http://www.netglobers.com/node.php?pageid=1&pageclef=rssTravel reports are where the community share their experiences from all over the globe, reporting firsthand what health, safety and travel conditions are like wherever they've been.enWed, 17 Mar 2010 06:45:41 +0100Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:45:41 +0100http://www.cafecentral.frThu, 04 Mar 2010 11:51:02 +0100http://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/india-the-mistery-of-a-religious-land.htmlhttp://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/india-the-mistery-of-a-religious-land.htmllong fantastic travel through many part of this country, smelling all the inspirational motives created by religious influence, getting in touch with indian people in a very direct form.Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:19:00 +0100http://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/phu-quoc-paradise-island-in-vietnam.htmlhttp://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/phu-quoc-paradise-island-in-vietnam.htmlAn unspoiled spot in the Gulf of Siam. Go there quickly as in the next years Phu Quoc will become the trendy destination of the area. Tip 1 : rent a motorbike and discover the island by yourself ! Tip 2 : buy the local pepper as it is considered the best worldwide Tip 3 : best nuoc mam in Vietnam ! but not allowed on the planeFri, 08 Jan 2010 12:35:00 +0100http://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/trendy-warsaw.htmlhttp://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/trendy-warsaw.htmlFew days in Warsaw sounded like a good idea. And it was despite the -17°C temperature and the snow! What's really surprising in Warsaw is the difference between your first feeling when arriving, and the feeling when leaving. It is not one one these cities, like Roma or Paris, that amaze you from the first sight. To be honest, the first impressions are not promising. But it would be such a mistake to keep to this first feeling, because Warsaw has so much to offer, even if it's not visible at the first glance. And that's the beauty of it. The capital city of Poland abounds with trendy and cosy cafes, restaurants, clubs. As soon as you enter one, you have this feeling of discovery, that you found a nice place not many people know about, this exclusive feeling. My personal favorite was the KOM restaurant, which was once the home of the Warsaw telephone exchanges. It is said that conversations between Whitehall and Kremlin used to go through its cables during the Cold War. Praga used to be the working-class district and is now hosting the Warsaw artistic life, with its art galleries and the famous art center Fabryka Trzciny which used to be a vodka factory. The old town, which was completely destroyed during the WWII and entirely rebuilt offers touristic-walks opportunities which will lead you to Nowy Swiat (New World) where a lot of trendy cafes and shops are waiting for you. Last thing; Poland has always been a major country when it comes to art and music, and Warsaw museums are worth the detour. Warsaw Rising Museum (dedicated to the Warsaw Uprising in 1944) and Zacheta Gallery (Modern Art) delighted me. So do not hesitate to visit Warsaw and make the effort to discover this city which definitely deserves a second look!Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:11:25 +0100http://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/plouescat-seaside-resort-brittany-france.htmlhttp://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/plouescat-seaside-resort-brittany-france.htmlVery nice stay at the extreme point of Brittany....a seaside resort offering all type of activities and animations.... the kids loved it, it was a lot of fun.....Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:11:04 +0100http://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/a-break-in-berlin.htmlhttp://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/a-break-in-berlin.htmlThe four of us took a cheap flight to Berlin to experience the Christmas markets - all 60 of them! We actually only saw a few as there are so many other interesting places to visit in this large city. There are museums, art galleries, awe-inspiring architecture and restuarant/bars. The latter serve some excellent German beer and hearty meals. We stayed at the Ibis Ostbahnhof Hotel, which is very handy for the train station as the name suggests. The hotel foyer was full of people sporting some weird and wonderful tattoos. We soon found out why. It was the International Tattoo Convention at the nearby O2 Arena. Despite their rather menacing appearance they were a well-behaved bunch of people, but the bar staff were struggling to cope with the sheer volume! The Ibis was up to its usual standard and very good value for money. Berlin itself is a city of contrasts. It has just celebrated 25 years of the fall of the Wall, and it is hard now to see where East and West used to be. The people are friendly and overall the city is not too expensive for a short break.Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0100http://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/firework-fun-in-the-sun.htmlhttp://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/firework-fun-in-the-sun.htmlI just got back from a week in Benidorm. If you were thinking: “Why on earth would such a obviously intelligent, cultured, well-traveled (not to mention ruggedly handsome) individual want to spend a week in a vomit flecked poor man’s Magaluf frequented by knuckle dragging monkeys of the lowest order.” I could see your point.. The answer is that is was cheap. Accommodation gratis: courtesy of my Dad’s flat, flights next to nothing and free entertainment in the form of Benidorm’s regional fiesta’s. Besides November in England is the stuff of nightmares. If the wind and rain isn’t enough November is the depressing signal winter has arrived with f*cking Xmas stuffed like stinking turd in its frozen depths. If I don’t get a bit of sun during this time there is a strong risk I might start hacking at my wrists with a rusty spoon so I always try and leave the country. It turned out to be much more enjoyable then expected. This time I was joined by one of my mates who managed to get a leave pass from his missus (not sure how happy she was about his departing the country seeing as they hadn’t had a holiday this year, but hey isn’t that what marriage is all about – making sacrifices). I don’t know if I mentioned this before but I used to live in Benidorm many moons ago. I even went to school there. I go back sporadically but I hadn’t been back in about 3 years. The side I have seen has probably only been witnessed by a tiny percentage of the drunken morons that over the years have given Benidorm its reputation as a low class piss-up. Basically, Benidorm is made up of two parts: the touristy side and the Old Town. The touristy part is a mix of cheap hotels, tacky bars and venues showing drag acts, Take That tribute bands and the sort of people you would cross the road to avoid. The old town is mix of authentic tapas bars, parks and streets with character. This is where the locals live and where I was brought up. It was fiesta time (which isn’t unusual as the Spanish seem to have a bank holiday/saints day every other week) and the locals were out in force. The regional fiestas are held every year on the 2nd Sunday in November and supposed to celebrate some religious mumbo-jumbo which has been lost in the midst of time. It is now just and an excuse for the Spaniards to let their hair down. They do this in the main by going firework crazy. A normal day starts off with a 8am mascleta wake up call. These are just massive bangers that are let off during the day which are so deafening your body shakes and you have to put your fingers in your ears to avoid bursting your ear-drums. Seriously. There doesn’t seem to be a law in Spain that prevents fireworks being sold to under 16’s as every child from about 5 upwards as bag full of bangers which they toss about the streets at unsuspecting tourists, the elderly and the infirm. After a few days your ears become accustomed to the constant noise and you stop jumping like a nancy-boy every time a banger goes off. I suspect this a lesser type of Gulf War syndrome. The mascleta is repeated at 2pm and randomly throughout the day and night. Bring ear plugs. Another firework related curiousity is the Correfoc which literally means the “Fire Run”. A team of pyromaniacs dressed up as devils run about the Old Town shooting assorted fireworks from a number of contraptions into the crowd which constantly tries to stay one step ahead of them to avoid getting burnt. I guess it’s kind of like a bull run only with fireworks. There is a genuine thrill of trying to get as near as possible to the devils without have your eyebrows singed off. It is best to leave your non fire retardant shell suit at home for this one. I was bigging up the final days firework display to my friend telling him it would be more impressive then anything he had previously seen. As a kid I always remember it being absolutely spectacular but I was a bit worried my recollections may have been rose-tinted or that the locals might skimp on the firework spend seeing as we are in the depth of recession, unemployment is about 18% and blowing up things is not the best use of their money. My concern was unsubstantiated, this is Spain after all. It looked as though they had blown the entire employment budget on the display as it was incredible and better then I remember it being. So don’t put off by Benidorm’s well earnt reputation. If you go off the beaten track you can still get a taste of real Spain. