Visiting Kiama, Gerringong, Gerroa, Berry, Huskisson, Kangaroo Valley, Burrawang and Bowral.
We left Sydney on a Saturday morning, hoping to stay a night in Huskisson. The plan was to explore the coast between Sydney and Jervis Bay over the next two days. It was what we call in our family ‘a flash tour’ – touching on many places in a short time, with a view to going back to where we liked the best.
Knysna is one of the prettiest places you will visit in South Africa. Located approximately five hours drive from Cape Town, Knysna is on the Garden Route, about half way between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. The closest airport is George.
Knysna is set on a beautiful lagoon with the sea on one side and the mountains on the other.
We are regular travellers to Knysna and stay with family in Belvidere, just outside of Knysna, but there are plenty of wonderful places to stay in and around Knysna. We would recommend bed & breakfast accommodation and there are lots of good quality places to choose from. Leisure Island is a pretty place to stay. On the Heads you will have spectacular views over Knysna or on Thesen Island or the Waterfront you are quite close to town. If you want to stay at Belvidere have a look at Belvidere Manor and cottages.
Venice, Italy
Visiting Venice is like visiting a living museum. Its beautiful setting, its abundance of artworks and architecture and its maze of streets and canals make it a unique experience.
We arrived by train into Santa Lucia station and were able to change money, buy a snack and get a map from the Tourist Information Office – all within the station building. Going out the main doors and down the steps took us to a large pedestrian area – to the beginning of the Grand Canal – the main thoroughfare of Venice.
From the station we took a Vaporetto (water bus) towards the San Zaccaria stop, just near St Marks Square. This trip down the Grand Canal was a wonderful introduction to Venice. (more…)
A Train Journey on the Golden Pass Line: Montreux to Lucerne
After a short stay in Paris we wanted to make our way across to Venice via Switzerland and enjoy the scenery along the way.
Our ‘accommodation guru’ came up with a great plan. We would travel by train from Paris to Montreux (on Lake Geneva) then take the Golden Pass Line through to Lucerne where we would spend two nights and one day, before continuing by train onto Venice.
The Golden Pass Line is a spectacular rail trip with views of Swiss villages, rivers, lakes, forests and mountains. Because of the changes in rail gauge along the route, the Golden Pass Line involves taking three different trains.
In January 2010 we spent two nights and one day in Lucerne in mid-winter on our way between Paris and Venice.
New York City
Winter is a good time to visit New York City. It is the quietest season when it is less crowded, there are no queues, hotel prices are reduced and the city looks beautiful when it snows.
We spent a week in New York City in January 2010. If travelling at that time of year, if possible we recommend arriving before 10 January so that you can see the Christmas lights throughout the city (on this trip we missed them but had loved seeing them on a previous visit).
Banff
On a trip to the US in December 2009/January 2010 we decided to include a visit to Canada. First stop was one day in Vancouver and then four days in the Banff and Lake Louise area.
Some of our party were keen to ski so Banff was a good place to make our base. After a couple of weeks on the road, we were looking forward to five nights in the one place, the chance to rent self-catering accommodation and enjoy some home-cooked meals.
The Painted Ladies
It was not ideal but we found ourselves with only one day and one night in San Francisco.
We were on our way from Los Angeles to Vancouver with friends who hadn’t been to San Francisco before but who wanted a glimpse of the city.
It was a January afternoon and we had driven from Carmel. There wasn’t much light left but we were hoping to visit the Muir Woods, about 20 kms north of San Francisco, before checking into our hotel in the city.
Neptune Pool, Hearst Castle
Given the choice of flying between Los Angeles and San Francisco, or driving the famous Highway One, the decision was easy. Highway One is one of the most scenic coastal drives in the US.
While it is preferable to drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles (you will be on the right side of the road to stop and enjoy the views), our itinerary was such that we drove north – it was still spectacular – and we got to stay in beautiful Carmel.
This drive really warrants a couple of days to see the sights, however we had one day to drive from Los Angeles to Carmel for an overnight stop.
To give you an idea of timing, it is about 550 kms between LA and Carmel, or nearly seven hours driving time.
Starting the drive in Santa Monica the road follows the coast. It was frustrating to whizz through Malibu and by-pass Santa Barbara but we were heading for Hearst Castle, a four-and-a-half hour drive away. (more…)
Sunset at Venice Beach, Los Angeles
On an extended trip to the US, we spent four nights and three days in Los Angeles. There wasn’t too much idle time, however it was the beginning of our trip and we thought we were fresh enough to see a lot in a short time.
After much research we chose to stay at the Elan Hotel in West Hollywood based on price and location. While our room was small (there were four of us sharing a room), the staff were friendly, continental breakfast was good and each afternoon there was complimentary wine and cheese.
We had a car and planned to visit Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Universal Studios, Venice Beach/Santa Monica and Disneyland. With the exception of Disneyland, our accommodation was very close to all we wanted to see. The only downside was that we found the valet parking expensive and a little inconvenient so we chose to park on the street. If you do park on the street, take note of the parking restrictions. (more…)