Southern Dunes Villas - Florida

Southern Dunes Villas – Florida

When I first visited Florida I decided to splash out and opt for a villa (plus we got a good deal on it as part of a package).




The villa we stayed in was located in Southern Dunes golf and country club. Was gorgeous. It is a peaceful and gated community so each time we entered we had to show a car badge which we were given upon our arrival so it was very safe and secure. 


The villa was amazing! It was huge with 3 bedrooms so would be ideal for families of several couples sharing. We had our own private pool so didn’t have to deal with other peoples kids of being constantly splashed/hit by other people carrying on.


There were 2 ensuite toilets and one main bathroom so no queuing or fighting. There was a garage and a drive way so 2 cars could have easily fitted (but we only had the one so we just left it outside on the driveway). In the garage there was a washing machine/tumble dryer so we were able to wash our clothes throughout the holiday until having a mountain to do after we got home.


In the kitchen there was a full size fridge which came in very useful for all the junk and juice we bought. There was also a cooker, microwave etc so a couple of times instead of going out for dinner we just bought stuff in and cooked for ourselves. The location was pretty good but only if driving!! We had a rental car and could not have stayed here without it! It is about a 25minute drive to Disney world (some of the parks take a little longer since they are located apart). There is a Walmart right at the entrance to the golf course so was very convenient for shopping.

Driving times (roughly) from villa to some of the notable attractions

To Universal – 40 mins

To Disney – 25 mins

Sea World – 30 mins

Gatorland – 35 mins

Busch Gardens (Tampa) – 1 hour 15 mins

Oak Ridge Shopping Centre (Cheesecake Factory) – 45 mins

Downtown Disney – 35 mins

Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores – 35 Mins

Tolls

Basically for most places just get on the I-4 E and you can reach the majority of places. It is the fastest but it is a toll road so you will be required to pay at each toll point so if you are going to use this road make sure you have change! We used it from the airport and thankfully from reading online reviews we knew to get change before leaving the airport. And make sure you drive on the RIGHT unlike a certain individual I won’t name for legal reasons :P

Sat Nav

I cannot recommend sat nav heavily enough! We got lost several times and that was with the sat nav. If we hadn’t had it we may still be lost there now. The roads can be very confusing and like here a lot of roads just have names like the I-4E.

Mercure Bordeaux Hotel

Mercure Hotel - Bordeaux Centre

 5 rue Robert Lateulade

, 33000, Bordeaux, France.

I visited Bordeaux in August 2015 as we managed to pick up cheap flights and we just fancied a few days away somewhere. We opted to stay here as looked really nice from pictures on booking.com & tripadvisor and the price was very reasonable for the 4 days we would be staying. We weren’t disappointed.






I can speak & understand basic French whilst my partner can't (he can barely speak or understand English sometimes) so it was helpful that all staff understood and spoke English.

Staff were very friendly and helpful e.g. supplied us with a map, recommended several things for us to see and showed me how to get around the best routes available. There was always at least one member of staff on the desk at all times which meant never waiting too long for assistance and a strong staff presence.

When we turned up we were upgraded to a premium room for free as there had been a slight over booking (but you can’t complain at a free upgrade) so our room was great.

The hotel is lovely. Nicely decorated, clean and taken care of. 

Very modern especially in comparison to some of the other hotels in the area which we saw.

The hotel is very convenient also. There is a shopping centre just across the road which includes a supermarket that has just

about anything you could want.
The hotel is a short walk from the central area, about a 10 minute walk so not long at all.

Area outside is quiet as is just far enough away not to be busy with traffic etc. The hotel itself was also very quiet with really good black out curtains. So good night sleep is guaranteed.

Would recommend this hotel and if I ever return this would be the first hotel I would look at.

The Singel Hotel – Amsterdam

The Singel Hotel – Amsterdam

Singel 13-17, 1012 VC Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The hotel itself was really nice and for the price we made really good value. When we arrived the male member of staff on reception was great. So friendly and helpful.

We were asked if we wanted a smoking or non-smoking room and advised us that only the rooms on the top floor are suitable for smokers, smoking on any other floor would incur a charge. He gave us a map, recommended places we should check and made notes on the map for us to refer back to later.


The room was really nice. Very clean, had a walk in shower and overall very comfortable for two people. The bed was absolutely massive! However there was one slight drawback with the bed and the layout and this was that the light switch was built in to the bed headboard so a couple of times whilst sleeping we (when I say we I actually mean me but I like to share the blame) accidentally turned on the big light either by hitting it with my pillow or my hand and so we got the fright of our lives in the middle of the night a couple of times.



