Can you travel through books?

Going to new places, meeting interesting people, discovering new cultures is simply fascinating.

But, we don't always have the time or the budget to travel to all these places around the globe. And if you are slightly eco-conscious, you might not want to travel too far for your holidays.

Discovering a new country through books can be amazing.



The Telegraph has compiled a list of The 20 best travel books of all time.

What is your favourite travel book?

Why I fell in love with Portugal

The real Lisbon: simplicity, authenticity and joie de vivre

I spent 3 days in Lisbon with 5 girlfriends. One of them is actually Portuguese. There is no better way to discover a new country when you are accompanied by a local person.  

I loved the city, the people and the food.

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal. The history of this city is fascinating. The Lonely planet guide describes this very well. Walking around is probably the best way to discover this place. If you get tired, there is a very good tram system. The line 28 takes you to the old part of town.




As you get closer to the centre, you will find beautiful classic architecture. Some buildings need a bit of TLC but it actually gives the city its unique charm. It did remind me of Cuba: not overly developed (if we compare with other European capital cities), very old shops and a few graffiti.

It is really nice to see that Portuguese people are holding on to their traditions. Finding souvenirs which are made in Portugal is pretty easy. You can get some lovely potteries or colourful ceramic tiles.  

The food is simple but so tasty. Their speciality is bacalhau, dried salty codfish which is cooked in many different ways (tomato sauce, olive oil and garlic sauce, white sauce etc...).

Portuguese people love their desserts. One of their specialities is custard tarts. If you are going to have one dessert, you should definitely try them.

This country has so much to offer. The best places seem to be hidden behind old facades. You have to talk to the locals to discover those treasures.

And how refreshing it was to find a place which wasn't developed to accomodate tourists needs. I believe the resorts by the seaside are pretty developed in this country, but the capital is so full of character. I highly recommend a little trip to Lisboa.



Our first Portuguese lesson





Bacalhau: Portuguese word for dried and salted codfish - simply delicious





Amazing choice of pastries






















Old cash register - holding on tradition

Tram: a great way to visit the old town



Have you been to Portugal?
What did you think?

Choosing your next holiday destination: will it be green?

This is a quick survey to establish whether eco-friendly practices influence the choice of a holiday.

1. What is your key deciding factor when you pick a holiday?

A. Price
B. Location
C. Convenience
D. Impact on the environment

2. If the price was the same, would you favour a holiday destination with eco-friendly practices?

3. How much do you care about the environment right now?

My personal feeling is that currently, the majority of holiday places are not yet working towards preserving our planet. Unless you go to a specialist like Ecoescape, Ecofriendly tourist or Responsible Travel, it is difficult to find sustainable holiday options. The tourism industry needs to educate consumers about the impact of travel on the environment and it needs to help us make a difference. We all know how difficult a task this is, but we need to be shown how to do this. Do you agree?

Many thanks for answering those questions and feel free to add any comments. 

Tiptoe Traveller in: Cuba

Independent travel versus package holiday: why do people choose to hide from local communities?

The Republic of Cuba is an island in the Caribbean. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the capital of this country. We went to Cuba a few years ago and decided to hire a car for 10 days to explore the island.

What an amazing experience!


That wasn't our car by the way

 The landscape was so different from one side of the island to the other.

Parque Natural Topes de Collantes

Tiptoe Traveller advice no 1: Do not rely on maps!

First of all, it is a mission to find a road map. The one we managed to find in a little shop in Havana was very basic and did not show all the roads. Good start! And no need to say that we got lost a few times.

Tiptoe Traveller advice no 2: Hablas Espagnol? A few words is a must...

Cubans are very helpful but only speak Spanish. If you need to ask for directions, it needs to be done in their language. Luckily, I get by so we managed OK. Just!

Tiptoe Traveller advice no 3: Bed and Breakfast accommodations, the best option to meet friendly locals and to eat great food!

We had booked most of our accommodations in advance from England. However, we had 3 nights for which we did not have any accommodation. We thought we would try to find something once we got there. So, we stayed in a town called Cienfuegos for one night. We then asked the owners if they could recommend a place to stay in Trinidad, our next stop. They did have some friends living there who help us find a room for two nights. We had a great time with the new family and we ate delicious food every night. From there, we did the same thing. We got another great recommendation for our next stop, Santa Clara.


Bed and Breakfast in Cienfuegos

After our 10-day tour, we had planned to spend three days in an all-inclusive resort to relax before heading home. The resort, Superclubs Breeze in Jibacoa, was very popular with Canadians. They like coming to Cuba to spend a couple of weeks in the sun. They are very recognisable because they walk around the resort with HUGE plastic mugs which they fill with cocktails at the bar (No offence to our Canadian friends, it's just that we had never seen this before).

Can you spot the HUGE mug?

Why are there so many people who do not take the time to discover the country they have travelled to?

The majority of guests in this resort were spending one or two weeks at the resort with, in some cases one day spent in Havana. As far as we are concerned, we went to Cuba to meet the Cubans, not to sit on the beach all day and eat European style food. We ate with the Cubans, we slept in their houses, we travelled on their roads and we even picked up a few Cuban hitchhikers on the way (which was another interesting experience).

Me and our new Cubans friends

Did you know that the majority of Cubans are not allowed to leave their country? I was very chocked when I found out. We are so lucky to have the freedom to travel as and when we feel like it. I think it is sad that people spend time in a resort without ever meeting the local community and discovering their culture.

How can we encourage people to look outside their resort and explore the real world? How can we show them what they are missing?

