It was already dark when we landed in LA. My only plan for the night was to collect my bag and get a taxi to drive me to my hotel. Luckily for me, the Hacienda Hotel was about 10 minutes trip. Still, it cost me 20 bucks. After having something small to eat I hopped right into my bed. The hotel itself is a nice three star place to stay, close to the LAX airport and in the vicinity of one of the train routes to Downtown LA. Since I had an extra day on my own I decided to do a bit of a tour around LA. It was a little too hot for my taste, around 35˚C!  A bottle of water was my lifesaver.

Anyway, to get me to Downtown LA I took a train. This train was part of a public transportation scheme, which the locals call ‘Metro’. This system includes commuter trains, tube and busses. Daily Metro pass costs $5, plus $1 for a plastic card (something like a leap card in Dublin). Trains run every 15 to 20 minutes in peak times, busses and tube 10 to 15 minutes.

I must say I didn’t like Downtown LA too much. There was practically nothing worth seeing over there. And it’s probably the reason why it wasn’t part of the official guided LA tour the following day.

What I did like was the Angel’s Flight from Downtown LA to the financial district. Angel’s Flight is a nicely maintained short distance funicular. And I really mean the ‘short distance’ part since it only takes about two minutes—maybe even less—to get you to the upper stop. It costs 75¢ one way, 25¢ if you have the Metro day pass. The place was a real oasis to me. With a water fountain cooling down the air and the shade created by surrounding skyscrapers of the financial district this was a place I stayed in for over an hour.

After this pleasant break I headed over to Santa Monica. It’s a very lively part of LA, with lots of shops and restaurants. And the beach, of course. Did I mention the Santa Monica Pier? If you’re up for a roller coaster ride or a scoop of delicious ice cream, this is the best place to indulge yourself! I didn’t have much time to spend there that day but we stopped there the following day anyway so I didn’t mind.

There was a tour meeting scheduled for 6 o’clock in the evening so I had to head back to my hotel. During this meeting we got to know each other and the tour guide explained how our tour is going to work.

The following morning we all met in the lobby, checked-out and had our bags loaded into a trailer of our van. The van was a 13-seater car with onboard Wi-Fi. It was great choice as it got us closer together and I don’t like classic tour busses where everybody sits so far away from each other that you actually have to shout out loud if you want to talk to someone. We left the trailer in a nearby monitored car park and headed towards our day tour of LA.

Our first stop was the Griffith observatory from which you can easily see the Hollywood sign. We only stayed there for an hour or so. There was so much more to see that we simply couldn’t afford to stay any longer. Hollywood and it’s Walk of fame, Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive, Santa Monica Beach, Venice Beach.

I found Venice Beach much better than Santa Monica Beach. While still offering you a swim in the freezing cold ocean, it also has something extra to it. Muscle Beach, skateboard park, beach volleyball and basketball playgrounds, street performers. It’s truly a great place for just sitting there and watching all those people!

Hollywood’s Walk of Fame was a bit of a disappointment to me. I mean it looks great and with all those performers (we met about half a dozen Michael Jacksons, a few wannabe music stars and plenty more very strange people—including Darth Vader and his squad of storm troopers—trying to ‘sell’ themselves as best they could) and souvenir shops around the place it sure is one of the highlights of the LA tour. But you know, everything looks much better in travel brochures and tourism office spots on YouTube. Well, at least I managed to take a few nice shots from the top floor of the adjacent shopping mall.

Beverly Hills may be well known for the residences of some of the best (or most famous, if you will) actors and actresses but there’s nothing to see there unless you move over to the Rodeo Drive, the fashion place with shops so ‘distinguished’ that in many of them you need to arrange an appointment to be let in! While on the subject of shops, Luis Vuitton’s shop window was pretty much the same undefined-shape’s style as the window in Dublin’s Grafton Street. Probably a company policy to look ‘different’.

Later in the afternoon, after we all enjoyed LA to its maximum, we were on our way to San Diego. My favourite US city so far!

About the tour

This tour was officially an eight day escorted trip starting in Los Angeles, going to San Diego, Phoenix, Sedona, Grand Canyon and finishing in Las Vegas, the America’s playground. We only stayed in a hotel in LA, Phoenix and Las Vegas. The rest of the tour we stayed in different camps, which I thought was the fun part!

I would suggest getting to LA a day earlier, just in case you need extra time to rest after a full day trip from Dublin. I was really happy I flew a day earlier. It gave me enough time to get used to local time (UTC -7 hours during the summer time) and the air temperature and humidity. And I saved a bit of money flying a day earlier despite having to pay an extra night in LA as well.

