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kym rawlins | 23 Aug 2011, 11:59 Absolut Icebar London

I went to the Absolut Icebar in London and I thought it was fantastic. On entering you are given a fur lined cape and some warm gloves. You pay around £10-15 in order to spend 45 minutes in the Ice bar and this also includes a cocktail of your choice in a glass made out of a block of ice. Everything is made of ice from tables, to chairs and it really is a fantastic experience.

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Neil jkendall | 6 Aug 2011, 17:45 Sunset boat ride in San Francisco

On our second day in San Francisco, we took a boat ride from Pier 39 to watch the sunset behind Golden Gate Bridge. It was great value for money - a two-hour ride with unlimited beer for $35 USdollars! Would definitely recommend.

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Peter Kerr | 6 Aug 2011, 10:00 Growing oranges on Mallorca

Tony Bennet sang sadly of having left his heart in San Francisco, and I know how he felt, because I left a chunk of my own heart somewhere far away as well. Although I’ve often missed my native Scotland when living abroad, now that I’m back ‘home’, I confess to suffering equally sharp pangs of homesickness for Spain, or more specifically for the Spanish island of Mallorca. My family and I enjoyed the most memorable and fun-filled times of our lives there, while trying (none too successfully!) to grow oranges for a living on a little farm tucked away in a valley of the mighty Serra de Tramuntana. Even if a few of the island’s most beautiful stretches of coastline were forfeited to the demands of mass tourism over the years, Mallorca – the true Mallorca of majestic mountains, hidden coves, ‘snow-blossomed’ almond groves, windmill-dotted plains, gnarled old olive trees and sleepy honeystone hamlets – still survives. It is a truly enchanted island, its countryside populated by folk who are as warm as the Mediterranean sun, and I’d happily go and live there again tomorrow – even if I did happen to feel a wee bit homesick for Scotland occasionally. Peter Kerr, author <a target='_blank' href="http://www.peter-kerr.co.uk">http://www.peter-kerr.co.uk</a>;

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Anthony Rawlins | 2 Aug 2011, 16:29 Chowpatty beach daytime

Chowpatty Beach was quite an experience. We arrived earlier in the afternoon and it was very quiet. We wondered along the beach for 45 mins and it’s a nice beach but we didn’t really want to go into the sea although a few locals were in the water. After 45mins it got too hot so we left. We walked down an alley leading off from the beach to the main streets and then some children spotted us but they then proceeded to follow us for the next 5 minutes asking for money. It’s difficult to say ‘no’ but begging is a fact of life here and so to be blunt – you better get used to it. The evening was different story and was a bit mad and brilliant!

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Hannah Gapper | 29 Jul 2011, 15:37 Fraser Island Sandy adventure

Fraser Island is a giant sand island off the coast of Hervey Bay on the East Coast of Australia. You can arrange trips from the most of the hostels on the mainland where you can team up with around 10 other people and hire a jeep and camping equipment to take over to the island for a few days. It’s a great and fun way of meeting people as you really have to work together with the team. The sea off of the island is wild and infested with sharks so best to be avoided but there are a few fresh water lakes which are perfect for swimming. Lake Mckenzie is a crystal clear fresh water lake surrounded by pure white sands that make it feel like paradise. The island can be hard work at times especially if you are unlucky enough to get your jeep stuck in the sand and you will probably find sand in places for months after but it is a really fun experience.

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Judy ED | 21 Jul 2011, 17:06 Sampling Port in Porto, Portugal

The Ribeira district contains some of Porto's oldest streets, hemmed in with brightly painted houses strung with laundry. Cross over the Eiffel-inspired Ponte Dom Luis I to Vila Nova de Gaia to see the colourful houses reflected in the water. This side of the river is home to the city’s port lodges and their traditional ‘rabelos’, the boats used to bring the wine barrels down the river from the Upper Rio Douro to their lodges since 1780. We visited the Calem lodge (Cais de Gaia; www.calem.pt), where tours take place in a variety of languages at allocated timeslots throughout the day. Our guide showed us the immense barrels full of port and explained the differences between the various ports, from white to ruby to tawny to late bottled vintage. This was followed by a free port tasting, which was generous enough to ensure we were quite tipsy when we emerged into the sunshine to find a downpour just finishing and a rainbow arcing over the Ponte Dom Luis I.

