Awesome Travel Tips

Cinque Terre - 5 villages of Tuscan coast...

2011-02-24T10:52:00.003+01:00

On the way south to Tuscany we have been dying to see a strap of water for some kind of summer refreshment as late May heat was exceeding 40 C. That's how we were driven to beach heaven of Ligurian coast.

Cinque Terre means literally five lands and is a chain of cute villages located above rugged, picturesque coast near the city La Spezia. Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore are all connected by road and walking paths - all this inscribed to UNESCO World Heritage Site List as a national park.

And although beaches and sea here are far from amazing Sicilian bays the place is definitely magic thanks to colorful houses built upon rocky terraces, cute little squares with cafes and bistros, fishing boats and climate of the cliff itself. To wander around freely you need to buy a ticket which enables you to take sandy footpaths above beaches and move from one village to another. All five have similar coastal character but each is pleasantly unique. For more lazy commuters there is train going through tunnel and stopping at each village and believe me, in noon heat, hiking up the steep routes can be pretty demanding though really beautiful as the trail winds around orchards, vineyards and offers dramatic views. To make it from first village to last you need 5 hours one way...

We managed only to Monterosso and Vernazza due to limited time. At the first one there are quite pleasant stone bays where you can rest and swim - being the biggest beach attraction of Cinque Terre (watch for gelly fish though!) and at second there is majestic castle remains and one of the most heart-breaking fishing harbor I've ever seen. Bad news is that you have to climb outrageous number of steep steps to get there and Vernazza is a no-car town! Dehydration and sunstroke highly probable.

Corniglia is supposed to be more agricultural and also requires some heavy stair climbing, Manarola is the calmest Riomaggiore the busiest with colored tower houses well visible from the road above.

From local specialties you might consider anchovies (eaten fresh!) and sweet wine wine which makes base for excellent dessert - Sciacchetra.

Mangrt - my most favorite summit

2011-02-18T17:51:00.006+01:00

It was our first encounter with Julian Alps, in Slovenia. We drove from Villach (Austria), through Kranjska Gora towards Trenta and Bovec - centers of local hiking frenzy. On the way to camping we stopped at Mangrt Saddle, the highest asphalt point in whole Slovenia, and we took up 5 hours hike.

At the saddle you will meet numerous motorbike riders who adore his winding, steep, picturesque road. From the parking there is splendid view on the rocky massive of Mangrt, 2679 m. You have three routes to choose from... and we tried all of them :)

Mind, that at the end of June, when we've been there, there were still big capes of snow making hiking difficult and sometimes impossible (we didn't reach Jalovec peak). Trail to Mangrt was also icy in many places but safely passable with some additional caution.

We started on the Italian route, shorter and crossing the border with Italy. From here you can step off the route and try climbing ferrata (almost vertical wall) what my more adventurous half did or just continue the hike, ca. 1,5 - 2 hours long. I did the latter, completely alone on the trail, and apart from one tough snow slope I had to crawl through on all four, it was alright - moderately demanding, with nice views on Italian side of the mountain range.

Approximately half an hour before the summit ferrata route and hiking trail meet so we made it to the top together. Panorama was completely stunning!

On the way down we took alternative Slovenian route which is slightly longer, but much more picturesque, especially if you are descending at the sunset :) In many places there are steel ropes to help but it is not anything requiring above-average fitness or skills. In fact, taking both ways make the whole experience rich and truly satisfying.

Tired we gave up looking for camp and slept right at the saddle, at touristic hut "Koca". It was still close for business but the owner was so nice to let us sleep for half price in completely empty room for 15 people. Fresh mountain air whole night included :)

Kutna Hora - surprising noblesse

2011-02-17T11:24:00.001+01:00

Medieval, silver mine city 60 km east of Prague is one of the most admirable sights of Czech Bohemia. Built upon steep slopes of Vrchlice Creek it's a perfect example of real 3D architecture - something you don't see in flat lands.

With flourishing silver mining Kutna Hora became one of the richest towns of 15th century Europe and this splendor is still well visible. Magnificent churches raised with no account of savings, distinctive royal premises and generously funded art pieces provide truly noble atmosphere for sightseeing. Probably most charming is the bridge leading to St. Barbara Cathedral, biggest attraction of the city. From here you can see whole rows of houses crawling up the hill crowned with Church of St James and encompassed by vast vineyards.

The Stone House, Vlassky Dvur and beautiful Gothic fountain are popular postcard landmarks but I found the noble peacefulness of the city as a whole most captivating. For those seeking for emotions it's good to step out of old town center and find the Bone Chapel in the district of Sedlec.

Accommodation ranges from luxury, in the very heart of old town - like Hotel Opat, through decent like Zlata Stoupa (60 euro /double) or U Kata (40 euro / double) to cheaper pension houses.

Umbria - Tuscany for modest at heart

2011-02-16T19:06:00.004+01:00

We discovered its beauty by utter accident - coming back by car from Sicily we wanted to avoid well known route through Tuscany so we took direction towards east. And that paid off splendidly...