Departing Dublin

Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-200 after we landed in Atlanta

I flew with Delta Air Lines from Dublin to Atlanta (approximately 9 hours) where I changed planes (I had about three hours between the flights) and continued to Los Angeles (another 5 hours). I flew Delta Air Lines on my way back from Las Vegas to Dublin with a change of plane in New York (total of almost 14 hours, including the time between flights). I thought about flying Air France from Dublin to Paris and then direct to Los Angeles but this was more expensive than Delta Air Lines. On the other hand I may have missed the only opportunity to fly that big beautiful double-decker beast, the Airbus A380…

To enter the United States I would normally only need to apply for an entry permission using ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) website. But since I’m a holder of valid US VISA I was spared answering of all those interesting questions.

Dublin airport is lucky to have US Customs and Immigration pre-clearance office. This saves you time that you’d be spending doing the same after arrival to your first US airport (and the fact you’re undergoing this procedure while still fresh is priceless in my opinion). This also means that your checked-in bags are going to be checked-in all the way to your final destination. If you think you might need something at a later stage of your journey, keep it in your cabin bag, if possible.

I was told that the pre-clearance could take up to an hour, depending on the traffic so it’s best to be there early. I was lucky, no queues in sight, passed right through pre-clearance assisted by a very seriously looking American immigration officer.

I should probably mention that all US flights are despatched from Terminal 2 (the new, nice and shiny, strangely shaped building) and the pre-clearance interview takes place after you go through your first security check. The second security check follows after you run through the pre-clearance office and only consists of (yet another) x-ray screening of your hand bag and personal belongings. Be aware that once you pass this point, there isn’t much to do before you board the plane. So, if you planned to do some duty-free shopping, do it before you go on with your pre-clearance.

Onboard the plane

I flew long haul before but it was many years ago. I was really very impressed with the onboard services on both the international and domestic flights. Each flight was fitted with a very nice entertainment system. You can watch movies (I think ‘Brave’ was my favourite), listen to music, play games. The selection was impressive, though for some of us with a very specific taste not so impressive.

Once in the US airspace (as far as 100 miles from the US mainland), onboard Wi-Fi was available, too. This was a paid service but for less than 12 US dollars for a day pass, this was one hell of a bargain to me. Saying hello to my friends on Facebook while cruising at 32,000 feet. Wow!

On international flights we had two meals (one main meal and a snack meal) with selection of hot and cold drinks, some biscuits, peanuts for free (kind of—I paid for the ticket, right?). The service onboard both domestic flights was very nice, too! Biscuits, peanuts, coffee or tea, water for free. If you feel hungry, some of the sandwiches looked really tasty. And there were some hot meals you could buy as well. The staff on all of my flights were very nice and ‘kept their cool’ even when flying through some very turbulent areas. All and all, it was a great experience!

The US Airports

Power outlets to charge your laptop and mobile phone

Power outlets to charge your laptop and mobile phone are available, classic (US) power outlets as well as USB power ports (to charge your phone using a USB cable). After surfing the web on my phone onboard the plane this was a very nice touch! And the chairs in most of the waiting areas (gates) were really—well—chairs. So comfy one could easily fall asleep in them!

Atlanta, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York JFK are very busy airports indeed. I would highly recommend allowing for some extra time so that you don’t need to rush to move around those places.

The US airlines tend to overbook their flights heavily as I found out. This didn’t concern me too much because I was checked-in to my final destination and my seats were therefore confirmed all the way to Los Angeles. However, there were a lot of stand-by passengers eagerly gazing at flight status screens, trying to spot their names in the ‘confirmed seats’ part. Very disturbing as this makes a lot more gate staff announcements to listen to, making it difficult to catch the important bits related to the flight itself.

There was another thing that got my attention right away. The vending machines. They sell consumer electronics (mobile phones, headphones, computer parts) the same way as we sell coffee or chocolate bars!

Read on Los Angeles to Las Vegas US Tour 2012 – Part 2!

Malaga harbour, Spain by perryplanet

After leaving the sights of Valencia, we decided to take the easy option and book a flight with Ryanair from Valencia to Malaga.  In just over an hour we reached Malaga. As a lot of people in the summer time always opt to stay in the resorts of Torremolinos, Benalmadena we opted to spend our first  night/day in Malaga.  Malaga airport is a very modern airport with great train connections into the city centre or if you choose to go down the Costa del Sol. We hoped on the train and in less than an hour we reached Malaga city.  I was not expecting much of Malaga city but I really enjoyed it!