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Duncan Williams | 16 Jul 2011, 08:11 Hienghene

Despite putting Vanuatu in the drop down box Hienghene is actually located in New Caledonia. A selection of Islands in the Pacific owned by France. The island has a small docking bay accesible by small vessels and the journey on to the Island is an experience itself. The landscape is fantastic as you work your way past high cliffs covered in vegetation. The island is fantastic for walking and exploring. The occupants are always willing to show you around the school and we spent a good amount of time meeting pupils and teachers. Hienghene is most famous for it's rock formation that looks like a chicken sitting on a nest of eggs. See the picture for yourself. The best views of this are a short walk up to the highest peak........or as we did, hitch a ride..............everyone on the island was friendly enough to drive us around :-)

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minitooth fairy | 9 Jul 2011, 12:54 Getting crafty in Ta'Qali

During our holiday in Malta we jumped on a bus and visited the craft village of Ta'Qali. At first we weren't sure we had the right place, it looked rather abandoned. But, being nosey we started sticking our heads into doorways and before we knew it we were glass blowing and trying our hand at silver filigree! The Maltese people were so friendly and seemed to enjoy teaching us about their skills. A really fun day out.

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itsno up2u | 1 Jul 2011, 14:36 Beautiful Loch Lomond

While I was living in Glasgow, we took a day trip up to Loch Lomond and the views were spectacular.

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Philip D | 23 Jun 2011, 19:14 Learning in Bangkok

At first we thought that the staff at the Holiday Inn in the centre of Bangkok were just well trained. However when we were leaving 3 days later, the young man at the counter arranged for our luggage to be brought down from our room. We sat comfortably across the large foyer, waiting for our driver, due to arrive a good hour ahead. After 10 minutes the young man came to speak to us, worried that perhaps our luggage had not been brought down. "It's OK," I said, "the cases are over there." "Do you want a taxi?" the young man asked with a worried face. "No," we said, "We're waiting for our driver to arrive in an hour." The young man looked more worried. "It's OK," I said "We were just ready early. The driver will come at the right time." "I was worried for you," the young man said, with a relieved smile. "i think you are very kind," I said. "We have learnt that Buddhists are naturally thoughtful and kind. We are very grateful. You don't need to be trained." The young man bowed and walked away with a broad smile.

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Janyll Rawlins | 1 Jun 2011, 15:27 Balinese dancing

This dance was called Sekar Jagat, influenced by the temple dance of Aska Village in Bali. Sekar Jagat means flower of the world" and in Balinese is a poetic reference for women. The kids that performed this came to our hotel as they are all orphans that are being looked after and consequently taught how to dance.

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Emily D | 28 May 2011, 22:01 Galicia's taste sensation

Now, I’m a big fan of seafood, but even I quailed at Spain’s most unique shellfish. We were in Galicia on Spain’s Costa de la Muerte, where they seem to have seafood festivals for most of the year. The sea here is particularly chilly compared to the rest of Spain, which is why their shellfish is so impressive. The king of these is the revolting-looking percebes, or goose barnacle. The nickname is derived from the myth that these were the eggs of some mysterious sea goose. Blessed with a penis up to 40 times bigger than its body, these tenacious creatures cling to rocks dashed by fierce Atlantic waves, hanging down into the sea sheltered within shell plating. Their preference for such a precarious home makes it exceptionally challenging to collect them. This gives the brave percebeiros, the men who risk their lives harvesting the crustaceans, a legendary status in Galicia. A percebeiro can collect up to 6kg of the highly-prized shellfish in a day, with each kilogramme of percebes worth over €160! Despite the fact they look more than a bit like slugs, I gave them a try and was glad I did – once you get past the idea of them percebes are delicious!

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Nick sutton | 27 May 2011, 13:30 Snorkelling in the Red Sea

Stayed in a beautiful Bedouin camp on the Red Sea, called Sawa Camp. Low cost but clean and well kept camp. Huts right on the beach. You can just walk out into the sea and start snorkelling.