Now, Umbria is totally different than its more noble sister - mountainous rather than hilly, covered in forests rather than vineyards; wilder, calmer and much more probable to get lost in. The road winds through valleys offering rewarding views on little unknown towns and fertile slopes. Locals are much more local and Italian and you don't feel pressure on being a good, buying tourist .

Two spots we loved most describe well Umbria's originality. Marmore Falls depict its wilderness, virginity and astounding charm. Hidden in forests, 7km from the town of Terni (we had problems navigating chaotically signed roads) present a monument of ancient Roman architecture - designed as water system solving local problems it became an inspiration for artists and favorite vacation spot for the nobles. Today, 165 m long cascade is a wonderful trekking route enabling you to feel the power of water masses.

You can approach the waterfalls from up and down - either way, footpath will take you through terraces, caves and best sightseeing points. And it gets very wet sometimes! Entrance fee: 7 euros; open during season from 10 AM - 1 PM and from 3 PM - 10 PM.

Second jewel was a town Spoletto, 30 km north of Terni - a quiet medieval city born as a fortress due to amazing views (check small hill above the town - the Albornoziana fortress) today it offers peace, Italian pride and best narrow winding streets. Main square is just lovely in its modesty and the Duomo of S. Maria Assunta pleasantly fulfills the impression. There are naturally many more churches you will want roam around but don't miss Roman amphitheater serving now as archeological museum.

Trattoria la Toretta and Osteria dell'Enoteca Spoleto are among best restaurants to eat at. And ice cream stands are just splendid!

Bitter bite of Flores

2011-02-12T16:55:00.005+01:00

It takes one hour to fly from Denpasar, Bali to Labuanbajo on the island of Flores. Yet, it seems like a thousand of light years - from friendly civilization to rough wilderness.

As I already mentioned, Labuanbajo is a hell of a place. We landed in the sheer field surrounded by palm trees and crowd of quite abusive taxi drivers violently dragging us to their cars. Population here is Muslim and Christian what makes a colossal difference when compared to smiling Bali hinduism. In Labuanbajo itself, a bigger port town, there are plenty of dark, hooded people that give blond girls this angry look, I know well from Morocco. Also wandering here after dark, unlike on Bali, is extremely unpleasant experience.

We stayed in hotel Gardena, one of best options, both as for price and location - just on the main street (not that there was much more streets) at close proximity to decent western style restaurants and all the travel offices you need for organizing any trip here. Travelling on your own is rather impossible - no car rentals, local transport not much reliable.

Hotel Gardena owns accommodation on Seraya so you can make all deals in the reception and has very decent cheap restaurant with lazy stuff. But that's something not unusual on whole Flores. There is really not much to do in this god forsaken dirty city, so apart from snorkeling trips and island cruises you can only rent a motorbike (or a car with a driver for 100 euro/day) for 8 euros per day and ride up the only asphalt road across the island towards Ruteng. Local guides recommend some amazing tourist attractions, so we tried one and well, it wasn't as amazing.

We drove 30 km east of Bajo to waterfalls Cunca Wulang. First, we made it to small village off the road, Wersawe, where two boys offered to guard our bike and lead us to waterfalls. Village is friendly but very poor and it's obvious people don't have much to do here. Living from tourists comes handy.

Hiking is quite tough - in horrible heat and humidity, through narrow muddy footpath in the jungle - no views whatsoever, rather tiring buzz of insects (and mosquitos are big and damn biting). After an hour or so we finally made it to the bank of vivid, beige colored river and were told to take off shoes and continue in the water. Now that was not a pleasant experience as there is lots of slippery and sharp stones which you can't see due to poor visibility and the idea of what snakes or other nasty creatures might be there was just creeping me out.

After 20 minutes of this "amazing trekking experience" our guide told us that waterfall is just behind the corner, just water got high rain so now we should swim...

Best Austrian lakes

2011-02-11T17:34:00.005+01:00

Primarily, you might want to visit Alps around Salzburg for mountains themselves - whether you're into climbing, trekking or just taking cable line all the way up. That's something we did in 2008 for several days and then tired we sought refuge at the lakes. And that was truly the best part...

We started off at Hallstatter See, the most southern one, close to great trekking trails. It's kind of wild when compared to others, less frequented, yet amazingly charming. The lakeside town of Hallstatt itself is a true gem of typical alpine architecture and pleasing wealth of bygone centuries - a major Celtic archæological landmark and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are two campsites at the the lake - smaller CAMPINGPLATZ GOSAUMÜHLE

and bigger, better equipped but also less cozy camping Klaussner-Holl.