Tiptoe Traveller in: Antalya, Turkey

September 2010 - 10 days in the sun

1. Accommodation: Mediterra Art Hotel - excellent location right in the heart of the old town
2. The old town (Kaleiçi) and the private beach (hard to find but well worth it!)
3. The Turks: very friendly and helpful
4. Backgammon: the local favourite pass-time to be enjoyed while drinking Efes beer and eating roasted chick peas
5. Public transport: brand new tramway; buses are good too once you have worked out the system.

1. Food: not bad but the same tourist menus everywhere - the kebabs are delicious though
2. Souvenirs: same old stuff everywhere - Turkish delights are a good thing to bring back to your friends. I bought some local honey and a set of Turkish tea glasses at a bargain price.

Local map



Turkish spices



Mediterra Art Hotel





Bey mountains - view from Antalya old town

Amazing Duden waterfall - 15km from Antalya

Let's not forget recycling

Ecotourism: Why are holidays at home more expensive than abroad?



Photo: Woodview holiday cottage

 Is eco tourism a luxury?

Package holidays are extremely popular for one main reason: the price

Indeed, it is probably the first criteria people consider when they choose a holiday. If you wish to spend 2 weeks abroad in the sun, the easiest option is to book the accommodation and travel through a travel agent. Prices are usually very good thanks to low cost airlines and the plethora of accommodations available.

Shouldn't we be encouraged to spend our holidays in our country to limit our carbon footprint? 

Yes, but there is one issue: the price.

Have you ever tried to spend 2 weeks holiday in the UK? Assuming that the weather is fairly pleasant, the main issue is finding accommodation at a reasonable price. Personally, I have always gone away for long week-ends in England (which I have thoroughly enjoyed) but never longer than 4 days because of the price of accommodations. The most attractive solution would be to hire a cottage but it is difficult to find anything cheaper than a 2-week holiday abroad by the sea side.

I would be interested to hear your views. Is this trend changing? Are there more options available now that the demand for local holidays is increasing? Is Eco tourism a luxury?

Here are a couple of places to start the research for Eco holidays  and Eco breaks in the UK, should you wish to start planning for next year.

Are you a tiptoe traveller?

Photo from Aredev Sulekha

 

A few questions to define if you really are a tiptoe traveller

1. Do you enjoy visiting new places and experiencing new cultures?
2. Do you love trying food you never had before?
3. Do you prefer booking your own accommodation and dislike all-inclusive-packages?
4. Do you feel amazing when you have exchanged a few words with someone who does not speak your native language?
5. Do you avoid crowded places whenever possible?
6. Do you feel proud when you have travelled in a foreign country using public transport?
7. Do you feel angry when you visit a touristic sites littered with rubbish?
8. Do you feel that you could benefit from more information about responsible travel?
9. Do you wish there were more green holiday options and ecotourism destinations available?

If your answer is yes to most of these questions, I would like to invite you on this journey of discovery to learn how to be responsible travellers and kind to our planet. 

Airport lounges: are they missing a trick?



Photo from: My Opera

Ever been bored in airport lounges?

I have just travelled back from Turkey via Zurich airport. Unfortunately, we had to wait 3 hours for our connection back to the UK.

When I go to a new airport, I am always quite excited. I am hoping to find something a little bit different: a great shopping experience, a good choice of places to eat, anything to help pass the time. However, as soon as I get through passport control, I find myself wondering around another "soulless" airport lounge with the same designer shops (who can afford these products?), the same boring coffee shops (you can only have so many coffees) and if you are lucky you might find a couple of places to eat (with uninspiring and overpriced menus). In large airports, you might find an area where you can access the Internet.

The waiting area for me is the worst of all with the most uncomfortable seats (if you can find one), bad lighting and no entertainment whatsoever. How depressing!!

Isn't there an opportunity here to create fun and interesting areas to make the journey a bit more enjoyable?

Isn't it a great place to educate travellers about responsible travel?

What would you like to see in airport lounges, that would change your travel experience?

3 words to describe Ecotourism - what are yours?



Photo:The Gordon Butler Nature Preserve (NCBQ)

For the majority of people, ecotourism is about spending time enjoying what nature has to offer: trekking through a desert, climbing a mountain or skiing in the Alps are all good examples.

I have been trying to find a really simple definition. This is what I found on the International Ecotourism Society website, which is a very informative site.

Ecotourism is: "Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." (TIES, 1990)

Another interesting definition is the one for sustainable tourism.  

Sustainable tourism is: "Tourism that meets the needs of present tourist and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future."  (TIES, 1990)

For me, being a responsible traveller means focusing on three things:

- Communities

- Culture

- Environment

Wherever we go, we should respect local communities. We are visiting their home after all. We should try to discover and understand their culture. This is really rewarding. And most importantly, we should respect their environment. For them and for future generations.

What is your definition of ecotourism? I would love to hear your views.

Independent hotels: do they support ecotourism?

To experience the culture of a new country, I tend to favour bed & breakfast accommodations (Gîtes in France) or small independent hotels. These places are usually run by individuals who take customer service seriously. The ones I have experienced so far offered personalised services and provided a lot of information about local places of interests. If you wanted to hire a guide, they could recommend local people with excellent knowledge of the region, its history and its secrets.

You also get the chance to meet other travellers who are happy to share their own discoveries over breakfast (particularly the ones not advertised in the brochures).

Finally, I like to find out if there is a local market in the area as it is a great place to discover how the local people live. In Turkey, I was amazed to see the choice of fresh fruit and vegetables produced locally. Markets are sometimes a good place to get gifts and souvenirs made locally. In the south of France, artisans sell a lot of their goods at various markets. You can find potteries, jewellery, clothes etc...

I really feel that by choosing small hotels, I contribute more to the local economy. Do you agree?