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Simon Jones | 23 May 2011, 20:11 The Three Sisters Blue Mountains

Here are a few of my pictures of the Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales about an hour and a half's drive from Sydney. The Blue Mountains are fantastic and well worth a visit and the Three Sisters are one of the high ights but you can spend days walking and hiking in te area. There are some great little towns in the area with some brilliant guest houses and other types of accommodation.

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Carla Ciccotelli | 23 May 2011, 11:00 Tuscany in Summer

I recently went back to the place when my mother was born and grew up before moving to Australia. I have always wanted to see the house she used to live in, the school she went to, and the places she used to hang out with her friends - so I went in the summer of 2009. Lucca in Tuscany (where my mother was born) is such a beautiful city, that even if I did not have the family history there, I would still wish to stumble upon it on a journey through Tuscany or even Italy! The city of Lucca is surrounded by a wall - and is the only city in Italy where the wall is still in tact. Each side is lined with a different type of tree, so apparently this is quite a beautiful sight in spring. I recommend spending a morning or afternoon walking around the whole perimeter of the wall - or even hire a bike(which is what we did!). Lucca is also only a short ride from Pisa, Siena, the beachside town Viareggia, and you can also do a day trip to Cinque Terre - a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. Absolutely gorgeous! You can walk to each of the 5 towns that are connected by trails (some of which are right on the edge of the cliffs) and each of the towns are special and unique in some way of another.

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Van den Bossche | 16 May 2011, 14:22 Exploring Zadar

Zadar's Port Gate welcomes visitors into the old town under the watchful eye of the Venetian Lion carved in the white glimmering marble. Incredibly smooth and slippery pavements guide you through the city's narrow and shaded streets. The monuments' architectural diversities mirror the passage of the various civilisation which took hold of the city throughout the centuries. Admire St Donat's circular church, testimony of Byzantium rule. Climb up Saint Anastasia Cathedral's bell tower for a panoramic view of the city. Alongside Dalmatia's oldest church sits a row of women selling ridiculous handmade crochet objects, their deeply wrinkled faces flashing proud, toothless smiles. Escape the crowd. Walk past the Roman Forum towards the sea side outside the 16th century Venetian walls. Here, children jump from the tree lined front into the sea, the sparkling and emerald coloured water contrasting against their bronzed skin. At the end of the promenade a unique concert awaits, performed by the city's Sea Organ. Sitting on the stone steps and watching the line of islands on the horizon, listen to the maritime chant played by the sea pushing air through the underwater pipes and chords. As the sun goes down, the sky becomes a painter's canvas with streaks of flaming orange, peach, golden yellow, blue and pearly grey mirroring onto the sea. Everything else in life is irrelevant as you are dazzled by Mother Nature's gift to us. During a visit to Zadar Alfred Hitchcock described the city's sunset as one of the most beautiful in the world. He was right. Walking back through the rampart, still mesmerised by this extraordinary scenery, a new lit up city awaits, terraces buzzing with voices of locals and foreigners feasting on dishes of the freshest fish before heading into one of the multiple disco bars scattered across Zadar.

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FALABNY USER | 9 May 2011, 09:25 Spiritual moment in Uman, Ukraine

Most spiritual moment I ever saw was on Rosh HaShanah, Judgement day, when Jewish people flood to Uman, Ukraine. I have very much enjoyed my experiences of Ukraine. Uman city is a very special place Sofia Garden the prayers place Breslev City is like kind of private heaven on the Bug River.

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Kimberley White | 30 Apr 2011, 12:43 Staying in Udaipur

This is inside Udaipur, the little boy in the picture had a shoe shining business he was quite the business man I was wearing running shoes and he did a excellent job. The city is beautiful one of my highlights of Rajasthan .

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Ryan Elliott | 24 Apr 2011, 10:32 Powder Day at Les Houches

What a wayt o start the holiday 30cms of pow at les houch in France

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Mat Loup | 21 Apr 2011, 17:14 Exploring Prince Edward County Gastronomy

Prince Edward Island is Canada's smallest and greenest province. Cradled on the waves of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, PEI is known for the vivid colours of its gently rolling landscape, surrounded by miles of sandy beaches and red sandstone cliffs. On the Island, the land and sea offer bountiful feasts and unlimited culinary possibilities. The foods enjoyed on Prince Edward Island include fruits, herbs, vegetables, lobster, oysters, mussels, and nearly every kind of fish and meat.

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