Spain is nice. Hope you’re going to Andalusia…Seville and Granada particularly.
Barcelona isn’t Spain. It’s different.
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Will be travelling to there.
Barcelona is our last port of call
Gonna miss Anzac Day heading to Hanoi for 9 nights never been any tips?
On my way home from Vietnam. Always a depressing feeling leaving to go home. Thanks for the crap weather in advance Melbourne. Anyway, Vietnam is super impressive. We did Saigon, Danang, Hoi An and Nha Trang. Can’t believe how much development is happening in Vietnam. The food is ridik as well.
Next is definietly Da Lat, Sa Pa, and Hanoi. Any other recommendations?
Loved Hoi An. Probably my fave part of Vietnam. We did My Son (and it was farking hot). It might have been because we cycled 60% of the way (around 32kms) but I highly recommend it. You go through local villages and markets, and it’s also really flat. There’s also old town which is really cool at night. Have fun!
Arrived in Seville this afternoon, it’s gorgeous, the vibe of the place is fantastic and only had a quick look this afternoon. Tomorrow will start exploring.
Saw a lovely red and black fan this afternoon, will be buying it tomorrow.
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Seville/Andalusia is really high on my list. Enjoy!
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I love the intercontinental hotels. Hope you bought their annual membership (ambassador) which includes free room upgrades! We’ve had 3 upgrades to suites so far 
Pays for itself every year.
We spent about 2 weeks in & around Hanoi in 2001 & really enjoyed it. It is well suited to hub & spoke travel where you fan out from a base. And there were lots of local travel agents who could organise day & multi-day trips to places like Sapa, Ninh Binh & Halong Bay, so you don’t need to do this beforehand. Trekking down the valley from Sapa (including homestays with Blue Hmong & Tai) & the hilltribe market at Muong Hum were highlights, as was the food in Hanoi.
Caveat: I went in 2005 and I gather a lot has changed since then.
I really loved Hanoi, the climate is milder and the French colonial feel is really rather charming.
One of the highlights of our whole Vietnam trip was an off the cuff decision to attend a performance in the Hanoi Opera House. The venue and the performance were outstanding and a hell of a lot cheaper than anything comparable in Oz.
And don’t miss Uncle Ho, although try to pick a day when the primary school kids aren’t going. We had to wait as thousands of kids filed past his tomb, which was kind of cool, locals should always precede tourists.
As Gnik noted, Sapa is, was?, great.
Emirates FC lounge in Dubai is best I have ever been to.
I am now in Tianjin. Can confirm China Southern lounges are no match.
Anyone with tips for Tianjin? Guangzhou? (will be there Sunday - I usually only get one day free per city).
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Bia Hoi. Sit down and drink fresh draught beer on any street corner.
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Moto cycle tour. Best way to see the city.
*Food tour good tucker all over Vietnam never so true as in Hanoi.
From memory there is a museum where you can see Senator John McCains flight kit from when he was captured in the Vietnam war. Those bastards tortured him so much apparently he can’t lift his arms above his shoulders… Or so the rumours go.
Vietnam is the best. Surely will overtake Thailand as the South East Asian destination this decade. Pity its not as cheap as it once was.
I’d avoid sapa in the wet season. Ie now.
Only worth a visit in the dry season. Too wet and cloudy to get much out of climbing it.
So jelly.
Seville is a place I would love to visit… I guess next year!
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Haven’t spent much time in Tianjin but the Huangya section of the Great Wall is close by and is well worth the visit. A lot quieter that the touristy parts of the wall near Beijing and has incredible scenery. Tianjin itself I found a bit sterile but did have some large European influenced areas of buildings and food. The former Italian concession area has some good eating. Guangzhou can be a bit overwhelming for some people and not the prettiest city but I’d recommend doing a river cruise which gives you a decent look at the City. The Canton tower is pretty impressive and has great views of the city and surrounds. Shamian Island has some pretty cool old European architecture if you are into that kind of stuff and there are plenty of nice parks to wander around the City
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Only stayed at that Intercontinental as the rate was excellent and the location suited us. I’m not a member of their program. We are Gold Hilton Honors and Accor members so generally stay in their properties as a rule
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Having a great time and the weather has been pretty good so far. After Luxembourg City we spent just over a week driving through Belgium. Bruges was excellent again and Brussels was a lot better this time. Even managed to attend the parade for the Belgian WC side on their return. Hadn’t been to Antwerp before but thought it was a pretty cool place with plenty to do. Only drove across the bottom corner of The Netherland with a night in Eindhoven last night before driving to Aachen today. Stopped for some lunch and to listen to the Norwood game. I’m a bit of a history nut and have always been intrigued by Charlemagne and his reign so a visit to the Aachener Dom was a must. Will stay here tonight and then a bit of back tracking is required as I’m going to the German F1 on Sunday at Hockenheim which is only about an hour and a bit from Frankfurt. Basically we have done a clockwise loop east from Frankfurt. On Monday we will make our way back up the Rhine.
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Red and black seem to be the most common colours for flamenco gear, and Seville is the birthplace of flamenco.
I bought my sisters red and black flamenco aprons.
Plaza de España is something else…and been used in heaps of movies.
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is lukaku as big as a i think he is?
get ready for a dan driver of the day, starting 20th finishing 5th, bank on it.
Has anyone been to the Great Barrier Reef recently?
My girlfriend and I want to go there for scuba diving in September/October as it is apparently the best time to go there.
Any tips appreciated!