Malaga is a very cultural city very much influenced by the Moors to the Romans and down to the Christians.  You can see their influence with numerous buildings around Malaga.  Also Malaga is a great place to explore Granada  or Gibraltar.

There are plenty of shops bars and restaurants and also side cobbled streets you can get lost in.  We opted to stay in a very good hostel, if this does not suit your fancy there are plenty of hotels around.

Again the hop on hop off bus is great to explore the city, down to the lovely beach, Picasso birthplace to cathedrals and the bullfighting ring.

Seville at night, by Micah Parker

The following morning we went back on the train again (the main train station is right in the city centre) and headed for Seville with a journey time of 2 half hours.  This is a great way to see the surrounding countryside.  On our way down it did not stop raining once, but once we arrived in Seville it was 45 degrees.  If you do not like this type of heat I would not recommend travelling to Seville in August or September.

Seville is rich in Moorish heritage. This is noticeable as you walk around the city. Seville is steeped in heritage and there is something for everyone to do. In the old historic centre of the city is a lively shopping centre where you can find all types of shops. There are plenty of cathedrals, museums or even take a boat cruise down the river Guadalquiver.

Like in any city if you walk off the main beaten track you will find plenty of local restaurants serving tapas and cold drinks.

Seville is one of those cities where you could happily walk around and marvel at the wonderful sites.

Escola Pia, Valencia

After our fabulous time in Barcelona, we hoped on a train and headed to Valencia.  I was really looking forward to Valencia as our main priority for coming here was to experience the La Tomatina festival (which happens the last Wednesday every August). After 4 hours and 30 minutes we arrived in Valencia train station.  I was not ready for the heat of Valencia at 22:00 at night and it was still 37 degrees! Tip if you are staying in a hotel or an apartment make sure you have Air conditioning!After finding our apartment we headed out to experience the night life of Valencia. If you are into your architecture you will really love Valencia! Again there is little cobbled streets with plenty of restaurants, we sat down in a restaurant in the main street and got a quick bite to eat.

The following morning we headed off to explore the city.  Valencia is not as big as Barcelona and the bus service is great to take you around the city.  We headed for the famous bull ring which was right beside our hotel. The bullring is spectacular building which has been the centre of Valencia bull fighting for over 150 years!  It is a large impressive building in the style of a Roman Coliseum. The bull fighting Museum is a must, you get to see the many costumes that were worn and there is also a 10 minute DVD viewing which is very interesting!

After a lovely morning we hopped on the local bus at hit the “Playa de Levante” beach.   This is the most easily reached beach from Valencia City and takes about 10 minutes on the local bus.  Be warned it sometimes can reach 40 degrees down at the beach!

La Tomatina, Bunyol – by Graham McLellan (London, UK)

The morning came to travel to Bunyol to the La Tomatina festival. The highlight of the event which is the tomato flight takes place between 11am to 1 pm, and after turns into a major street party!  On the morning of the festival the best tip I can give is to get the 08:00 morning train as it will take roughly an hour by train to get to Bunyol! Make sure you bring a change of clothes and arrive early to make sure you get into the thick of the flight and watch out for lorries carrying the tomatoes. Great day out with plenty of people around. Not for the faint hearted!!!

After an exhausting day at La Tomatina we returned to Valencia to take it easy and get ready for out next part of your journey! I liked Valencia but would not return in a hurry and only to take part in the La Tomatina festival. Next stop Malaga!

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona – source: wikipedia

After years of wanting to travel to Barcelona, I eventually made it last August 2010.  After our flight we headed for the exit doors. There are buses that will take you into the city centre but we opted for the easier option and hopped in a taxi.  Be warned if you get a taxi it will cost you at least €25 plus they will charge you for each suitcase aswell! On arrival at our hotel we dropped our bags and headed out to explore the surrounding area. For our first night we opted to stay at a hotel near Nou Camp.  The location is about ten minutes back into the centre of Barcelona but has a great location if you want to take in a Barcelona match but the metro line will bring you back in again to the city centre.

We walked around the area and decided to visit Nou Camp.  If you are a football fan this is a great way to spend your evening. The price of the ticket for September when we visited was €22 per adult and this included access into the Museum, visit the Camp Nou and the multimedia area and if you fancy a glass of champagne that can be purchased too! Be warned it can be very busy and if you have children with you, you would not see your money going in the Nou camp souvenir Shop.