Night staff covering the reception were a different story. The majority of them seemed bored and uninterested. Says room service is available at night if you pop down in person. When we asked about room service one night we were simply told no food was available. We weren't offered any alternatives or told if there was any takeaway places nearby that we could try.




Hotel location was great. Really close to the train station, maybe about a 5 minute walk, and only a short walk away from all other attractions so very convenient. I would stay here again. I would highly recommend it’s very nice and convenient.


Room Tip: Top floor for smokers, all other floors no smoking. Short walk from train station.

O Sole Mio

Places To Eat in Glasgow - O Sole Mio 

Located at 32 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 1HG
 

Italian themed restaurant located in Glasgow city centre. Has a good variety of Italian food and standard drinks menu you would expect to see.

I popped in here on a Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago, along with five other people and despite having no reservation we were seated immediately. 

My friend thought we might not get seated or we would have to wait as the restaurant is usually really busy and we should just pop in on the off chance to see but we were lucky that day.  

For convenience though and just in case you are not as lucky as we were I would recommend booking a table in advance. Bookings can be done online via their website which I have given below:

http://www.osolemio-glasgow.com/

Menus are also available on the website so you can see what’s on offer before you go, helpful in case you know anyone who’s a particularly fussy eater.

The food was really good and everyone enjoyed their meal. What I especially liked was that they offered a special lunch time menu on a Saturday afternoon which is really quite unusual. Most restaurants only offer special lunch time menus mid-week and Fridays/Saturdays are full price only as these are the busiest days. Service was really good also.

 

I ordered chicken and potatoes and to drink I had orange juice and lemonade. Everyone else ordered pizza with various toppings along with orange juice and lemonade or coke. Within the lunch menu pizza was available with up to any two toppings of your choice. Our meal and our six soft drinks in total came to

£55 so it was under £10 each for everyone (once we had added a tip it only cost us about £11 each so still really cheap).

I would definitely visit here again, excellent choice for Italian in Glasgow city centre. Is easily accessible by public transport as is only a 5 minute walk from Buchanan Street underground station and there are a huge number of bus stops in the surrounding area.

Black Sheep Bistro - Hidden Gem

Places To Eat In Glasgow

Black Sheep Bistro

Located at 10 Clarendon Street, St Georges Cross, Glasgow, G20 7DQ

Black Sheep Bistro is a hidden gem in Glasgow, so well hidden that even a lot of people who live in Glasgow haven’t even heard of it.

Black Sheep Bistro a small and charming restaurant located just outside Glasgow City Centre.  It is an independent and family run business offering a very different experience that you get from simply just visiting a large, chain ran restaurant.

When I dinned here I had the macaroni and cheese with garlic bread for £11.50 which was delicious. I love anything with cheese to be honest but my food was really good. My friend had the balmoral chicken stuffed with haggis wrapped in parma ham with whisky sauce which is £16.50 and he absolutely loved and said everything was so perfect. For dessert, to share, we had the trio of mini deserts for £9. We were both pretty full from our dinner so we felt the mini deserts to share would be plenty and it was. The deserts were also delicious. Everything was well presented and it was very clear a lot of effort goes into everything they produce.

They are fully licensed so having a few drinks with your dinner is an option.

As the restaurant is so small I would recommend always booking in advance as otherwise it is very unlikely they will have any spare tables. Also they have set opening hours e.g. Sunday they are open 4pm-7.30pm, Mondays they are closed etc. so again book in advance to ensure you are not turning up to a closed restaurant with no available tables. Booking can be done easily and quickly on the website address supplied below.

 http://www.blacksheepbistro.co.uk/

A sample menu can be viewed on the website however the menu does change daily depending on the ingredients available. All food is freshly made as ordered so sometimes you may need to wait a while but it is worth it because you will taste the quality.

There is on street parking available round the restaurant so is usually okay and easy enough to get parked.

Universal Studios Orlando, Florida

Universal Studios Orlando

6000 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819, United States.

No trip to Florida is complete without a visit to the Universal Orlando Resort theme park!!

Universal Resort is made up of two separate (but equally amazing) theme parks:

Universals Island of Adventure

&

Universal Studios Florida

When buying tickets to visit the parks there are many deals and offers available which can be viewed on the website below. The website has loads of information which is useful.

https://www.universalorlando.co.uk/

I would highly recommend visiting both parks as they are both really different and each has unique features and attractions. When I visited here it took us 2 days to cover both the parks as it was busy so queuing for rides and attractions was a little time consuming but it was well worth it. We even came back again for a further day at the end of the holiday before heading home.

