GRcade Travel Topic

Tomous wrote:

Moggy wrote:

Tomous wrote:

Rocsteady wrote:Some fantastic photos there, mad jealous of you!

Cheers mate.

Currently at 4960metres, Everest Base Camp ascent is tomorrow if all goes to plan

Had an earthquake at 5.30am today too...

You haven't made it to the top yet?

Stay safe you crazy bastard

I mean I want to go to the top but they won't let me. You're only allowed to attempt a summit expedition in April/May. Health and safety gone mad...

For FFS sake, why do they feel the need to wrap everyone in cotton wool all the time.

I'm planning on a trip to Iceland with the wife to see the aurora since we've not been able to see it every time we've tried here. She suggested going to Yellow Knife in the North West Territories here in Canada but I think going to Iceland would probably be cheaper and nicer. Has anyone been? Any recommendations for what to see/where to go?

SilentRight wrote:I'm planning on a trip to Iceland with the wife to see the aurora since we've not been able to see it every time we've tried here. She suggested going to Yellow Knife in the North West Territories here in Canada but I think going to Iceland would probably be cheaper and nicer. Has anyone been? Any recommendations for what to see/where to go?

I've been, but it was a few years ago now. I think Bunni (and Anung) have just been - or are maybe still there - so she'll probably be able to help you out.

I can't help but I just wanted to say I love how big Canada is that it makes more sense for you to fly to Iceland to see them!

Australia

Visiting relatives February and need a visa

Anyone explain difference between an Immiaccount and an ETA?

ETA looking to charge me a service of $20 whilst immi looks free. This is for tourist perpose only

I am looking to go to Colombia during the middle of this year, I was wondering if anyone here had been and could share their experiences and what they thought was the most practical way of getting there.

Cheers

chalkitdown has lived there, ask him.

aha nice one!

This is radio, not television wrote:...

I shot a kid wrote:aha nice one!

This is radio, not television wrote:...

I can only speak for Bogotá, since I worked and lived there for 5 years. I never actually traveled to Medellin in all my time there but by all reports it's a much nicer city & the hot weather helps. Not sure what tips I can give for traveling in and out, I just took an Avianca/Iberia flight every time from Madrid to Bogotá. Traveling in Bogotá is really cheap but the traffic is appalling. Travel with time! And if you're traveling from city to city via bus, prepare to queue. Colombians strawberry floating love standing in line. Always buy things you would normally queue for online if you can. The lines are insufferable.

Tips for Bogotá...

- Always bring a small umbrella with you in your bag or something. Trust me. It rains more often than it does in the UK/Ireland. The temperature never gets higher than 25 degrees in Bogotá because it's so high in the mountains however you will sunburn much faster than you would at home due to the altitude. I learned this the hard way.
- Go to a restaurant called 'Andres Carne De Res' in a small village called Chía to the north of the city. Very famous/odd eatery in Colombia and great food. All the tourists go there and it's great to meet other travelers.
- And if you like food, a neighbourhood called Usaquen in the north-east is the place to go. Some amazing restaurants there. It's a very posh area where most of the rich folks live in the city. I used to live close-enough by and would eat out there every fortnight or so. It's quite expensive for a Colombian, but for a tourist it costs strawberry float all. It's actually one of the things I miss most from Colombia, the amazing (and cheap) food.
- Travel in taxis with a Colombian if possible because they WILL rip you off. Hell, they used to rip me off even though I spoke Spanish.
- The Downtown area (called La Candelaria) is nice if you like touristy things, there are lots of museums and a big mountain called Monseratte that overlooks the city with an amazing view. Definitely recommend going up to the top in a cable car. It really is an incredible view.
- Simon Bolivar park is huge and really nice if the weather's good and you want to chill out for an afternoon. Also great for cycling.
- Zona Rosa is where all the big clubs and pubs are. (And the best women, if you're after that kind of thing ) The most popular pub in the city for some reason is the Irish Pub right in the middle of the area. It used to be packed whenever I went there. The biggest franchise pub is funnily enough called BBC (Bogotá Beer Company) and they have amazing craft beer.


Taf was also in Colombia, though as a tourist. He might have other advice for you.

This is radio, not television wrote:

I shot a kid wrote:aha nice one!

This is radio, not television wrote:...

I can only speak for Bogotá, since I worked and lived there for 5 years. I never actually traveled to Medellin in all my time there but by all reports it's a much nicer city & the hot weather helps. Not sure what tips I can give for traveling in and out, I just took an Avianca/Iberia flight every time from Madrid to Bogotá. Traveling in Bogotá is really cheap but the traffic is appalling. Travel with time! And if you're traveling from city to city via bus, prepare to queue. Colombians strawberry floating love standing in line. Always buy things you would normally queue for online if you can. The lines are insufferable.

Tips for Bogotá...

