itravelnet.com Travel Blog

Featured Travel Site: Sacred Sites

2008-11-18T20:22:00.000+11:00

Sacred sites lists the world's sacred sites and pilgrimage places from every region and religion. Includes photos, maps and explanations of the sacred places.

sacredsites.com

easyJet Flight Review - Gatwick to Gibraltar

2008-11-14T06:43:00.005+11:00

Flight: easyJet EZY8901
Date: 13 Nov 2008
From: London Gatwick (LGW)
Date: Gibraltar (GIB)

In October 2007 easyJet bought fellow UK carrier GB Airways. Most of the flights operated by GB Airways have since been integrated into the easyjet network. The acquisition meant that easyJet now has rights to fly to Gibraltar.

I am travelling to Morocco and I want to arrive via ferry so I thought this was a good opportunity to fly to the legendary airport at Gibraltar.

Out of the 5 London airports, I probably like Gatwick the least because it is so expensive to get to. My flight ticket cost me £37 and the train to Gatwick costs £10.

The flight left at 7.30 and checking in with easyJet at Gatwick is relatively painless. They have so many flights out of Gatwick that they have a general check in line and you can check in earlier if you get there before 2 hours.

Over the South of England

As this flight was over 2 hours long they showed a movie (Hancock) on the shared screens. It was free providing you brought your own headsets, otherwise you would have had to have bought a pair.

Airshow

Gibraltar is an UK Overseas Territory at the bottom of Spain, and on a clear day you can see Africa. It is a tiny little peninsula of land not big enough for a runway, so it extends out over the water.

If you are flying to Gibraltar you will get a great view of the famous Rock if you are sitting on the left hand side of the plane.

Rock of Gibraltar Landing View

The runway cuts across a road which is shut down when flight activity is taking place. When you leave the airport the frontier to Spain is next door to the right, so you can walk to the town of La Linea across the border.

Gibraltar Airport and The Rock

Banksy in London

2008-11-12T22:15:00.000+11:00

Banksy pieces can be found all over London so if you want to do a tour of his work you will need a travel pass and an up to date map on where the pieces are.

I used a Banksy Locations Map put together by Art Of The State. They pin the works on google maps and are quick to mark any that have been removed.

Cherub with a bullet proof vest

One nation under CCTV

Pledge your allegiance to Tesco

Yellow Lines Flower Painter

Blur Crazy Beat art work

Hoodie

Fort St E1

World Travel Market - London 2008

2008-11-12T19:33:00.002+11:00

The World Travel Market is a four-day travel industry event held in London every year in November. Here tourist boards and buyers and sellers from every sector of the industry meet under the one roof. Here are some photos of day 2.

Melburnian Danni Minogue at the Etihad stand promoting the new Abu Dhabi - Melbourne service commencing in March 2009.

The Kenyan Tourist Board have wasted no time in promoting the Obama/Kenya connection.

Brussels Airlines and a not so Manneken Manneken Pis.

Charles Bridge statues at the Prague stand.

I have always thought that Persia sounds better than Iran. So too does the Iranian Tourist Board. Persia or Iran?

Guatemala Dancers

Hungary Stand

Promoting tourism to Palestine and the Holy Land.

Featured Travel Site: OurExplorer

2008-11-11T20:29:00.001+11:00

OurExplorer allows you to book user rated professional tour guides from all over the world. If you know your home town well and have a passion for sharing it with visitors then you can register to be a tour guide as well.

ourexplorer.com

Shanghai Pudong International Airport

2008-11-11T20:15:00.003+11:00

Shanghai Pudong International Airport opended for business in 1999 and it looks like every other airport in Asia - modern, spacious and completely putting to shame the crumbling airports in the UK and USA.

Pudong Departure Hall

It is an impressive airport, but I was more interested in seeing the train to the airport on this trip.

Maglev Train

Maglev Train Station

The Shanghai Maglev Train travels from Pudong International to Pudong Downtown at up to 431 km/h (268 mph). The time of day I caught it though the speed is reduced to a leisurely 300 km/h (190 mph).