Then we took the road no. 145 up north to Bad Ischl and west towards much more splendid Wolfgangsee. It takes his name from ultra chic town of St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut - much bigger and expensive than Hallstatt. If you fancy to get snobbish, than that's definitely the place, though accommodation doesn't come cheap. Fortunately, on the opposite, southern side there much more "relaxed" area where we managed to find very decent camping and gorgeous access to water with a floating deck. Misty morning there with quiet bows rowing in the distance eases up any stress.

Next on the itinerary was Mondsee, much smaller lake up north, which you can approach straight from A1 motorway (there is even beautiful lookout and parking for those who just need a peek). On the southern coast there are numerous public beaches where everybody can stop and rest, and swimming here is truly gorgeous with mild sand on the bottom and intimate little bays.

Finally, we made it east to Attersee, my personal absolute favorite. It's not only the largest lake in the region (20 km long) but has best water ever, thanks to limestone bottom. The colour seems to be totally photoshopped at all times and the temperature is always pleasantly refreshing. It's a great sailing place with legendary steady winds, including the rose-scented one - that's aroma breezed from the rose garden at the castle on the island Litzlberg, where Gustav Klimt used to live during summers. There are at least three very good campings at the lake, with many German people having their trailers settled for the whole season - our favorite being Camping Grabner at the village Steinbach. It's a great base for short trip to Burggrabenklamm, an utterly scenic waterfall right at the lake (20 minute hike from parking - you need good shoes!).

Uluwatu - the most magical temple of Bali

2011-02-10T15:05:00.008+01:00

In the most souther tip of Bali you'll find Bukit Peninsula - scenic cliffs and windy beaches flooded with Australians which have surprising tendency to behave like arrogant colonizers. Nevertheless, it's still a wonderful place to be...

We started off by taking a taxi from Kuta to Bingin Beach (10 euro) what was kind of coincidence, very happy one. And so we found ourselves in the cutest stony bay between famous beaches of Dreamland (amazing coast but very crowded) and Padang Padang. Above our, quite cozy and peaceful strip of sand there was a cascade houses built one upon another where you can find accommodation of all sorts - from very basic rooms above warungs (simple local bars) to sophisticated bungalows with terraces. For the first night we took the first option - totally at the beach, a rough wooden room without view, sharing bathroom with 3 other rooms, for 8 euros per night. (Tuti's Warung). It was amazing, romantic location but not much comfortable nor private so for second night we moved up the steep stairs to Susie's Bungalows. Now that was expensive (ca. 25 euros without breakfast) but very good quality, with AC, amazing external bathroom and pleasant terrace.

Bingin Beach itself is great for swimming but rather dangerous for surfing because of treacherous rocks under water. In the low tide you can walk 200 meters till Dreamland where conditions are a bit better, though definitely more civilized (in a negative sense). Restaurants choice is not overwhelming on Bingin but there are 3 small warungs with tables right on the beach that offer good Indonesian food and amazing grilled fish.

We managed to rent a motorbike for 5 euros / per half a day and we drove south to Padand Padang beach (nice, but small, crowded and not so charming) and then to Uluwatu Beach, where from many cafes and bars terraces you can observe surfers on long wide waves. Finally, by the sunset we reached legendary Pura Uluwatu, spectacular temple of the edge of dramatic cliff known for its traditional Kecak dance. Shows take place in smal amphitheatre, every day at 6 PM and ticket costs ca. 8 euro. If you are not into such kind of happenings it is still worthwhile to walk around the cliff and enjoy the views of inner sanctum rising above steep rocks. Beware of monkeys - they are extremely harassing here and they steal everything from glasses to cameras.

Brolio - castle in the heart of Chianti region

2011-02-09T17:37:00.004+01:00

It was total coincidence for us to find ourselves there. Wandering by car through winding roads of Chianti region, stopping at the local vineyards to take pictures, go just south... we came across a sign showing direction to Brolio. With promising icon of castle.

It was a sunny, hot June day and since morning we managed to see Greve in Chianti (nice little town with cute town square) and Radda in Chianti (totally charming little hemlet of the hilltop - a must see!). By noon we made it all the way down towards San Regolo and to the Brolio Castle.

Now, the castle itself is an impressive medieval fortress, very well preserved, dating back to Longobards (XII century). It's surely a pleasure to go through, especially if you want to hide from heat (Chapel is cool and charming). However, the greatest asset of this magical place lies outside of walls - vast vineyards covering the hill are one of the most spectacular wine views we saw in whole Tuscany. As the sandy road (not on every map) from the castle goes down, one is suddenly overwhelmed by quiet, rural landscape of old villas, vines and characteristic rows of scattered trees on horizon. Heaven.

Not surprisingly, Castello di Brolio is one of the best wine labels in Chianti region with such varieties like Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon ripening on the stony, southern hills. In the area you will find Barone Ricasoli wine shop, great restaurant "Osteria di Castello" and even a guesthouse in a restored villa (550 euros for 2 people for 2 night all inclusive stay). Otherwise (money-wise :)) there is a camping in the area and two hostels with great reviews The Heart of Tuscany hostel and Backpackers Poggio Gavingnano.