- Always bring a small umbrella with you in your bag or something. Trust me. It rains more often than it does in the UK/Ireland. The temperature never gets higher than 25 degrees in Bogotá because it's so high in the mountains however you will sunburn much faster than you would at home due to the altitude. I learned this the hard way.
- Go to a restaurant called 'Andres Carne De Res' in a small village called Chía to the north of the city. Very famous/odd eatery in Colombia and great food. All the tourists go there and it's great to meet other travelers.
- And if you like food, a neighbourhood called Usaquen in the north-east is the place to go. Some amazing restaurants there. It's a very posh area where most of the rich folks live in the city. I used to live close-enough by and would eat out there every fortnight or so. It's quite expensive for a Colombian, but for a tourist it costs strawberry float all. It's actually one of the things I miss most from Colombia, the amazing (and cheap) food.
- Travel in taxis with a Colombian if possible because they WILL rip you off. Hell, they used to rip me off even though I spoke Spanish.
- The Downtown area (called La Candelaria) is nice if you like touristy things, there are lots of museums and a big mountain called Monseratte that overlooks the city with an amazing view. Definitely recommend going up to the top in a cable car. It really is an incredible view.
- Simon Bolivar park is huge and really nice if the weather's good and you want to chill out for an afternoon. Also great for cycling.
- Zona Rosa is where all the big clubs and pubs are. (And the best women, if you're after that kind of thing ) The most popular pub in the city for some reason is the Irish Pub right in the middle of the area. It used to be packed whenever I went there. The biggest franchise pub is funnily enough called BBC (Bogotá Beer Company) and they have amazing craft beer.

Rudolphin wrote:Taf

was also in Colombia, though as a tourist. He might have other advice for you.

Thanks mate, gives me a starting point

Does anyone have an experience traveling in India? Looking at going for maybe 10 days at the end of April/beginning of May and, bar from a trip to see the Taj Mahal, I'm not sure what else to stick on the itinerary.

I could also do with trying to reassure a friend that he won't get killed or horrific bouts of dysentery. He's a bit conservative travel-wise and I'm finding it hard to convince him to sign up for the trip. Anything I could do to tempt him?

Don't touch the salad.

Keep your hands in your pockets. A friend of mine had his passport pickpocketed.

Parksey wrote:Does anyone have an experience traveling in India? Looking at going for maybe 10 days at the end of April/beginning of May and, bar from a trip to see the Taj Mahal, I'm not sure what else to stick on the itinerary.

I could also do with trying to reassure a friend that he won't get killed or horrific bouts of dysentery. He's a bit conservative travel-wise and I'm finding it hard to convince him to sign up for the trip. Anything I could do to tempt him?

I went to India for 4 weeks in November and if you've only got 10 days I would recommend the golden triangle if you're set on the Taj Mahal which would be Delhi > Agra > Jaipur > Jodhpur > Delhi. You won't really have time for much else due to the huge amount of distance between everything. With that in mind the train service is very useful and cheap (spend more on booking the higher AC class if you use them-it's not much more and worth it) although don't put too much faith in the timetable.

As for your mate, I avoided meat and used hand sanitiser a lot and didn't get ill once so you can tell him that if you like. The food is also incredible. However, there's no denying it's a culture shock. There's poverty everywhere, you'll see people gooseberry fool in the street, you'll constantly be avoiding cows and the hassle you get can be draining. I'm reasonably well travelled and am use to looking like a walking ATM to locals but in India it's absolutely relentless. You will shout at people. So you do have to throw yourself into it, I wouldn't recommend it to someone who likes to travel in their comfort zone.

Hand sanitiser is the way to go. My wife and I traveled for a month in India and ate everything, including street food, shellfish and meat and neither of us got sick once.

This is radio, not television wrote:

I shot a kid wrote:aha nice one!

This is radio, not television wrote:...

I can only speak for Bogotá, since I worked and lived there for 5 years. I never actually traveled to Medellin in all my time there but by all reports it's a much nicer city & the hot weather helps. Not sure what tips I can give for traveling in and out, I just took an Avianca/Iberia flight every time from Madrid to Bogotá. Traveling in Bogotá is really cheap but the traffic is appalling. Travel with time! And if you're traveling from city to city via bus, prepare to queue. Colombians strawberry floating love standing in line. Always buy things you would normally queue for online if you can. The lines are insufferable.

Wow, you were there for 5 years? o_o

I shot a kid wrote:

This is radio, not television wrote:

I shot a kid wrote:aha nice one!

This is radio, not television wrote:...

I can only speak for Bogotá, since I worked and lived there for 5 years. I never actually traveled to Medellin in all my time there but by all reports it's a much nicer city & the hot weather helps. Not sure what tips I can give for traveling in and out, I just took an Avianca/Iberia flight every time from Madrid to Bogotá. Traveling in Bogotá is really cheap but the traffic is appalling. Travel with time! And if you're traveling from city to city via bus, prepare to queue. Colombians strawberry floating love standing in line. Always buy things you would normally queue for online if you can. The lines are insufferable.

Tips for Bogotá...

