Shiona's Blog

A little piece of heaven…

shiona21 — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:23:21 +0000

“If heaven isn’t what it’s cracked up to be then send me back to Gimmelwald”

If you want a taste of heaven and you haven’t already experienced the Swiss Alps then I suggest you do…

: Spectacular views from the Swiss Alps

The Mountain Hostel is a place like no other. It is a hub for people from all over the world – a backpackers dream.

Situated in Gimmelwald, near to Interlaken, you can only reach it by gondola. But the long ride up the mountains – train, bus then gondola (cable car)- is well and truly worth it! The views are simply out of this world and the atmosphere is like nowhere else. There is an international flavour to the hostel that you can’t manufacture. Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, Europeans – an eclectic mix of nationalities, cultures and experiences all together. I would 100% recommend this place – from avid travellers to first time backpackers – it is an absolute treasure!

Beautiful Budapest

shiona21 — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:12:20 +0000

Perhaps an unlikely holiday destination, and an un-thought-of weekend break, Budapest really is a place you should consider visiting. It’s an understated yet cool city with lots happening all year round. Like Prague was, it is up and coming and of course an obvious advantage is it’s very cheap! I predict that it will be the next popular stag night city in the next 5 – 10 years so I suggest visiting before it becomes polluted with drunken Brits!

The transport is easy to figure out despite the lack of English on maps, signs or even from the Hungarians themselves. Ferenciek stop on the metro is right in the centre of the ‘Pest’ side of the city and a great starting point. (Budapest is in two halves not surprisingly called ‘Buda’ and ‘Pest’, which are split by the Danube River.) The ‘Pest’ side is certainly the more lively of the two from my experience, with lots of cafes and bars in ev

ery corner. Another lovely place is Oktogon Square, here there is the famous historical Gerbeaud cafe where there is every type of cake you can imagine. Many places to have ice creams, cakes and coffees in the evening as well as more upmarket bar types. In the Summer time everyone sits outside and soaks up the lit up atmosphere.

Many bridges join the two sides of the city, one of the most impressive ones being Szabadsag. This takes you over to one of the many thermal baths in Budapest (a must do if you have the time). Moreover Szabadsag takes you to the bottom of Gellert Hill which, if you are prepared for the hike, is very rewarding. At the top you reach the Liberation statue where you will get amazing views of the city. Continue down Gellert, pass the citadel and towards Buda hill and you can start to explore the Castle district and eventually the Royal Palace. You again get great views from up there, and at Fisherman’s Bastion which is near by you get arguably the best panoramic views of the whole of Budapest. On a clear day it is simply breathtaking.

The only problem about Budapest, and Hungary in general, is the currency. It has a very low value against sterling which can be difficult to quantify at times.

I will come back with more details about this fantastic city later! I need to consult my notes!

Hello fellow travellers!

shiona21 — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:25:59 +0000

I intend to give an account of various destinations that I have enjoyed visiting with photos and links provided. I hope that this will aid people’s travel plans and be an infomative, enjoyable read.

Bon voyage!