Travel
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Exploring Marrakech: Your Complete Travel Guide
Marrakech is located in the western region of Morocco, set within the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. The city is 300 km south east of the capital Rabat and 246 km from the coastal city of Agadir. Separated from the Sahara Desert by the Atlas Mountains, Marrakech was constructed in 1070 as the capital of…
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The Ullswater Inn, Glenridding, Cumbria Review
Location: The Ullswater Inn is situated in Glenridding on the south western shore of Lake Ullswater in the Lake District National Park. The hotel was formerly known as The Glenridding Hotel but since its recent change of ownership and major refurbishment by the Inn Collection Group it has adopted a new name. Arrival and check…
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The Five Rise Locks celebrates its 250th anniversary
The locks at Bingley in West Yorkshire are considered one of the greatest feats of canal engineering of their day and are Grade I listed, in the same category as York Minster and Buckingham Palace. They sit on the Leeds to Liverpool canal, once one of England’s most important transport routes. The Bingley Five Rise…
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The Bush Hotel, Farnham, Surrey Review
Hotel Review The Bush is an independent hotel that has been welcoming guests through its doors since 1618. Steeped in history but embracing contemporary design, it’s the perfect blend of old world charm and contemporary design. Location: Known for its Georgian streets, historic buildings and craft heritage, Farnham is a historic market town located in…
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How to Spend a Day Touring the Swan Valley from Perth
A 30 km drive north east of Perth led us to the historic Western Australian wine region of the Swan Valley. The warm Mediterranean climate with cool evenings and low rainfall making it an ideal centre for wine growing. Our first stop of the morning was to Guildford, a historic town and the gateway to…
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Exploring Rockingham and the Giants of Mandurah: A WA Coastal Adventure
After enjoying days spent in Perth city centre, Fremantle, Rottnest Island and the Perth Hills we turned our attention southwards opting to explore Rockingham and Mandurah. Rockingham is a coastal town located 50 km south of Perth, the journey taking us just 45 minutes along the Kwinana Freeway. As it was a Monday morning we…
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A Day Out in WA: Cottesloe Beach and Dining in the Perth Hills
The sun was shining brightly when we drew back the curtains so we decided to spend the morning by taking a stroll along Cottesloe Beach. It’s located 11 km south west of Perth’s city centre. We took the car but it’s also possible to get there by taking the Fremantle Line train from Perth City…
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Discover Kings Park and Matilda Bay Perth: Walking Trails, Gardens & Scenic Spots
After enjoying breakfast out on the patio of our friend’s lovely home located in one of Perth’s leafy western suburbs we spent the morning exploring Kings Park and the Botanical Garden. This beautiful city park comprises natural bushland, parkland, and a botanical garden displaying over 3,000 species of flora unique to Western Australia. It’s easily…
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Rottnest Island Day Trip from Perth: Your Ultimate Travel Guide
One of the most popular excursions from Perth is to take a boat trip over to Rottnest Island. This idyllic island with its crystal clear waters, secluded beaches and unique wildlife is just a 90 minute ferry ride from the city centre and we opted to travel there on the Rottnest Express Premium Service. We’d…
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Perth to Fremantle by Train: The Ultimate Day Trip Guide
After enjoying breakfast at our hotel in Perth we strolled along to Perth Station and boarded a Transperth train to Fremantle. With standard single tickets $5.10 (£2.65) and departures every 20 minutes, it was inexpensive and a quick journey, taking only half an hour to the port city south west of Perth. Fremantle boasts an…
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A Day in Perth, WA: Must-See Highlights and Local Favourites
We were up bright and early making the most of our first full day in Perth, Western Australia. With bright blue skies and soaring temperatures we started the day at Elizabeth Quay, just a short walk from our accommodation. This vibrant waterfront destination is located on the edge of the Swan River and was opened…
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Exploring Melbourne’s South Bank: A Scenic Walking Guide
Our final day in Melbourne gave us an opportunity to return to the south bank of the Yarra for a morning stroll. Earlier in the week we’d taken in the stunning views from the Skydeck as well as enjoying a leisurely cruise along the river. The South Bank stretches between the convention centre to the…
