. It takes a wee while to get there and you will go up and over some decent hills but once there you can indulge in a little shopping by the water.

Buses are 6, 6A, 6X or 260 from the Exchange Square bus terminus which is in Central. Taxi is also an option if you like to pay more.

There are a couple of ways to get up to The Peak in Hong Kong. One is bus, another is Cab or car but the best was is the Tram. Very steep and just great fun.

"All tickets are sold at Garden Road Peak Tram Lower Terminus or appointed travel agents.
Peak Tram Upper Terminus (The Peak Tower) sells Peak Tram tickets (Return & Single) only."

Big Ben is an awesome photo opportunity. It's one of the landmarks in London that you just need to get a photo next to. Whether you are holding it, standing next to it or pretending to lean on it it is like all major city attractions similar including The Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The good thing if you are visiting Big Ben is that is, of course, attached to the end of Parliament House and Buildings so there is a lot more to see in the area other than just Big Ben. A great sightseeing spot and highly recommended...nicer on a sunny day of course.

Greenwich is a town on the south bank of the Thames. You can get to it by DLR (Docklands light rail) or Ferry down the Thames. I think the nicest way to see it is by ferry but this costs a little more. One option by DLR is to get the Tube to Tower Hill and walk to the DLR station from there. There are other ways but this is how I did it.

Imagine abseiling in to a cave, taking an underground 'flying fox' even further and then jumping on a black inner tube with a wetsuit on and finish it with a bit of walking through caves older than your grandma. That is the awesomeness of black water rafting. I only know of it in Waitom, New Zealand but it may be in other places or countries.

Nothing freaky about this, just bloody good fun.

http://www.waitomo.com/black-water-rafting.aspx

Sometimes it can be hard to figure out what to do as a tourist in Mt Maunganui or Tauranga. One of the best things you can do if the weather permits is walk around "The Mount" or Mt Maunganui as it is formally called. It really is a nice walk and the scenery is fabulous. If you have the energy then walk up The Mount. It is not that far but does require some level of basic fitness. The view at the top is brilliant and you can see across Mt Maunganui, Tauranga and Matakana Island.

If you are wanting to go and see Buckingham Palace then Green Park Tube station is the closest Tube station. St James is also quite close but most people are already on the Piccadilly Line (the blue one).

My favourite way to get there is to walk down from Leicester Square, through Trafalgar Sq and then all the way down the Mall which looks straight at the Buckingham Palace. This is a much longer walk but is very rewarding.

The london eye is a great place to go for the view. It only takes about 20-30 minutes to go around and it is not that cheap but worth it if you have the money. If you are on a budget I don't think it is really worth it and you are better off climbing the stairs to the dome at St Pauls Cathedral, the view up there is great.

I recently heard that Madame Tussauds was rated as one of the most disappointing tourist experiences in London. I have not been because of this survey on Madame Tussauds and would welcome comments from anyone who has?

Madame Tussauds is a Wax works. This is where you go to have your photo taken with celebrities and stars that you would not normally get close to. They look quite real to me. Who was Madame Tussaud anyway?

http://www.madametussauds.com/London/

Madame Tussauds Opening times

Camden Market is Londons most popular open air market place and worth a visit if you are in London long enough. Camden is well known for it's markets, music, pubs, theatres and restaurants so there is something for everyone.

It is on the weekend that things come to life and you will notice a considerable jump in numbers of people there. So if you are traveling to London and can go during the week it is less crowed but there might not be as many stalls and market places open.

Hampton Court Palace is part of the Historic Royal Palaces. King Henry VIII is the Royal who had the most impact on Hampton Court. If you visit their website you can get the Top 10 List for when you are there but I recommend you just show up, get hold of the free audio tour, and start walking. Try to follow the tour as you will ensure you don't miss anything.

If I could give any tips for visiting Hampton Court Palace it would be to allow alot of time. It can take a few hours if you really do it properly, but either way you should go there.

If you visiting London and want to get a really nice view of things on the Thames then I can recommend walking half way across the Waterloo Bridge and stopping. This gives you a great view down the Thames towards the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and a good view back the other way towards St Paul's Cathedral, Millennium Bridge and the rest South Bank.

If just gives you a good sense of where you are and lets you take a little more than the tightly packed streets of London often allow.

If your in Trafalgar Square and need a bathroom then just go into the National Gallery. They have a few.

Stonehenge is the kind of place you just need to say you have seen. It has an air about it probably based around all the mystery. However, it is in the middle of nowhere, it helps to have a Car, and unless you are going to Bath for a Day trip from London make sure it is something you really want to see.

We made it part of a day trip to Bath and went to Stonehenge on the way. That makes for a long day of driving but it is a great day trip and you get to see the Roman Baths in Bath which is well worth it.