The following morning, we checked out of our hotel and hopped in a taxi, as for our remaining nights we decided to stay in a self-catering apartment just off Las Ramblas.  Las Ramblas is what you would expect Barcelona to be, 1.2 kilometres of pedestrianized footpath, packed with plenty of tour site, mime artists, flower and gift stands and people sitting at cafes watching the world go by.  As it is very busy be warned of the dreaded pick pocketer!

Les Rambles (The Avenues), Barcelona by Sergi Larripa, source: wikipedia

After taking in the atmosphere of Las Ramblas a great way to see the sights of Barcelona is to purchase a bus ticket for the hop on hop off bus. This will roughly cost you €31(price may vary each year) for a 2 day ticket, but takes out the hassle of finding different sites and monuments and get you there quickly. The following morning we headed for the Plaza Catalunya (this is spectacular in the evening time when the waterfalls are activated and they are lit up). This is the boarding point for the Blue Line (www.city-sightseeing.com). Our next stop was Casa Batllo, make sure you go early in the morning as the queues are very busy and you will spend at least three hours in the house, and be amazed as not one room is the same as each other.  Do take the Audio guide as it gives great information on each room! After a spot of lunch we boarded the blue bus again and drove down the 5 kilometre’s of Passeig de Gracia and took in the many shops and cafes.

After disembarking at the Sagrada Familia take a walk around the outside of the building and marvel at it’s wonderful architecture. In August 2010 they were renovating the inside of the Sagrada Familia and if you pay to enter there is not much inside only to look at the lovely architecture and a small museum. On hopping back on the bus we were taken to the Gracia area where we walked up a steep hill to Park Guell, here you can also find the work done by Gaudi as he turned his hand to landscaping the 15 hectares of the park. Really nice to stroll around and take it all in! After descending Park Guelli hill we hoped back on the bus and headed for the Gothic area. I found the Gothic area very peaceful in comparison to Las Ramblas, there are lovely cobbled side streets that you can get lost in and be amazed at the beautiful architecture.  After a long day of sightseeing we headed back to Las Ramblas and have a  bite to eat, there are plenty of restaurants the more unusual and less expensive are off the side streets were you can also get a Mojito for less than €4!

On our last day we walked to the Port Olympic, here you will find plenty of cafes, restaurants bars and shops, this is a lovely way to spend your morning and relax by the pier and take in all the lovely scenery.

I would definitely recommend travelling to Barcelona, as there is so much to see and do.  It is one of those cities were you get lost in and you could easily spend a week there and still not get bored.  I will be definitely be back in the future!

Jim Vaughan (centre), Justsplit.com – Travelsavers Award 2010

Jim Vaughan (JustSplit.com) was recently honoured at a travel industry gala dinner.   The event took place at the lavish, 5-star Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, Florida during a spectacular dinner gala.   The award ceremony acknowledged an elite group of top-producing travel agencies around the world that are part of TRAVELSAVERS.

“The agencies that we’ve had the privilege of honouring are the best of the best, the crème de la crème.” said Rick Mazza (Founder and CEO of TRAVELSAVERS).

Source: Travelbiz.ie

Iceland Volcano – Photo by plasmastik/flickr.com

Yes, air transportation is the fastest and one of the safest ways to go long distances between cities or continents. It is about the luxury you may have experienced on-board a brand new aircraft, like the new A380 for example.  But did you know you can experience a true luxury on-board any of the cruise ships out there?

Big cruising companies like Royal Caribbean, Fred Olsen, MSC Cruises or Silversea Cruises, all of them offer unforgettable holidays with departures from Ireland, the UK and other European ports.  They all can be reached by ferry so you avoid the need for air travel.

And there is another great destination to go by car! France.  Take your family or friends, your car and a ferry to any of the French ferry ports and drive through its beautiful countryside, enjoy breath taking sights and at the end of the day dock in some nice restaurant and taste some of the famous wines France has to offer.

The ferries are pretty busy now thanks to the Mother Nature!  But when this all is over, why don’t you give us a call? We would gladly help you create your not-so-ordinary holiday for your family or your friends!

For more images check our Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/justsplitcom/

By the way we have our Flickr channel, too :) Check http://www.flickr.com/photos/justsplitcom/ for future pictures!

Tenerife Coastline

With up to three flights a week to Tenerife and Fuerteventura both Islands are getting easier to access for both the summer and winter season.

