South Africa 2004 Part 2: Durban

We flew to Durban from Cape Town with Kulula, which took two hours and cost about £35 . There are regular flights to Durban with Kulula and Mango which is a new airline. They are the low cost airlines which fly within South Africa. We had booked into the Holiday Inn North Beach (Now Southern Sun) for four nights. The Hotel is overlooking the gorgeous North Beach, and we were lucky enough to allocated a sea view room.

Durban has one of Africa's best beaches and well known for surfing as it is in the Indian Ocean which has better conditions and is warmer. Durban is also the largest city in KwaZulu Natal. The beach and promenade at Durban known as the Golden Mile has golden sandy beaches, that lovely blue sea (that you don't see in the UK!!) and lots of shops, bars, restaurants and hawkers selling paintings, carved wooden ornaments and beads among other items.

We were advised that we must visit the Victoria Market in the Indian Quarter (or Indian Market as it is known!!!). Durban has the largest population of Indian people outside India. We travelled by taxi to the Market and it certainly was as experience!!!!! As soon as we got out of the taxi, we were pounced on by sellers all trying to get us to look at their stalls. The market has lots of stalls selling mainly herbs and spices as well as fruit, veg and fish. They also sell furniture, brassware, wooden ornaments, and materials. Much of it is too big to take home in your luggage!

As good as it was to see the hustle and bustle of the market, it got a bit on our nerves as you cannot browse the items as you are being pestered all the time. As soon as you hit the market, you smell the exotic aroma of the spices as you wander around. There are a few malls in Durban, but we were told that the Pavilion had the largest range shops and is similar to the Trafford Centre in Manchester. It has shops from designer to High Street Stores and sells everything from clothes and accessories to furniture and African Curios. We travelled about by taxi as the buses are not very reliable. Although one driver went to fill up before he could take us any where and you got the impression that he only put enough fuel in for our journey!

It was my husbands birthday while were in Durban, so we decided to have a day at the races and got a cab to Greyville Race Course. It only cost about £5 to get in and was really quiet. It was a beautiful sunny day and everytime we have been to the horseracing at home it has been cold, windy and raining so this made a refreshing change. The main racing season in Durban is July, which is always busy and is compared to Royal Ascot. They also have the Durban Gold cup which is held in August.

There were quite a few races and obviously not as much prize money as the big races of July and August, but it was good fun. My husband was really surprised at the price of beer which was about R7 (50p) - this compared to the £3 t the Aintree Grand National (see previous post). Soft drinks were also very cheap.

You could also buy snacks and souvenirs. I was quite surprised at how close you could stand to the course and the winners enclosure. It is a lot smaller than Aintree in Liverpool so you can see the stables and get close to the horses and jockeys. We had a few winners and it was a brilliant day out and we are really glad we went although we could not find a cab outside to take us back to the hotel so we risked the walk which was a bit nervy at times!

I am a big fan of Cow Parade and if you have never heard of it the it is basically a Public Art Display on live size painted cows. They are dispayed all over attractions and towns for a period of time and then auctioned off with the money going to Charity. Cow Parade was in Durban when we were there. The cows were scattered all over. They were on the promendade, in the shopping centres, Metro and Botanical Gardens to name a few. We did not get round to see them all, but we got round as many as possible.

There are plenty of things to do and see in Durban as well as soaking up the rays and shopping!!!!. There is the Botanical Gardens, Temples such as the Umgeni Road Hindu Temple and the Shri Mariamman Temple at Mount Edgecombe. There is Fitz Simons Snake Park which is home to 157 different snake species, lizards and crocodiles, Fun World, Sea World (not to be confused with Sea World in Florida), Water World and MiniTown.

As far as eating out goes, there are lots of cafes and restaurants to eat in Durban. The first night we got ready to go out and find a
restaurant at night, the doorman of our hotel asked us where we were going. When we told him, he told us that you should not walk about after dark in Durban as it is not safe. He said that everybody goes to the Suncoast Casino which is like a resort rather than a casino and has over seventeen restaurants inside as well as shops, takeway, casino and cinema. There is also a play area for kids.