If you like Theater, Shakespeare and are in London you should try to get to Shakespeare's Globe Theater for a show on the South Bank of the Thames. This is generally a Summer thing and you can tickets for as cheap as £5 standing. You feel like an old fashion peasant standing while the lords and ladies sit in the balconies which is kinda cool actually. If you don't fancy standing still for an hour or two you can pay for a seat and then extra for cushions or blankets if it is cold.

If you are travelling to London and end up in Trafalgar Square if you fancy a slightly longer walk then just down the road is Somerset House which is worth a wander to, even if all you do is look at the main Square. In Winter they have open air ice skating set up so that is a definite if you have time and are in London in Winter. I think it costs between £15-£25 but is very romantic and alot of fun.

Somerset House is on the Thames and there is a terrace on the back side which over looks the Thames. During the day you can get food from the Cafe there.

Whistler is a beautiful place in Winter to go skiing and enjoy all the activities available to Winter bunnies. But people often don't realise it is a magic spot in Summer also. I particularly recommend the bike riding. Lots of fun to be had and I don't mean hard core Mountain Biking, I mean sedate ride along quite flat roads and paths, kinda biking. You can rent bikes at Whistler for an hour or more and it is a great family activity also.

This ancient Monastery was near where we stayed in Rethymno in Crete. It was amazing and definitely worth a trip to see. You can still see the bullet holes in the Chapel from 200 years ago from a battle. The whole place is rich with history. Sadly, many Cretans died here.

It is the most popular Monastery in Crete and is about 14th Century. It sits in a beautiful setting with superb views over the valleys you travel to get up there.

There is a little secret spot. Not as secret as it used to be but still quite secret. There is alot of thermal activity between Rotorua and Taupo. Boiling mud, hot water lakes and hot water streams. There is one hot water stream that all the locals know you can swim in called Kerosene Creek. It's not super easy to find but here is the low down.

1: Don't put your head under the water - there is meant to be a bug in it that drives you mad or something...I'm sure it's not that bad but don't.

1.2: It's FREE!!

2: It's on Old Waiotapu Rd

I lived in London for 4 years before I went to see the 'Changing of the Guard' or just 'Changing the Guard' at Buckingham Palace. And I am surprised I didn't go earlier. All the ceremony put me off and I thought it was for tourists. But I can recommend it.

Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace is scheduled to take place at 11.30am on the following dates: However we recommend you arrive by 11.15am.

January Confirmed Schedule
2nd,4th,6th,8th,10th,12th,14th,16th,18th,20th,22nd,24th,26th,28th,30th

February Provisional Schedule

There are a couple of Companies that do Bus tours of Paris I think...or maybe only one but it doesn't really matter as they are mostly the same. These are the fastest and best ways to see all Paris has to offer. You can jump on and off and different stops and your ticket is valid for 24hours so if you buy the ticket at 3pm it will be valid till 3pm the next day.

You will see all the major attractions including The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre Museum, Notredame, Champs-Élysées etc etc

We were in Florence for 3 nights. We got this Tuscany Tour recommended by our Hostel. It is always hard to know if they refer these because they get a great commission back but it was great. It is a long day out but if you are not keen to waste 2 days doing tours of Tuscany then you get it all in one day with this. The Tour Guide was great and the sights are amazing. If you are in Florence or similar and thinking of not going out into the country side shake yourself. You need to see this country.

Granville Island is one of my favourite places to go when in Vancouver. Although technically an island, it's located in central Vancouver, on the south shore under the Granville Street Bridge and can be accessed by boat, by car, by bus, by bicycle or on foot.

This is a truly remarkable place if you're up for a bit of market shopping, some fresh seafood, some culture, or just to sit & watch the world go by on the wharf outside the food hall (generally to the tune of a busker or two).

http://www.eileandonancastle.com

If you are travelling to London you may not be aware that the Government runs most of the major art galleries and museums. This makes them free and the best value sightseeing possible.

A list - probably left something out

British Museum (huge!)
National Gallery (huge!)
National Portrait Gallery
Tate Modern
Victoria & Albert Museum
Natural History Museum

All totally worth doing.

Pick pocketed (from front pocket) by someone with extreme skills as they tried to get me to take a flower. I was neither drunk, nor stupid and it was broad daylight. But Palma is a lovely place to travel to.

It is true in any city when you are traveling that you should watch your purse or handbag. This is especially true in Barcelona, particularly around La Rabla which is the main street through the City. Barcelona is lovely and you have to go there. I would love to live there and you don't need to feel unsafe - just hold onto your handbag and watch it in cafes. Don't hang it on the back of your chair, or leave it marking a seat when you go to get coffee or food.

If you are travelling to Rotorua for the first time most people will say go to Te Puia (which used to be called Whakarewarewa). This has become a real tourist trap over the years and is very expensive (currently minimum $40 pp). Instead go to Waiotapu which is currently $27.50pp and is 20 minutes drive south of Rotorua. Personally a better experience of boiling mud, sulphur and hot pools stuff.

Waiotapu - http://www.geyserland.co.nz/
Te Puia - http://www.nzmaori.co.nz/