Gdańsk - Polish Amsterdam?

2011-02-08T17:56:00.003+01:00

That's undoubtedly big exaggeration, but it's hard to deny that over 1000 year old city of Gdańsk is tainted with splendid atmosphere of Hanseatic Leage, ever present culture and some really stunning channel views.

Located in the middle of north Polish coast, at calm bay, it has always been a historically significant gem of architecture and port industry. Here amber was loaded on ships making people awfully rich, here traders from whole Europe came to do their business, here was set up Free City independent from Polish and German state, here, finally, Solidarity movement and consequent democratic revolution in Europe started.

Gdańsk is worth to visit for all those reasons... and many others. Fantastically renovated architecture of tenement houses and mansions, charming old town vibrant with concerts and happenings, impressive churches, sailing channel of Vistula with its nostalgic harbour, legendary fish restaurants, and, last bu not least, numerous memorials of 1980's events located around historical Shipyard of Gdańsk.

What you definitely will want to see is main street, Długa, with its iconic Town Hall and fountainof Neptun; harbour of Motława with many tourist boats offering tours through channels and on to Hell Penisula (famous beach & windsurfing spot); Mariacka street leading form harbour to most glorious church of St. Mary - mecca of amber artists, craftsmen and book keepers. Further from the center there are amazing parks (Park Oliwski), "Solidarity" exhibitions (Roads to Freedom) and splendid sandy beaches with attractive infrastructure.

As for accommodation options, there is Youth Hostel with huge capacity, as well as some decent low standard hotels for reasonable prices and sometimes with amazing location - check out: Hotel Królewski right at the channel, Hotel Wolne Miasto, at the very heart of old town or pleasantly affordable Hotel Dal (50 euro per double room).

And if you wondered about local specialities then you won't be dissapointed: fish opulence (herring, salmon, trout, halibut, cod in as many versions as you may imagine), typical Polish cuisine like bigos (sauerkraut stew), barszcz (beetroot soup), pierogi ( best stuffed dumplings), żurek (soup from fermented flour with white sausage and egg), and many pastry delicacies. For those thinking more of drinking there are some splendid non-pasteurized beers (Koźlak, Żywe, Amber, Kaper) and of course vodka - "Chopin", "Sobieski" or famous Gdańsk version of sweet 40% liquor with gold flakes "Goldwasser".

Czech Jizerky - heaven for cross country skiing

2011-02-07T19:11:00.003+01:00

Splendid views, perfectly maintained trails and very versatile landscape. All this, plus usually good snow conditions thorough most of winter, make Jizerske Hory in Czech Republic mountains a true mecca for all fans of cross country skiing.

Czechs are cross country skiing freaks. Everybody does it here even if not in the best style. From small kids to really well ageing pensioners, from total amateurs to unstoppable professionals. There is whole infrastructure with perfectly signed and prepared trails not forgetting about carnal needs - pubs, bars, restaurants or even simple stands with mulled wine, hot sausages and snacks are easy to find on most of routes.

Main points of setting off on trails (as well as accommodation) are Bedrichov, Jablonec nad Nisou, Nove Mesto pod Smrkem and Harrachov - famous for international ski jumping competitions. Altogether 170 km of trails with numerous possibilities of loops that fit your physical condition (from 12 to 50 km). And as soon as you make it up to mountain ridge (which can be demanding depending on the slope) you are free to choose between many routes that are mostly flat, well connected and maintained as cross country skiing highways - six lanes :)

As for Czech mountain hospitality, be sure to try such food specialties like svickova (pork medallions in creamy sauce with dumplings), smazony syr (fried camembert), gulas (spicy meat stew), cmunda (potato pancake with smoked meat and sauerkraut), boruvkove knedliky (yummy yeast dumpligs filled with blueberries). And beer comes in abundance!

Pleasant and well located accomodation (prices start form 15 euros per person for 1 night):
Pension house "U Potoka"
Penision House "Uko"
Pension "Mona"
Guesthouse "Nisanka"
Apartments "Alice"
Family Hotel Valentino

South of Sicily: Agrigento and famous white rock

2011-02-06T16:09:00.007+01:00

In general terms, south of Sicily has so much more to offer than north half of island, the same as easter jewels definitely beat everything that you can see on the west. So, if you have limited time to stay on the island of ancient gods, best is to opt for a route from Messina down the coast and then at least until Agrigento...

This ancient jewel of stunningly reconstructed ancient Greek temples - called "Valley of the Temples" - boasts on bare, rocky hills heading over big and not much tempting city of Agrigento. You can definitely skip the center and go straight to UNESCO enlisted complex where, especially at the sunset, atmosphere of divinity and historical greatness are enthralling. We were lucky to witness a wedding session of Sicilian couple on the stairs of Temple of Juno - famous place for newlyweds blessing.