Maglev Train 300kph

Airside

Airside of Pudong is fairly basic compared to airports of similar size in Asia. Not much in the way of variety of shops.

The big plus for me was free wireless access. There are no work benches or powerpoints though so make sure you are fully charged before you arrive.

Pudong Departures Airside

Another good feature of the airport are these sterilized water fountains with hot and cold options. I resent having my water confiscated at the security gate only to have to buy water on the other side, so I approve of water fountains at airports.

Drinking Water

Next Stop - London

Bund Tourist Tunnel - I went so that you don't have to

2008-11-11T20:11:00.000+11:00

The Bund Tourist Tunnel is a train that runs under the Huangpu River in Shanghai, from the Bund side to the Pudong side. I was told that it was so bad that it's good, so how could I not go with a sell like that. Well I went, and I must say it was so bad it was bad.

To The Bund Tourist Tunnel

The trip lasts about 5 minutes and costs 40 RMB (about $5.80 US). A return ticket will cost you 50 RMB, but I somehow knew I wouldn't be returning via the same way. The metro ride from one side of the river to the other costs 3 RMB.

Bund Tourist Tunnel Lights

You can see a snippet of the ride on this video.

The Bund - Shanghai

2008-11-11T19:58:00.002+11:00

The Bund is part of the former International Settlement on the Huangpu River in Shanghai. Zhongshan Road runs adjacent to the river and it is here where the classic buildings can be found.

HSBC Building and Custom House

The Bund at night

The Bund Promenade

The South Building of Peace Hotel and Peace Hotel

References: The Bund

Bare Bones Butcher

2008-11-11T19:00:00.001+11:00

Some handy knife work at this butcher in Shanghai.

Butcher - Shanghai

Disappearing Shanghai

2008-11-10T19:44:00.001+11:00

Shanghai is a great city to walk around and explore the older residential areas with their back street laneways.

This old part of Shanghai is disappearing fast as high rise devolopment eats up more of the old neighbourhoods every year.

Apartment Blocks

I have been walking around with someone who has been coming to Shanghai for over 10 years. He has pointed out to me skyscrapers that sit where old markets used to be. An all too common site are these whole blocks of demolished neighbourhoods.

Demolition Site

Public Toilets in Shanghai

2008-11-10T19:36:00.001+11:00

I saw these toilets around Shanghai but I would not recommend using them. There are so many modern shopping malls all over Shanghai that it is best to those for a clean western style toilet.

Public Toilets

Mens Public Toilet

Direction for WC

Learning English in China

2008-11-10T19:25:00.000+11:00

I have seen English schools all over Asia, including Wall Street English. Disney is now in the business of teaching English as well.

Wall Street English

Disney English

Never Mind the Melamine, Here's the White Rabbit

2008-11-10T19:15:00.000+11:00

I'm up for trying exotic Chinese food, but I don't know if I'm up for the White Rabbit challenge.

White Rabbit

Chinese Breakfast Burrito's

2008-11-09T21:55:00.005+11:00

These food vendors can be found on the streets of Shanghai early in the morning. I don't know what they are exactly, so I have been calling them Chinese Breakfast Burrito's. There are 2 eggs, onions, sauces and spices inside the wrap and they cost about 2 RMB (30 cents USD).

Shanghai Breakfast

A cafe chain you probably won't be seeing in America

2008-11-09T21:02:00.005+11:00

If you are looking for a coffee in Shanghai you can go to one of the many international cafe chains, like Starbucks, or you could go to the Taiwanese cafe chain ecoffee.

ecoffee store

I thought it was a starbucks when I first saw the shop from afar. Starbucks thinks so as well, and has filed a complaint over the matter. Here are the logos of ecoffee and Starbucks.

Like any good knock off, the coffee at ecoffee is much cheaper than at the original. A Tall Cafe Latte at Starbucks costs 25 RMB (about 3.67 USD). The same sized Cafe Latte at ecoffee costs 15 RMB (about 2.20 USD).

Coffee of the day - Shanghai

2008-11-09T20:51:00.001+11:00

Location: Shanghai - China Date: 5 Nov 2008

Delivered by bike: Shanghai

2008-11-09T20:32:00.003+11:00

Location: Shanghai - China

The car may be taking over life in China at a rapid pace, but bikes still rule the streets for now. I am happy to report that people here use their bikes to carry improbable cargo like elsewhere in Asia.