Park 1 - Universals Island of Adventure

Island of Adventure was my favourite of the two parks and the one we spent the most of our time in.

The rides and attractions were amazing but some of the best rides were:

  · The Incredible Hulk coaster,

 · Doctor Dooms Fearfall,

     · Harry Potter Dragon Challenge,

     · Dudley Do Right Ripsaw Falls (you will get soaked!),

     · Harry Potter and the forbidden journey,

     · Poseidon Fury,

     · The Cat in the Hat (great for small children….or immature adults).

Universals Island of Adventure is made up of 6 differently themed areas. All 6 areas are meticulously detailed and just amazing to see.

 · The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Absolutely amazing. Features the Hogwarts castle which you can walk through, the Hogsmeade shops were you can buy butterbeer and then catch the Hogwarts express from the station which you can then ride to the adjoining theme park (granted you have paid to visit both). The level of detail is just incredible. 

· Marvel Super Hero Island. Based around various Marvel superheroes’ such as Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk, the X-Men etc.

· Toon Lagon. Features characters like Popeye and Bluto.

· Jurassic Park. No explanation really needed after the success of the films.

  · The Lost Continent.

  · Seuss Landing. Perfect for small families with young children. Some of the other areas tend to have quite large, fast rides. The rides in this area are based around the characters and creations of Dr Seuss.

Park 2 - Universal Studios Florida.

The studios, although my 2^nd favourite of the 2, was also an amazing theme park. Featuring Shrek, the minions, the Simpsons and many other popular characters there is something for everyone here.

Again made of various themed areas it is very easy to find something to suite all ages. For example there is area which features around the Simpsons. All the familiar sights of Springfield so for anyone who is a fan of the Simpsons this is worth a look. Or you can just buy a really huge donut if the area fails to impress the donut wont.

Some of the best rides/attractions in this area include:

  · Harry Potter and the escape from Gringotts,

 · The Hogwarts Express which you can board from platform 9 ¾ to the other theme park,

 · Despicable Me Minion ride,

 · Revenge of the Mummy rollercoaster,

 · The Simpson Ride,

 · Men in Black Alien Attack,

 · Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit rollercoaster.

Both parks are situated together at the address given above and it is a short 5 minute walk between them. There are a selection of shops and restaurants situated between both parks on the Universal Boardwalk.

Car parking is an additional cost at $20.00 for each car and $22.00 for RV and bus parking. You can leave though and return later the same day as long as you keep the parking ticket. Vallet parking is also additional at extra cost.

Tips for Travelling to America 3 – Rental Cars

Tips for Travelling to America 3 – Rental Cars

America is a great place to visit but there are various things that need to be considered before you travel. This third blog post covers another issue that anyone travelling to America must consider.

Rental Cars

When I visited Florida I was not old enough to drive our rental car, which I did not discover until we turned up to collect the car as the travel agent had neglected to tell us.

On the bright side I got chauffeured about for 2weeks and I didn’t really mind but it could have been a serious issue had my partner not been a couple of years older than me. Different states have different age limits so it’s worth checking this to plan ahead!

We thought because we both held full UK licenses and were both over the legal age limit to drive a car that would be enough. As we discovered it was not. To be honest think my partner preferred it that way as he is a terrible backseat driver, plus the car was humongous.

When we turned up to collect our economy car we were "upgraded" (the guy basically said slip me $20 and I'll take care of you) to the next sized car up from ours so it was huge.

In Florida some companies do not allow under 25s to rent or drive their cars at all. Whilst other companies do allow people ages 21-24 to rent and drive their cars but this does incur an additional surcharge and there can be further conditions that must be met.

Some companies will only allow under 25s to drive certain vehicles e.g. the rental company Budget.

An individual under 25 may only rent an economy, compact, intermediate, standard, full-sized or premium car or an intermediate or standard SUV.

Under 25s are not allowed to drive their luxury car range and they apply an additional $10 a day surcharge for the rental of all other cars.

Other companies offer various young driver packages and deals for under 25s e.g. Alamo. Alamo offer a package were up to 3 drivers age 21-24 can each drive the car with no additional charges on collection. I have included the link below for the website US rent a car.

http://www.usrentacar.co.uk/

This website offers cheap car hire is the USA at over 500 locations including Orlando, California, Florida and Nevada. Bookings can be made and viewed via the site.

This website also gives further information on various things such as the young drivers’ package.

Comparison websites and rental car companies own websites are also very useful for booking a car for your trip and let you look at the information in your own time.

Tips for Travelling to America 2 – Travel Money

Tips for Travelling to America 2 – Travel Money

America is a great place to visit but there are various things that need to be considered before you travel. This second blog post covers another of the most important issues anyone travelling to America must consider.