Most spectacular of whole the park, that needs at least two hours to fully be appreciated, is Temple of Concord - almost impeccable structure that dates to 5th century BC. However, you will also not be disappointed by impressive fragments of columns, portals and even bath tubes scattered all around the area. Not only for ancient history lovers :)

There is really splendid camping nearby with unusually good bathroom facilities (as for Italian standards), moderate prices, neat bungalows if you mind tent and even swimming pool. Otherwise, there are still some decent, budget wise BBs around like Oceano & Mare at the very sea side or beautiful but relatively cheap hotel Belvedere.

Finally, as you already have seen the ancient temples and feel like sea fun, 15 minutes driving from Agrigento there is immense white limestone rock named Scala dei Turchi, after Turkish pirates invasion. It's favorite place for suntanning and... photographing with nice beach and really spectacular whipped cream like shapes rising over the sea. It's easy to climb, pleasant to lie on and usually quite populated.

North of Lisbon - palaces & windsurfing

2011-02-05T17:46:00.004+01:00

One day trip from Lisbon that really rocked. Sintra, Cabo di Roca, legendary Guincho beach...

30 kilometers north of Portuguese capital there is one splendid town, that really doesn't fit into this rough, dry and rocky country of simple pleasures and crumbing estates for sale. Sintra reminds more of Disneyland, though fortunately is not anyhow cheap or kitschy, if anything then fairy-tale like.

Refreshingly green and cool when compared to Lisbon and whole boiling south, this mountainous royal nest gathers some of the most fantastic old villas I have ever seen, plus two castles looking at each other form impressive hill tops. Colorful and palace-style La Pena blends all sorts of naive, roman architecture trends while rough and monumental ruins of Moores' Castle seem to boast of patriotic pride and glorious history. Both require some pleasant hiking and both are worth an effort.

You could most certainly spend whole day in Sintra roaming through cute noble streets, admiring outstanding pieces of architecture and pleasing yourself with local pastries and coffee, but we made it somehow quick and headed west towards very rewarding coast. First on the way is Capo da Roca, westernmost point of mainland Europe, with breathtaking cliffs and great ocean view (as well as possibility to obtain a certificate of reaching that far) and then south towards Lisbon there is most crazy beach, that all the windsurfers and kitesurfers have wet dreams about. Guincho is not really for swimming or suntanning most days, as wind here can be a devil, but live water show is worth seeing even if you don't fell the vibe yourself. Drama of broken sails and torn kites, huge fight with nature, inhuman jumps and stunts - we were left literally speechless, as many other spectators and photographers on land.

In case you didn't make it to Lisbon by night there is accommodation right at Guincho beach (rather basic one) and lots of lodging and eating opportunities in Cascais, cute and stylish summer resort 10 km west from Lisbon. Good hotels are plenty there but we managed to find at local tourism office a very decent room with kitchen for one night for 35 euros for 2.

Rinca - where the dragons lie

2011-02-04T09:19:00.003+01:00

Apart from the fact that our trip to Rinca almost cost us our lives, it is definitely interesting place to see...

Komodo National Park of Indonesia consists of 3 major islands located between Sumbawa and Flores: Komodo, Rinca and Padar. Together they create a nature wonderland that houses 1000 species of fish, 260 species of coral, sharks, sea turtles, manta rays, whales, dolphins and, on land, deers, buffalos, monkeys and of course most renowned Komodo dragons.

We rented a private boat from fishermen on Seraya Island and in 3 hours made it to Rinca (ca. 60 euros for return trip for 2). As for entrance to the UNESCO heritage park, you pay some quite big money for tickets, camera and assisting ranger, who is necessary for any hiking group (altogether ca. 70 euros). The sightseeing rout takes 1,5 hours - 2 hours and it's better to make it in the morning since at 10 AM the heat is already insufferable. Even the dragons we found were lazy and depleted.

Dragons themselves are easy to spot, as well as monkeys and water buffalos - main prey for lizard assassins. The guides are very well educated and will tell you all you would like to know about the life and habits of those devilish creatures all the time keeping you at a safe distance. Supposedly, there were very few incidents of attacks and most often the ranger is just pushing the beasts away with his special stick.

Landscape is not anyhow astonishing - a mixture of unpleasant forest with loads of mosquitoes and sun stricken savanna. Only if you are lucky, you might come upon the feast of dragons eating dead corpse of bufallo that had been first poisoned by their bite and then followed for weeks until death. All we saw were some fresh bones at the stream.

Trip to Rinca offers also possibility of splendid snorkeling and diving and most of trip organizers include it in the price for boat. We have seen Pink Beach (Pantai Merah) and were pleasantly surprised by rose colored corals hiding thousands of amazing fish, though in this amazement we also bumped eye to eye with poisonous catfish.

Finally, there is also an option of staying on the sea until 6 PM for most spectacular flying foxes massive migration. Every evening those big bats fly from one island to another covering whole visible sky and arousing big excitement in tourists. Palau Kalong is all covered by magrove trees making it perfect habitat for fruit hungry bats. Unfortunately, we didn't make it to last cause by 3 PM we were caught by horrible storm (early rain season in September) and on crappy fishing boat we were literally fighting for survival.