Pipe Delivery

Water Bottle Delivery

Box Delivery

Cake by the slice

Public Newspaper Readers

2008-11-09T20:20:00.002+11:00

Location: Shanghai - China

Public Newspaper

Shanghai Food Market

2008-11-08T21:02:00.003+11:00

Shanghai is full of modern shopping malls with air conditioned food courts and restaurants, but you don't need to go far to find a back street with a food market of the old China.

Meet Your Meat

I've always said that I love ducks, but I couldn't eat a whole one. after seeing this cute little fella with the yellow beak though I'm not sure I'm up for eating any duck.

I'm fine with eating seafood, but best it's best not to see where your fish has been before it lands on your plate.

More seafood...

Fruit and Veg

Engrish: Ear Candie

2008-11-08T20:35:00.002+11:00

Engrish: Ear Candie
Location: Shanghai - China

Ear Candie

Skyscrapers of Shanghai

2008-11-07T21:16:00.003+11:00

Shanghai is one of the largest cities on the world, and it has a skyline to match the population. If the smog ever clears you would have a view of nothing but tall buildings everywhere you looked.

Shanghai has two distinct areas: Puxi and Pudong. Puxi is the old city west of the Huangpu River, while Pudong is the new city east of the river.

Pudong

Pudong was mostly farmland until 1990, when it was designated as a New Open Economic Development Zone. The skyline on the Pudong side of the Huangpu river is now one of the best known skylines in the world.

Pudong Night Skyline

The Pudong skyline's landmark building is the Oriental Pearl Tower, which gives the city a futuristic feel. It is the 2nd biggest building in Shanghai.

Oriental Pearl Tower

The first and third biggest buildings in Shanghai are the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Jin Mao Tower.

Jinmao Tower and SWFC

These two towers stand next to each other, and you could call them Shanghai's twin towers, albeit fraternal twins. The SWFC is known as the bottle opener, for obvious resons.

Puxi

Puxi might be the old half of the city but it has an equally impressive skyline. Adding to the futuristic look of Shanghai is the Radisson Hotel Shanghai New World, with its spaceship-esque observation deck.

Radisson Hotel and Shimao International Plaza

Tomorrow Square

Hong Kong New World Tower

Sources: List of tallest buildings in Shanghai

Featured Travel Site: Melbourne Cup

2008-11-04T08:32:00.001+11:00

Every four years on the first Tuesday in November the world stops to watch America as it goes to the polls to elect a President. Meanwhile every year on the first Tuesday in November Australia stops and watches a horse race.

The Melbourne Cup has been run since 1861 and it is known as the race that stops a nation. The day is a public holiday in the State of Victoria, which must be the only place in the world that has a day off for a horse race.

The genius of the schedulers who first put the race on a Tuesday means that many Victorians take the Monday off as well, making it a 4 day long weekend holiday.

melbournecup.com

Shanghai - Old and new

2008-10-31T10:42:00.005+11:00

Shanghai was once known as the Paris of the East. Today it is referred to as the Pearl of the Orient. Along the Shanghai river front is where you can see the best of Shanghai's past and future in one spot.

Shanghai old and new. A colonial bank building with the modern Bund Center looming overhead.

Featured Travel Site: The Bathroom Diaries

2008-10-28T20:14:00.000+11:00

The Bathroom DiariesTM is the world's largest database of restroom locations. It rates over 12,000 public bathrooms in more than 120 countries. Handy for finding public toilet locations when you are on the road.

thebathroomdiaries.com

Travel Deals: £3 fares on National Express coaches within the UK

2008-10-24T10:28:00.003+11:00

National Express, the biggest coach company in Britain, is offering 40,000 fares at £3, one way. Getting around Britain can be expensive at the best of times so this is great value if you are planning UK travel in November. There are a range of available city pairs, including travel as far as from London to Aberdeen.

Book by: 29 November 2008
Travel Period: to 30 November 2008

National Express