Our hotel and most of the hotels along the North Beach run a shuttle bus to and from the Casino which is about 15 minutes away. As we did not want to take any chances, this is what we did. The restaurants include Jaipur Palace, News Cafe, John Dory's Fish and Grill and Spur among others - Spur is everywhere in South Africa! I am sure that people do eat out in restaurants rather than going to the casino, but we like to wander around on foot as I believe this is a better way to get your bearings.

The South Africans love their sport and rugby and cricket are both very popular. Unfortunatley (for my hubby!!! and fortunatley for me!!!!!) there were no games on when we were there or he would have dragged me to a game. We did go past the Absa stadium, and it looked pretty impressive, it is huge and holds 52.000 people. Durban among the other main cities in South Africa are preparing for the World Cup which will be held there in 2010.

The games will be held in cities including Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria in June and July 2010. You can combine Durban with a safari as there are games reserves in the Kwazulu Natal area such as Abu Madi Game Ranch Mkuze and Leopard Mountain Game Lodge among others. We really liked Durban, but we did a lot of lazing around (after Cape Town, we wanted a rest!!!!) and did not do all the things that we could have done. If money is no object or you want to book that once in lifetime experience, you should book Rovos Rail which is South Africa's answer to the Orient Express and is pure luxury, the itinerary of which includes in game reserves.

Durban has a subtropical climate, and it can get hot and humid in the summer months which are November to February, but it is still warm even in the winter. The currency is South African Rand and it is cheap in Durban. The people are friendly and all the time we were there, we felt safe although we were advised against walking about at night. I would recommend a stay in Durban as it is cheap and easy to get to.

Singapore and Sentosa 1998 :Part 5

We flew to Singapore from Penang for the final part of our journey before flying home. We stayed at the New Otani in Singapore near to Clarke Quay. The hotel was very central being a 10 minute walk from Orchard Road. Singapore is a great city with lots to do and is mainly used as a stopover destination for people travelling to Australia and beyond. We booked 3 nights at the hotel and found there was plenty to do. Singapore is known for being a shoppers paradise, but there is more to do than just shop.

As we only had 3 days there, we had planned what we wanted to see and do, and anything else was a bonus. We were pretty much shopped out by the time we got to Singapore so did not really do much and things are more expensive here than in Malaysia. We spent one day at Raffles Hotel, which is something that must be done on a visit to Singapore. You cannot leave without enjoying a Singapore Sling in the Long bar. There are beautiful gardens to wander round and some shops selling things like tea and Raffles Souvenirs. You can also have afternoon tea and scones.

We booked a hop on hop off trolley tour, which is a good idea if you want to spend more time at places that interest you. We also booked a trip to the Night Safari which costs approx £17 or SGD45 entrance fee. The night safari is actually three parks in one being the Zoo, Bird Park and the actual Safari. It is well worth the money and you will need a few hours there. You are not allowed to take photographs in the safari, so as not to scare the animals but you can purchase photo book souvenirs.

The night safari is by tram within the park and takes approx 45 minutes. There are lots of different walks that you can take within the zoo and hundreds of species of animals and birds. When we were there, there was a baby leopard on a lead with its keeper and snakes that you can have your photo taken with. I gave the snake a miss!!!!!!. It takes about 30 - 45 minutes to get to the Zoo from Orchard Road by Bus or taxi depending on traffic, which can be very busy.

There was a food festival when we were in Singapore at Clarke Quay which was close to where we were staying. The food festival was a carnival of exotic foods and food tasting as well as much more. Clarke Quay is full of shops, bars and restaurants and is just a great place to hang out. Singapore is known as the food capital of Asia so has every kind of restaurant to suit every pallet you can imagine. From Chinese and Malay to American and English (including unfortunately McDonald's and Burger King!!!) They are everywhere!!!!!