Lucca - a must see in Tuscany

2011-02-03T10:38:00.002+01:00

Gorgeous ancient and medieval town encompassed in intact Renaissance city wall. Honestly, it made greater impression on me than overcrowded Florence.

Lucca used to be second largest Italian city state though now it seems more like a small, cozy, sleepy place with ghosts of the past still roaming thorough the shadowed narrow streets. It's built upon rectangular grid and makes a kind of maze that in the end always leads to central Piazza San Michele - splendid square with proud Duomo di San Martino.

Second, smaller but definitely more charming and unforgettable place is Piazza dell'Anfiteatro that used to serve as amphitheater to ancient citizens and nowadays make a loveliest courtyard you could ever imagine living in the city.

Lucca boasts of some really impressive palaces (Lucca Palazzo Publico, Manzi Palace) exhibiting pictures and paintings as well as amazingly preserved medieval churches with really astounding atmophere, however, there is definitely nothing better to do there than roam along the tiny streets surrounded with coffee and Italian food specialty shops (olives, herbs, cured meat) as well as designer boutiques and antique salons; observe chilled out people riding their bicycles like rush never existed and have some splendid creamy Tuscan ice-cream. Or you can rent a bike yourself at Piazza Santa Maria and pretend you are a casual Italian riding calmly for your cup of espresso and chat with waitress.

There is an amazing hotel Da Elisa for those who have money (stylized on lush XVI century interiors) and some budget wise accommodation options for those who don't need luxury :) (Guest house Arancio, Youth hostel San Frediano).

Playa de sa Tuna - the best beach on Costa Brava

2011-02-02T18:31:00.003+01:00

Definitely not the most famous nor popular one, and thank God for that. We discovered this gem quite accidentally driving in rush off the crowded beaches of Costa Brava massive tourism.

Around 40 km east of Girona, near city of Begur, at the most distant cape of the rocky coast lies hidden a dreamland beach, enclosed in rocky bay. Playa de sa tuna is a small stony beach with unbelievable climate of fishing village, summer villas paradise and wild ocean battlefield. Strong waves crash magically into the steep walls and as tide goes up, the water swallows parts of harbor.

Thanks to amazing pathway carved just above the cliff you can walk all along the bay which proves to be as charming in early morning as it gets romantic and mysterious at sunset. This way can take up to proud rocky cape with Spanish flag where fishermen hunt for prey and tourists enjoy breathtaking views.

Steep hills around are all covered in puzzles of colorful summer villas which, contrary to Cost Brava condos, look really pleasant and kind of inviting. Supposedly, there is always some property for renting or sale there and if I had the money...

But of course finding normal accommodation is not a problem either - there are lots of standard apartments for rental and hotels in the area of Begur, including one that actually offers breakfast at this most beautiful beach - Hotel sa Tuna.

Kanawa - Indonesian snorkeling spot

2011-01-31T19:35:00.004+01:00

There is not much you can do on Kanawa. Snorkeling, suntanning, socializing and playing chess would deplete the choice. But if you do snorkel...

We landed in Labuanbajo, Flores, east of Bali, and were quite depressed - shabby town in the middle of nowhere, hot and not much friendly. After not being able to rent a car on our own, without driver, we gave up on travelling across Flores and bought a trip to Kanawa, small island managed by local hotel Gardena.

For 20 euros for 2 you get to be taken by boat of suspicious condition to Kanawa and back with one night stay in bungalow on the beach. Additional day costs another 20. And then you are, on tiny, rocky, dried up piece of land with ten shabby bungalows on the beach and office-restaurant haunted by tens of Indonesians without particular functions.

Frankly speaking, there is lot to concern about - neglected huts without fans, closing windows and decent bed nets; outside toilet with water running only from 6 - 10 PM; poor service not much willing to cooperate and not much tasty food served also only since 6 PM. Earlier they advise you to snack on crackers. Advertising is much exaggerated!

However, it's hard to deny that the beach and landscape is kind of idyllic as snorkeling just couldn't be better. Reef is very close, all around island and in pretty good shape so turtles, reef sharks, murenas and barracudas are easy to spot along with poisonous catfish. It's quite there, romantic and with a bit of luck can get socially interesting - we spent 3 days with young folks from Finland, Germany, France and Italy and even made some good friends.

From both Labuanbajo (hotel Gardena or any local tourism office on the main street)and Kanawa, you can organize boat trip to Komodo Island or Rinca to see famous Komodo dragons.

Postalm Klamm - for all adventure freaks

2011-01-31T15:34:00.008+01:00

Now, this is not a sort of holiday activity I would recommend everybody, even though in fact it doesn't require any special skills nor physical fitness. Fear control is most important so I guess in the end most of people can do it if you approach the challenge in a right way.
The truth is that I freaked out on the first bridge and my partner had to go on without me. It makes me resentful and given second chance I would try again with some more determination. But back to beginning.