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:53:48 +0100http://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/albufeira-and-monchique.htmlhttp://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/albufeira-and-monchique.htmlI have been holidaying in Portugal since 1980 and each time I return it's like going home. I have always found the people to be very courteous and helpful with the few exceptions like anywhere else. I have been there in July/August when it is almost always very hot and dry, and in September and October when there has been the odd shower but nothing to worry about and the temperature is still very warm and pleasant and is the time I prefer. Over the years things have changed a lot for the better in some ways i.e. sanitation, roads, transport general standards have been raised a lot. In some ways, though, it has all been for tourism to flourish. Beggers have been moved on, small dusty tracks are now replaced with dual carriageways, seldom seen now is the traditional cart pulled by a donkey unless of course this is only in Albufeira. The old world still exists in more rural villages as I found on my recent trip to the Monquiche mountains. It was a world apart there from the touristy beaches and everything was so much cheaper. Costs for eating out have risen in line with the rest of Europe--they used to be so cheap , but the food is good especially if you enjoy fish and chicken. Look out for the orange sellers at the side of the roads out of town and get some real fresh fruit very reasonably priced. I would always wish to return here as I have grown to love it so much.Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:01:45 +0100http://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/the-finnish-experience.htmlhttp://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/the-finnish-experience.htmlWhile in Helsinki for my studies as an exchange student, i discovered this amazing but very cold country, where nature lovers and high-tech companies happily coexist . Finns might seem a bit unfriendly at first, still they know how to enjoy life, but their own way. The sauna is part of it, and might be the secret of the calm nature of Finns. After six months spent there, i haven't found yet one thing which is not working well in Finland because everything seems to contribute to the general well-being of inhabitants. Moreover, the dynamic capital of Finland manages to remain nature friendly, with small harbors here and there, parks and beaches where families, students and elder people gather to celebrate the return of sunny days! The small islands surrounding Helsinki, like Suomenlinna, are just beautiful and offer panoramic views both on the city and the sea. While in Finland, you would not want to miss the opportunity to travel by ferry to Tallin or Stockholm. It is something Finns do regularly, either to buy cheaper alcohol in Estonia, or to take advantage of the beautiful old town of the Swedish capital. Oh, and don't be surprised by the alcohol culture. Finns drink, and a LOT. But don't worry, i have not been bothered by any drunk people one single time in six months, so you should not have problems with that, i guess it is just part of the culture. And trust me, after living 6 months with minus temperatures, you might want something to warm you up! Travel opportunities from Helsinki are wide, and you should not miss Lapland, where i did a wonderful travel, which would deserve to be the topic of another report. Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:51:17 +0200http://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/crazy-experience-in-turkey.htmlhttp://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/crazy-experience-in-turkey.htmlI went to Turkey as a representative person from Latvian delegation to present for all exchange countries - Latvia, my hometown. We were living in a very small city and only hotel they had there. It was very strange to be on the street in the middle of the day, while there are only men sitting at the bars or benches, because ladies at this time of the day need to stay at home. I wore kinda mini skirts, so that was my BIGGEST mistake - no mini, no naked shoulders there, if you dont want to be followed by every step you make. Beeping while riding a motorbike, is a typical way to show that you are going to make a turn. Went to the traditional Turkish weddings - it is ok if people you dont know, might join you in this big day. Talking about food - very spicy and they eat a lot. Meal is served several times - appetizers, soups, salads, cheese etc. Eat with fool stomach!Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:15:10 +0200http://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/avenida-del-aqua-beach.htmlhttp://www.netglobers.com/travel-reports/avenida-del-aqua-beach.htmlAvenida del Aqua beach is very clean and long. I suppose it is a typical beach of Spain. You can easily try scuba diving, water is so clean that fishes come directly to you :), so it is possible to see their colours and differences. People are nice there. Go surfing, scuba diving or play volley-ball (saw just one place you can do it), try to get a tan - it is all possible there to do. On Saturdays and Sundays lots of people, not as much free space to lay down. Hot sand... for me it was difficult to take my usual run.