Some local favourite dishes include Chilli Crab, Laksa, Rojak, and fried Carrot Cake among others. We had booked to go on a Chinese Junk Cruise which is recommended and you can get great views of Singapore and the Harbour as you leave the dock. We chose to go on the evening cruise which is approx 2 1/2 hours long and includes entertainment and a Singaporean Buffet. The evening Cruise costs approx SGD39 of £15.00. There are day cruises as well as the evening cruises. I would recommend that you take jumper or something warm on the boat as it can get cold. I was fooled into thinking I would be fine as it was so warm when the boat left the dock. Singapore is one of the busiest Ports in the world, so you will see hundreds of boats from all over the world.

If you enjoy museums, then Singapore has plenty including the Art Retreat Museum, Chinese Heritage Centre, Mint Museum of Toys and the National Museum of Singapore among others.

There are also Ethnic Quarters such as China Town, Little India and Geylang Serai (which is the Malay District). Singapore has lots of places of worship that are worth visiting as the buildings are so magnificent. There is the Abdul Gaffor Mosque, Armenian Church, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Central Sikh Temple among others.

The best way to get around Singapore is either by taxi, bus or MRT Rail system. I would not recommend driving as it can get very congested and the drivers are a bit mad!!!! Our last full day in Singapore was spent at Sentosa Island. We only went for the day, but I would recommend that you at least stay overnight as there is loads to do and see and it has amazing beaches. Unfortunately for us we just did not have the time!!!. Sentosa is approx 10km from the centre of Singapore and you can get there by cable car, ferry, bus, taxi or train (Sentosa Express).

We decided to travel by cable car as you get amazing views. Sentosa does have hotels on it should you decide to stay over such as The Shangri La Sentosa, Costa Sands Resort and Treasure Resort among a few others. One of the attractions that you will first see on arriving at Sentosa is the 37 metre Merlion which is the symbol of Singapore. It is half lion half fish and you can go inside the Merlion and will be rewarded with a 360 degrees view of Sentosa and Singapore. There is also a mouth deck viewing gallery, which on a clear day you can see Singapore's skyline.

At the back of the Merlion is a 120 metre walk way called Merlion Walk. It is approx SGD8 or £3 to enter the Merlion. There is an animal and bird enclosure and Butterfly and Insect Kingdom. There is also Dolphin Lagoon which is approx SGD20 or £8 entrance fee. You can feed the dolphins, and watch demonstrations and training sessions. You can also pre book a swim with Dolphins packages prices start at a cpmparatively cheap price of about SGD150 or £50.

We decided to take a walk on the Dragon Trail Walk which is a nature trail and is a beautiful walk recreating remains of dragons. There are suggested photograph areas, places to eat and souvenir shops along the way. There are other nature walks on Sentosa, but as we were only there for the day, we were trying to cram in as much as we could. Another attraction that we visited that I highly recommend is the Songs of the Sea. Which is where the fountains come alive to tell a story and there are lasers, captivating music, bursts of fire, a live cast and dramatic effects.

There are 2 shows nightly and as it is first come first served, it can get busy. There are just too many attractions to be able to list them all, but you might also like: the Flying Trapeze, Sentosa Luge and Skyride, Sentosa 4D Magic, Cinneblast and Skytower among many more. There are 3 beaches on Sentosa consisting of, Palawan Beach, Siloso Beach and Tanjong Beach, and they are all really nice and clean.

There are plenty of shops on Sentosa from shops on the beach like Billabong to the Merlion and Butterfly and Insect Souvenir Shops. There is also a shop selling Chinese Curios among many others. There are lots of restaurants and beach bars/cafes as well as fast food outlets and convenience stores to buy food (if you fancy a picnic!!!!). Sentosa also has its own golf club which houses 2 courses Serapong and Tanjong. This will be home to the Barclays Singapore Open said to be Asia's richest golf tournament.

div>

It is easy to get around Sentosa Island, we did most of our exploring by foot, but there are buses which operate from 0700 until 2300 daily, beach trams and The Sentosa Express. The buses run every 15 minutes and the trams and Sentosa Express every few minutes. We left Sentosa around 10pm that evening by bus back to Singapore for our last night. We were tired but it was good tired as we had a great day.