Postalm Klamm is an Austrian via ferrata, meaning a climbing route prepared for securing with iron ropes and bars. Saying that, there is really very small risk of anything happening to you there, if you do use climbing gear and secure yourself in at all times, and in the end it just looks frightening. Located near famous Alpine lake Wolfgangsee, in Salzburg region, small town Postalm is hiding an entrance to its attractive adventure.

Set up upon rocky river valley, some 20 meters deep and very narrow, the route goes along the steep walls (there is even a jump from one side to another!) and leads you through different kind of bridges. Getting out of valley, you do some hiking and at the end there is also regular rock wall to climb (tough one) that can be avoided by taking by pass pathway. Whole ferrata is ranked C-D in climbing difficulty scale (E being the toughest one).

Accomodation is easy to find in Postalm and neighbouring Weißenbach as well as on camping at Wolfgangsee. The entrance fee is 5 euro and you need to have your own helmet and basic climbing gear.

Sopot - best town to live in?

2011-01-30T14:15:00.008+01:00

If you like a bit moody weather, nostalgic autumns, snowy winters, bright springs and hot, sunny summers than sure it is. I was born there, so I should know best...

Sopot is often called the Pearl of Baltic Sea and definitely it's on of Poland's top jewels. Small, spa town sandwiched between modern Gdynia and beautiful historical Gdańsk, this resort has always been legendary for sandy beaches, vibrant cultural life and unique artistic atmosphere. Sure, it's very snobbish, especially lately, after major reconstructions have been carried out in the center, but thanks to that it offers some great feeling of luxury and intimacy.

I love it all year round though most people opt for typical beach and fun summer stays. It's green, quiet, has lavish baroque architecture and offers wide array of quality spa services. Just like fresh seaside air and gorgeous, sometimes chilly water weren't healthy enough.

There are hundreds of gorgeous cafes, small restaurants and cozy BB's though expensive hotels with private spas are plenty to find as well. In the summer main pedestrian passage overflows with beer and coffee gardens, music is played live on every corner and something interesting goes on every single day: theater on the beach, open air concerts, yacht races, horse races, beach volleyball tournaments, artistic happenings, amateur swimming races around the pier...

Yeah, pier - the longest wooden one in Europe (511 m), historical, beautiful and utterly romantic is a symbol of Sopot and heart of cultural life. This year it will be joined by new marina for yacht boats and hopefully will remain as splendid and unique as I remember since childhood.

What else?

It used to be a fishing village centuries ago so it comes as no surprise fish here is really abundant and delicious (especially smoked, sold small fish outlet near Bar Przystań).

Opportunities for doing sports such as sailing, windsurfing, horse riding, jogging, roller skating, biking, swimming and even kayaking are numerous.

And last but not least, there is plenty to do around Sopot.

My faves:

best cafe: Vanilla cafe
best (affordable) restaurant: Sanatorium
best sushi: Sushi 77
best beach bar: Bulaj
best veggie place: Green Way
best fish: Bar Przystań
best massage parlour: Thai Mai

Mikulov - Moravian capital of wine

2011-01-30T14:02:00.000+01:00

People tend to think that Czechs are total beer addicts and all their liquid interests are confined in a half a liter glass of lager with foam. How unjust!

In fact southern part of Czech Republic is a fertile land for many wine grapes varieties and next to smoky pubs full of fatty, red-faced beeroholics there splendid wineries and vinotecas all over the country. What is most remarkable is tha fact tah Czech wine is surprisingly noble, very interesting (especially local white varieties) and enjoyably cheap - for 5 euros you can actually get a truly outstanding bottle.

No wonder, that Moravia region, most famous for hundreds of vineyards, became sort of oenotourism promise land - Eastern Europe's Tuscany. Mikulov is one of the major wine cities there, definitely my favorite, and joins great drinking traditions, rich cellars and beautiful landscape of green rolling hills, fairy tale like villages and historical architecture of castles, churches and cobbled stone streets.

There is plenty of wine events going on from early spring till late autumn, bicycle and walking trails crossing the best wineries, restaurants and places of interest as well as breath-taking chateau with a view to surrounding area known as Palava hills (there is even "palava" wine variety - known for its golden hue and rose aroma). From terraces of the palace you can see also Saint Hill (Svaty kopecek), famous pilgrimage destination, and Goat Tower (Kozi Hradek) welcoming all hikers.

Accommodation is easily available - from cheap hostels (ubytovna) to luxury hotels - and there is more food specialties that you can try throughout a few days. Only vegetarians can be disappointed yet still there is always Czech staple dish - fried cheese - on the menu. For help with travel organization you can write to: morawy@gmail.com.

More about Czech wines here.