Travel Money

Whenever I visit America I end up taking a lot of spending money because there is just so much to do and see….plus loads of shopping!

The last time I visited Florida my partner and I took about £2000 between us and obviously taking this as cash would be ludicrous and dangerous.

After doing a lot of research into other options we decided to opt for a FairFx currency card for the majority of our money whilst taking a small amount as cash. The card is free as long as you load over £200 on to the card to begin with.

FairFx currency cards are available as either a USA dollar card or a Euro card. The card is very simple and the exchange rates are very competitive.  I have included the website below so you can see for yourself.

https://www.fairfx.com/

We got our cash and the card both from FairFx as the exchange rate was so good at the time. 

FairFx exchange rates in comparison to rivals 08/03/2016

When you top up the card you lock in the rate at that time ensuring you won’t lose out if the exchange rate falls before you travel. The cash was sent recorded delivery so was very safe. The card and pin are both sent separately, just as your bank would do.

• There is no change for using your card for chip and pin to pay in ships and restaurants’, anywhere you see the Mastercard symbol.The card is re-usable so you can use it for years.
• It costs $2.00 each time you withdraw money from a standard ATM regardless of the amount you withdraw (please note some ATMs will charge more depending on the supplier, same as you get back home when some machines charge an extra fee).
• You can load funds instantly on to your card and check your balance anywhere via their free mobile app of online via their website.

I used to use travellers cheques whenever I travelled as I always found if I used my bank card the charges were too high and the exchange rate was abysmal and that’s even if the card worked! Several times I had my card blocked for “fraud” even though I had told the bank I would be using the card abroad.  So I’d be stuck on holiday with no money, trying to phone the bank from my mobile which would cost me a fortune, getting passed around from department to department just trying to get my card unblocked! I have never had any issues like this with the FairFx card.

Tips for Travelling to America 1 – An Esta

Tips for Travelling to America 1 – An Esta

America is a great place to visit but there are various things that need to be considered before you travel. This first blog post covers one of the most important items anyone travelling to America must consider.
 

An ESTA

Most travel agents will ensure you are aware of this as part of your preparation to travel to USA.

An ESTA acts as a Visa waiver (when visiting the USA always one or the other is required) but only under the conditions that you are:

• Visiting for less than 90 days,
• You are travelling to the United States for business or pleasure,
• You are a citizen or eligible national of a Visa waiver program country e.g. UK,
• You are currently not in possession of a visitor’s visa,
• You want to apply for a new authorization for one person or a group of applications for two or more persons.

The website address to apply for an ESTA is supplied below and I have also supplied a picture of the website. This is the official website and is the cheapest at $14 per application.

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

U.S. Customs and Border Website for ESTA Application

When applying for an ESTA make sure you use the above site as this is the cheapest.

Other sites will appear e.g. if you search via Google but these other sites charge extra. Other sites charge you a fee for processing when all they do is take the details you have supplied and then complete the same steps you can do yourself via the official site. Don’t waste your money, do it direct yourself.

It is recommended you apply for your ESTA at least 72 hours prior to travel and your ESTA is valid for 2 years starting from the date that you are approved.

When applying for your ESTA you must supply standard details like length of your trip, were you will be staying (hotel name and address) and your passport information but it is very easy to complete.

Artis Royal Zoo – Amsterdam Zoo

Artis Royal Zoo – Amsterdam Zoo

Located at – Plantage Kerklaan 38-40, 1018 CZ Amsterdam, Netherlands.

   

I visited Amsterdam for a week in January this year and I wanted a clean, family friendly day out after days of seeing many of the other activities Amsterdam had to offer.

My partner was very reluctant to go to the zoo as I think he felt it didn’t really fit in with the Amsterdam image or the trip he had in mind for a couple’s getaway. Plus he had never heard of the zoo and had no idea Amsterdam even had one.

When we told people we had visited the zoo on our trip most people laughed at us and were surprised to find out Amsterdam has a zoo.

But turned out to be a great day, my partner and I both loved it and he even apologised for being so negative regarding the idea to begin with. It was an excellent way to spend a couple of hours.

The zoo is located right in the centre of Amsterdam at the address given above. It can be reached easily by car (car park available at €9), by tram 9 from Amsterdam Central or by tram 14 from Dam or by train to Waterlooplein which is the nearest train station and is roughly a 10 minute walk away.

We paid €20.50 each to get in and then an additional €2 for a map. You have to pay if you want a map which is a bit unfair but we felt the map was beneficial as it allowed us to plan our route and ensure we had saw the majority of the zoo so I would recommend buying a map.