The weather in Singapore and Sentosa is hot and humid most of the year and there is no rainy season as such but there tends to be more rain fall from November to January. The currency is Sinagapore Dollar. I would definitely recommend a stay over in Singapore and if you have time have a break at Sentosa as it is a great place to visit. There are direct flights to Singapore from the UK with British Airways, Singapore and Qantas. There are flights from Europe with Lufthansa, Air France and Swiss among others. There are plenty of hotels in Singapore to suit every budget including Holiday Inn, Marriott and Hyatt. There are online companies such as Asia Rooms who offer discount rooms when booking online.

We flew with Lufthansa from Singapore via Frankfurt for our journey back to the UK.

Malaysia 1998 Part 4:Langkawi

We travelled from Penang to Langkawi by ferry which took about 2 hours and cost around £20 return. Langkawi and Malaysia were preparing for the Commonwealth games later that year so they were getting ready for the influx of visitors. Langkawi is about the same size as Jersey in the Channel Islands and is made up of 99 Islands separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Malacca. Langkawi has replaced Penang as the duty free shopping Port, specialising in electrical items, perfumes and cosmetics.

We had booked into the Datai 5* Luxury Hotel as having booked in advance, we got a very good rate. (Langkawi was not as popular when I first went as it is now so everything was a lot cheaper!!!!), however my cousins and their children came with us to Langkawi and they had not booked in anywhere, but the Datai was full so I decided to stay in an alternative Hotel with them. The Datai is on the southern tip of the Island so it is a little out of the way. We were only in Langkawi for 2 nights so decided to try and do as much as we could in the short time. There were 8 of us all together and the Hotel recommended that we try and book a mini bus for the day and agree a price as it may work out cheaper than all paying for separate tours.

We ended up hiring a 8 seater minibus and driver for the day, I think it cost us about £10 per person and he would take us wherever we wanted to go all day and act as our guide. It was good as he also told us the best things to do. The first place we visited was Eagle Square which is the first landmark you see when arriving in Langkawi by boat. The square has Duty Free shops, restaurants and scenic ponds among other attractions.

Next we headed to Langkawi Crocodile Farm at Kubank Badak. There are daily shows and you can watch feeding. After the crocodile farm we went to Tanjung Rhu beach, which could rival any Caribbean Beach, and it was deserted. From the beach, you can take a short boat ride to Gua Cherita caves or Caves of Legends as they are known. The beach and caves are definitely a must see when visiting Langkawi.

The caves have small sandy areas around them which if you want to be totally secluded, you could use as your own private beach. Because Langkawi is small, you can get around the Island in about 3 hours. Other things you might like to do, which we never got time to is to ride a cable car up to Mount Mat Cincang which is Langkawi's second highest peak. You can ride the cable car from The Oriental Village which is in the Upper Northwest of Langkawi. It does get cool up the mountain, so I would recommend a jumper.

There are also waterfalls that you can visit such as Telaga Tujuh. Air Terjun Temurun and Durian Perangin Falls. The best time to see the falls in full flow is towards the end of the year when there is more rain. There are restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets in Langkawi from Barbies on the beach to seafood restaurants, whatever your taste, you will find something to suit.

For all the budding golfers, there are three 18 hole Golf Courses on Langkawi, said to have some of the most spectacular views in Asia.
If luxury Spa is your thing, Langkawi has plenty in most of the large resort hotels. There are lots of other activities to do in Langkawi if you get bored sunbathing of or shopping such as diving, horseriding and sailing. Langkawi as I mentioned earlier is a duty free tax haven for shopping and has lots of shops and Malls. You can buy designer clothes, electrical items and cosmetics among other things a lot cheaper than on the mainland. You can also buy local handicrafts. Tobacco and alcohol a lot cheaper.