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From Warrnambool to Port Fairy: A Guide to Victoria’s Coastal Wonders
After starting the day with a relaxing breakfast at the Quest Warrnambool we took a leisurely stroll through the town and along the promenade beside Lake Pertobe. My son was in need of a sun hat so after finding a suitable one we headed back to the car, driving the short distance to the Foreshore…
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Driving along Australia’s Great Ocean Road: the ultimate travel guide
After enjoying breakfast on our balcony at the Sandpiper Motel at Apollo Bay we checked out and drove for less than five minutes up to the Marriners Lookout overlooking the bay. It was then just a ten minute walk from the car park to the viewpoint from where we were rewarded with far reaching views…
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Exploring the Victoria State Rose Garden and Geelong: A Perfect Day Trip
The Great Ocean Road in Australia starts in Torquay, 100 km south west of Melbourne and continues 243 km along the coast until it reaches Allansford near Warrnambool. It’s one of the world’s great drives and one we were looking forward to exploring with the bonus of two interesting places to stop off on the…
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Exploring the Yarra Valley in One Day: Top Things to Do Near Melbourne
After spending three days exploring the delights of Melbourne, it was time to see more of Victoria. We’d arranged to pick up a hire car at 10.00 a.m. from the Enterprise base in the city centre but our well laid plan didn’t quite work out as we had hoped! On arrival at the car rental…
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Melbourne River Cruise, Brighton Beach & St. Kilda: The Ultimate Day Out
We’d booked a river cruise for 11.00 a.m. and as we were up bright and early this gave us an opportunity to fit in a visit to the State Library of Victoria on Swanston Street first. The library was established in 1854 as the Melbourne Public Library which makes it Australia’s oldest public building. Since…
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Melbourne Must-Dos: MCG Behind-the-Scenes Tour & Eureka Skydeck Panorama
We started the day with a tram ride and short walk to Yarra Park, home of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The park is noted both for its landscape and sporting heritage dating back to the 1850’s and features numerous sporting statues including those of the Australian cricketers Sir Donald Bradman and Shane Warne. Tours…
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Melbourne Sightseeing Guide: Explore Old Melbourne Gaol and More
G’day Australia! After taking an overnight flight with Malaysia Airlines from Kuala Lumpur we arrived into Melbourne’s Tullamarine International Airport at around 9.30 a.m. We’d enjoyed visits to Australia several times before but these all took place in pre-blogging days and our chosen itinerary for this trip would take us to places we hadn’t previously…
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Exploring Kuala Lumpur: Top Attractions and Travel Tips
After enjoying a leisurely breakfast at the Ramada Suites by Wyndham we started off our day with a visit to the Perdana Lake Botanical Gardens (entrance free). The botanical gardens are located within the Tun Abdul Razak Heritage Park and contain the largest collection of flowers in Kuala Lumpur. Constructed n 1888, the park served as…
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A Short Break in Kuala Lumpur: Top Things to See and Do
Day 1 After taking an overnight flight with Malaysia Airlines from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur we arrived just after 6.00 p.m. local time. On reaching border control, the biometric fingerprint devices weren’t working properly so this slowed us down but eventually we were reunited with our luggage and on our way. Before leaving home…
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The Fenwick, Claughton, Lancaster Review
Hotel Review: Overview: The Fenwick is a historic pub full of character dating back over 250 years making it the perfect place for a cosy short break in north west Lancashire. Location: The country inn is located in the village of Claughton (pronounced Clafton) on the A683 east of Lancaster, just north of the Forest…
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Travel Guide: Naples Top Things to See and Do
Naples is a port city in the Campania region of southern Italy. With 4.4 million inhabitants it’s the third largest city in the country. Most visitors flying into Naples airport don’t stop off to explore the city but instead pick up hire cars and head south to explore the Amalfi coast. Despite the city previously…
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Roseate Villa, Bath Review
Hotel Review Location: The Roseate Villa Bath is a luxurious boutique hotel located on an elegant residential street overlooking the Henrietta Gardens in the centre of Bath. It’s conveniently situated just around the corner from the iconic Pulteney Bridge and within a short walk of the famous Pump Room and the city’s other main attractions.…