Sidemen - the best Bali rice fields retreat

2011-01-28T10:16:00.002+01:00

I was hugely disappointed by Bali beaches - either they were unpleasantly overcrowded with noisy Australians, or black lava sand and rocky bottom made it bikini unfriendly. On the other hand, rice terraces proved to be something truly breathtaking.

The best place we found to indulge ourselves in juicy, peaceful and fertile rice pads was Sidemen, in south east Bali. It's not easy to get there since the road is pretty much in catastrophic state but believe me that all efforts pay off. We had Suzuki Jimny rented (great bargain of 10 euro per day) and it drove us straight to the valley of Sidemen - vast slopes of rice terraces, gardens and vegetable plots maintained in a way you would think of XIX century agriculture. Barefoot, sometimes toothless, people working on their fields since twilight till dusk, tiny shabby huts, primitive cattle barns and so much vegetation you can only imagine.

And in the middle of this green heaven, a few kilometers behind the village, there is a handful of beautiful cozy hotels and inns that offer view, intimacy and even external bathroom carved in lava stone. Surprisingly affordable ( if you bargain - we made it 25 euros for 2 bedrooms house with breakfast), refreshingly modern yet authentic in Asian style, with truly dedicated service - this single experience made a real honey moon to me.

In the morning we got our pineapple pancakes, coffee and fresh papaya salad and we were ready to set off on hiking trail along river. Basically, what you do there is jump through muddy pads and take narrow footpaths until you finally find yourself amidst fairy tale trees, small pine apples, flowers and butterflies - some of them big as a hand.

No one bothers you for stepping in their rice, quite opposite - people usually greet you warm, happy to shake your hand. If it just wasn't so steemy hot, I would say there's no better place in the world.

Zingaro - Sicilian wild beaches

2011-01-28T09:59:00.002+01:00

In 2009 we drove all along the north coast of Sicily and after 3 days we have been quite depressed. Unlike the gorgeous southern part of island this actually looked like Italian hell - ugly, crowded, dirty, uninteresting and very slow to travel. When we got to Palermo I had already had enough and that city seemed like a cherry on the top of this inedible cake.

And then suddenly thing got better ...

We made it to Castellammare del Golfo hugely disappointed by messy local beaches and drove further until village of Scopello, where suddenly landscape changed from touristic chaos to wild coastal nature of stony bays and tropical vegetation. Amongst plenty of small hotels, villas, B&B's and even campings there absolutely outstanding Tonarra di Scopello, old tuna factory with beautiful cozy beach, turned into summer accommodation.

People lie on huge rocks suntanning and dive into crystal clear, turquoise water for snorkeling. And still if you get bored there's cute fishing village of Scopello to visit and finally the greatest gem of the area: Natural Reserve of Zingaro. We left this trip for early morning and it seems the best option as it gets quickly unpleasantly hot and around noon tourists are already abundant. But when you set off at 8.00 AM, the earliest they open (there's gate and yes, you have to pay a few euros) you can walk undisturbed along the picturesque path carved in the slope.

It's all well maintained as a hiking trail, hence you have arrows to guide you and attractions as small museums and handcraft workshops on the way. Local people still try to maintain traditions weaving baskets from cane and commuting on mules there and back. Some arrows lead down to beaches where you can have really private bathing experience and the sea here is more than rewarding.

Whole trail is 7 km long one way and there is also exit on the other side, at San Vito Lo Capo if you didn't want to go back the same route. Those who don't like walking and have money can rent in Scopello fishing boat that will take them to best beaches, though probably it's not the best idea if you want to fully appreciate magnitude of rare plant and animal species living in the protected area. Sea lavender, crocuses, anemones, orchids and more lively eagles, peregrine falcons, owls, foxes, lizards and weasels are not hard to spot.I truly loved it!

Rocky Czech Paradise

2011-01-26T19:50:00.002+01:00

"Prachovske skaly" - that's something close to heaven for all the rock-climbers, view-lovers and photographers. Located ca. 100 km north east from Prague, capital of Czech Republic, close to city of Liberec, this unbelievable complex of rocky towers reminds of... moonscape.

Sightseeing trails will take you all along this bizarre city carved by nature in sand stone. Lookout points, magic corridors, terraces, majestic trees, impressive system of caves and most off all - ultimately challenging climbing routes where hundreds of enthusiasts try their chances to make to the top. And that is usually sort of needle tip top.

In the nearby area there is plenty of similar rocky places and if you got tired of keeping your head up, you can always visit numerous historical attractions of the vast area known as Bohemian Paradise. Old castles, churches, monasteries and astounding hills make it worth of spending a few days here. Here you'll find plenty of accommodation possibilities of all price ranges - and Czech hospitality is really not something to miss out on.

Make sure not to forget about: Romantic Valdstejn Castle, Castle of Stare Hrady near Jicin, picturesque ruins of Trosky Castle, largest Czech rock castle Vranov, chateau Hruba Skala (picture above) and maze of dolomite Bozov caves.