Was a great day. Lots of interesting, exciting things to see. Think the highlight of the day was the baby giraffe (that was still easily about 10 feet tall) which caused a lot of excitement.

The only negative aspect of the visit was with the aquarium. Although the zoo doesn’t close until 6pm the aquarium closes much earlier at roughly 4.30pm and so we never manged to see everything in here. If we had known it would be closing earlier than the rest of the zoo we would have altered our route and gone here first. When we bought our tickets it was not mentioned to us and it was not mentioned anywhere on the map – they should tell guests this so they can plan ahead and take this into consideration. 

Best Places to Eat in Glasgow Summarised

Best Places to Eat in Glasgow Summarised

Currently I am concentrating on all the best places I have been to eat in Glasgow cause I love my food!
Some of these places will have their own blog entry with further detailed information if I feel more details would be beneficial to readers. The additional blog entries will include various information such as how to book, menu options, standards of service, convenience of driving/public transport etc.

Below is a list of some of the best places to eat out in Glasgow as per my own experiences (in no particular order):

·        Black Sheep Bistro - 10 Clarendon St, Glasgow, G20 7QD.

http://www.blacksheepbistro.co.uk/

An independent, small family run restaurant just to the north of the city centre. Serving fresh, home cooked, delicious meals.

·   O Sole Mio - 32 Bath St, Glasgow G2 1HG.

http://www.osolemio-glasgow.com/

Over 45 years old offering delicious Italian food. Traditional wood burning brick oven, fresh ingredients & hand stretched dough = fantastic pizzas.

  ·      Café Andaluz - 12-15 St Vincent Pl, Glasgow, G1 2DW.

http://www.cafeandaluz.com/

Located in Glasgow City Centre offers a huge variety of delicious Spanish tapas with fantastic service.

 ·      Tony Macaroni – 133 West George St, Glasgow, G2 2HG, 4 Byres Road, Glasgow, G11 5JY,Braehead, 2 King's Inch Rd,Renfrew PA4 8XQ.

http://www.tonymacaroni.co.uk/italian-restaurants/

Tony Macaroni cook everything fresh to order and portion sizes are very generous. Italian food at its best.

  · China Sea Restaurant - 12 Renfield St, Glasgow G2 5AL.

http://www.chinaseagla.com/

Absolutely delicious Cantonese cuisine, huge portions and staff are very helpful and friendly. This place is a must for anyone who likes Chinese food.

·      TGI Fridays - 113 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, G1 3HF.

http://www.tgifridays.co.uk/glasgow/

TGI Friday Cocktails

Tempting cocktails, delicious food and great service TGI Fridays is always a hit. Is always good quality and worth the wait (is usually very busy).

Angels Hotel/Restaurant - 114 Main St, Uddingston, Lanarkshire G71 7HZ.

http://lisini.co.uk/angels-hotel/menus

Monday – Thursday they offer 2 for 1 on selected main meals which is an absolute bargain for what’s on offer. Food is always so delicious and service is always great.

·        La Fiorentina Ristorante - 2 Paisley Rd W, Glasgow G51 1LE.

http://www.la-fiorentina.com/

Established in 1989 they offer authentic Tuscan specialities, in line with the sort of food you may find in Northern Italy. Fantastic restaurant. Food and service are always outstanding.

·        China Cottage - 34 Hamilton Rd, Glasgow G71 8NB.

http://www.chinacottagebothwell.co.uk/

Established in 1978 is a great place for a cheap meal. They offer a business lunch before 5pm which is very affordable. Food and service are acceptable for the price.

·        Bella Napoli - 85 Kilmarnock Rd, Glasgow G41 3YR.

http://bellanapoliglasgow.com/

Having won numerous awards for their fantastic pizza and Italian cuisine this is a place to definitely try if you enjoy Italian food. Top class food and service. 5 stars.

TriBeCa Cafe. Hotdog and burger.

·  TriBeCa Café Bar - 102 Dumbarton Rd, Glasgow G11 6NX. 

 http://www.tribecabarandgrill.com/

Established in 2003 this New York themed restaurant is opened 7 days a week 8am till 10pm. Offering various American themed dishes to suite all tastes the breakfast menu and burgers are especially good.

I have eaten at all the above restaurants and based on my own experiences I would recommend them as I loved the food and was happy with the service I received. I still regularly visit the majority of the places on this list as I love food but hate washing dishes so I enjoy having food cooked for me, even if my waist line doesn’t enjoy it quite as much.

Hope you found some of my recommendations helpful.

Happy munching!