- Always bring a small umbrella with you in your bag or something. Trust me. It rains more often than it does in the UK/Ireland. The temperature never gets higher than 25 degrees in Bogotá because it's so high in the mountains however you will sunburn much faster than you would at home due to the altitude. I learned this the hard way.
- Go to a restaurant called 'Andres Carne De Res' in a small village called Chía to the north of the city. Very famous/odd eatery in Colombia and great food. All the tourists go there and it's great to meet other travelers.
- And if you like food, a neighbourhood called Usaquen in the north-east is the place to go. Some amazing restaurants there. It's a very posh area where most of the rich folks live in the city. I used to live close-enough by and would eat out there every fortnight or so. It's quite expensive for a Colombian, but for a tourist it costs strawberry float all. It's actually one of the things I miss most from Colombia, the amazing (and cheap) food.
- Travel in taxis with a Colombian if possible because they WILL rip you off. Hell, they used to rip me off even though I spoke Spanish.
- The Downtown area (called La Candelaria) is nice if you like touristy things, there are lots of museums and a big mountain called Monseratte that overlooks the city with an amazing view. Definitely recommend going up to the top in a cable car. It really is an incredible view.
- Simon Bolivar park is huge and really nice if the weather's good and you want to chill out for an afternoon. Also great for cycling.
- Zona Rosa is where all the big clubs and pubs are. (And the best women, if you're after that kind of thing ) The most popular pub in the city for some reason is the Irish Pub right in the middle of the area. It used to be packed whenever I went there. The biggest franchise pub is funnily enough called BBC (Bogotá Beer Company) and they have amazing craft beer.

Rudolphin wrote:Taf

was also in Colombia, though as a tourist. He might have other advice for you.

Thanks mate, gives me a starting point

Can't add anything re: Bogota as Chalky's covered it all (definitely do Monseratte) EXCEPT: go to Andres Carne de Res. It's a massive nightclub, steakhouse, bar, gathering spot, BBQ, mad house. Most hostels will run a trip, including a bus out there with all you can drink for the trip, entrance fee, and a bus back. Not cheap, but it's a hell of an experience.

For the rest of it:

- Villa de Leyva is a small colonial town just outside Bogota and might be worth a day trip.
- I wish I'd spent more time in Medellin, but it depends what you're looking for. It's a very modern city that's still on the rebound from the 80s when it was the Escobar powered murder capital of the world. The transport system is tiptop and stupidly cheap, there are loads of museums and I think a national park to explore
- Guatape is a must see, and very close to Medellin. It's a town next to a series of islands which were created when the whole region was flooded for a reservoir. We even persuaded one of the water tours to take us to Escobar's house, which is technically off limits (the land is owned by the government as the place was bombed by the Cali Cartel in the 90s) which was utterly surreal.
- Speaking of, they've turned Pablo's main house into, I gooseberry fool you not, a theme park. Never went there but his infamous hippos are still present.
- Valle de Cocora/Salento is worth a punt. There are some lovely walks around there and the palm trees are worth it alone (tallest in the world mate). Stay at La Serrana eco hostel, it's brill.
- If you fancy somewhere a bit off the tourist trail, try Manizales. It's a big modern city next to a load of volcanoes and an amazing national park. We bodged a ride on an old milk truck ferrying supplies to the farmers while collecting milk from their sparse herds. It was incredible.
- Go to Cartegna. I mean, obvs. It's one of the big draws of the country for a reason, it's bloody lovely. Super hot though.
- If you've got a spare 4 days, the trek to Ciudad Perdita, also in the north, is amazing. It's a 4 day hike into the jungle to the Lost City of Colombia. It gained some notoriety in the late 90s when a number of tourists were kidnapped by Communist Rebels while doing it. There's none of that now, but the walk is amazing and the scenery awe inspiring, even if the ruins themselves look like a bunch of putting greens. It's also the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, and I was pretty trim back then. Magic Tours seemed to be the best (they got cake and we didn't )

Those were the highlights, but I'll have I think and add any more I can think of.

EDIT: Oh oh! I really, really wanted to get to Leticia, a town way in the Amazon. You have to go down the titular river to get there, and the best way is to get a cargo boat which will give you a hammock for the trip for super cheap. It's on the more adventurous side, but I hear it's a hell of a time.

Saw this was asked earlier on, but wondering if anyone else can help. I've just booked to go to Iceland for a week with my finance at the end of February(staying in an Airbnb apartment in Reykjavik). Has anyone here been who can suggest what to do? We've hired a car for the week so will be able to get around.

St Nick wrote:Saw this was asked earlier on, but wondering if anyone else can help. I've just booked to go to Iceland for a week with my finance at the end of February(staying in an Airbnb apartment in Reykjavik). Has anyone here been who can suggest what to do? We've hired a car for the week so will be able to get around.

No one responded to me either Bunni where are you!

Bunni wrote:Little Help?

I'm of little help in this situation as it seems most of Iceland is explored via car, where as we stayed in Reykjavik the whole weekend.