Known as a party Island and for the younger generation, Tenerife has plenty to do for all ages from bathing in the warm seas or try your hand at some water sports or spend an afternoon whale watching!

Attractions to See In Tenerife

The Teide Natural Park

It has the most spectacular views of the island. The lava tubes formed on the hillside of the Volcano seems that there place is another planet. Under the mountainside there is the Orotava Valley.

The Orotava Village

This place is based in the heart of the tourist area Puerto de la Cruz – Orotava Valley. There is an extraordinary historic and natural heritage on the area. The tourism will enjoy of its traditions, culture and the natural value.

Loro Park

Loro Park Penguins

Puerto de la Cruz (http://www.loroparque.com) is a fantastic day out for all the family, here you can see plenty of animals living in a happy environment. Orca Ocean is a new project of Loro Parque and Sea world USA where you will see the Orcas’ put on a spectacular show. Move on then to the Sea Lions and dolphins. Visit the Gorilla section where it houses the biggest bachelor group of Western Lowland Gorillas in the world, then enter the tunnel to see the biggest replica of Antarctica where you can see penguins swim or just laze around under the falling snow. From Tiger land to the shark exhibit this park is not to be missed!

Whale Watching

Over the harbours based on the south of the island, there is the possibility to see groups of whales and dolphins. In the south coast of Tenerife and La Gomera there are groups of “mulares” dolphins and “piloto” whales. You can also see white whales and sperm whales.

Siam Park

Siam Park

Siam Park (www.tenerifewaterpark.com) is located in the south of Tenerife in the the resort of Costa Adeje ( 5 mins from Play de las Americas)The Water Kingdom in Tenerife has been consolidated as the best water park of the world. It has an incredible scheme inspired by Thai architecture and luscious greenery. Here you can relax in the biggest lazy river in the world or try the Tower of Power plunge down a vertical 28 metre grop on gree fall and emerge in a mysterious aquarium or just relax on Siam Beach and ride the artificial wave. Again another day out not to be missed!!

Golf

Why not have a round of golf in one of Tenerife’s 5 Golf courses, also not to be missed play round on Tenerife’s newest golf Course Abama!

Resorts

Based in Arona there are famous areas named Los Cristinaos, Playa de las Américas, Costa del Silencio to enjoy a wonderful sunny holidays. There are sorts of leisure areas, water activities, sport areas based next to the sea and in front of the spectaculars beaches. These infrastructures set up a high quality destination.

Eating Out

There are plenty of restaurants to be found in Tenerife whether you are looking for burger and chip right up to a specialty dish.

Often referred to as Queen of the Danube, Budapest has a dozen thermal baths complexes served by over a hundred natural thermal springs. Budapest has a rich and fascinating history and, for the visitor, is an easy city to explore. It offers great value for money and is a wonderful place to spend a few days chilling out.

Hungary has a range of places to stay from quality budget hotels through to 5-star premium properties in Budapest.

Margaret Island, situated in the middle of the Danube and a short distance from the city centre, is Budapest’s most beautiful green space. It provides a peaceful hideaway from hectic downtown Budapest with large green areas, flowery gardens, and old trees.

The island’s attractions include romantic walkways, medieval ruins, a small zoo, musical fountain, a water tower, swimming pools, lido and a relaxing atmosphere.

Devote half a day or at least a couple of hours to explore and enjoy the serenity on Margaret Island.

The island is most beautiful in spring, perhaps in April – May when the nature is green again after the long winter months. It will also fascinate you in early autumn (Sept till mid-Oct) when the foliage turns into a mixture of colours from yellow and orange to reddish-brownish.

In a global society, everything begins to look the same. In order to drive down cost, mass production processes create homogeneous products. Waking up in a chain hotel, eating in a chain restaurant or walking through your average shopping centre, you’d be hard pressed to identify whether your in Dublin or New York. The big brand names appear everywhere.

This has led many to think about what we can do to protect our planet. Throughout the world, people and organisations are working to address the issue of climate change and globalisation. Those involved in travel and
tourism are working hard to ensure the survival of the industry by developing sustainable products and making travel more interesting for customers.

Responsible and sustainable tourism is all about diversity, natural and cultural. What makes a destination unique is an
asset, both to the local enterprise and the visitor. Increasingly visitors to a region want to experience local culture, enjoy local food and meet local people. ‘Getting away from it all’ means finding something new to do while on holidays and coming home refreshed.

So seek out something different this year, try out a new experience and support a sustainable tourism project. You will come home with a new perspective and you will feel better for having helped our planet along the way.