The only advice I would give is to check how much you can buy as there are restrictions as to how much you can take back with you. Langkawi also has its fair share of nightlife with lots of pubs, bistros and nightclubs, dotted around the Island. The main resorts on Langkawi are Kuah, Pantain Cenang, and Pantai Kok. It easy to get around the Island either by hiring a car, taxi or motorbike. There are buses, but they are not very regular or frequent so I would not really recommend this. There are tours that you can book if you fancy exploring further afield such as Marine, Yacht and Islands Tours. I think that Langkawi is a fabulous Island to visit and has everything that anybody could want. It is also very cheap and a lot easier now to get to, as it has its own international airport with daily flights from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Penang. We had to get the ferry back to Penang to catch our flight to Singapore as there was no airport when we were there.

The weather is nice all the year round, but the wettest months are July to Mid September. The currency is Ringgit, but some places will accept foreign currency. The official language is Malaysian, but English is widely spoken. Throughout the year Langkawi hosts various festivals including golf tournaments, Jazz Festivals and Fishing tournaments, so I would check details before booking to make sure that you can get booked into accommodation as it can get very busy.

Coming Soon...Singapore and Sentosa Island

Malaysia 1998 Part 3: Penang

After our stay in the Cameron Highlands, we were refreshed and ready for the next part of our journey. After our bus journey to get to the Highlands, we decided we definitely were not going by bus to Penang!!. After some research we found we could get the train from a town about 40 minutes drive away called Tapah. We travelled by taxi to Tapah which cost about £10. The trains are excellent, comfortable and safe. The prices are also very reasonable, and because there was so little difference in cost between standard and first, we decided to travel first class.

The journey takes between 2 - 3 hours and it was about £15 standard and £20 first class. Penang is very different to Kuala Lumpur and Cameron Highlands, in the fact it was very hot and more of a tourist beach resort. (I remember somebody even comparing it to Benidorm!!!!) I must tell you having been to Benidorm as a teenager, it is much nicer and classier than Benidorm... It was very busy and there were loads of Brits in town. With the World Cup being on in France there was a carnival atmosphere.
There are loads of hotels to suit every budget. I cannot remember the name of the first hotel we booked into in Penang and I say first as we only stayed here a couple of nights as my cousins wedding was here. It was far out and you had to get a taxi to the beach and it was a bit grotty inside. The wedding reception was really good, It was a Chinese buffet, but there must have been about 15 different courses!!!. After the wedding, we moved onto the Shangri-La Golden Sands Hotel, where we had 4 nights booked. The Golden Sands is a resort with its own beach and is really nice. There are cheaper alternatives such as the Holiday Inn and Copthorne Orchid. For cheap rooms in Malaysia see Asia Rooms.

Penang is known as the Pearl of the Orient. The main beach area is called Batu Ferringi Beach in the district of Georgetown in Penang. Penang has lots to offer as well as beautiful beaches and warm climate!!! You can get the funicular up to Penang Hill or Bukit Bedera as it is otherwise known!!! It has amazing views and is cooler than the resort below. There are also lots of Temples, Mosques and Houses of Worship for every religion. I would recommend visiting the Snake Temple. There are poisonous snakes outside on a stand but it is said that that they have never bitten anybody and they guard the temple. It is free to enter the temple which is beautiful inside, but there is a donation box. Another Temple I would recommend a visit to is the Temple of the Reclining Buddah or Wat Chayamangkalaram as it is also known. This has a 33 metre gold plated reclining Buddha with lots of smaller Buddha's surrounding it. The Temple and the grounds are all beautiful and again this is free to enter with a donation box.

At the back of the Buddha, you will see lots of Niches containing the ashes of devotees. We were told that it cost a lot of money to have the ashes stored here. There are other attractions such as Penang Butterfly Farm, and Batik Craft Factory where you can buy local arts and crafts such as suits, clothes, paintings and tapestries. There are also day and night markets where you can buy local foods, fish, souvenirs, copy replica football shops and copy designer bags among other things. There are a few Malls in Penang such as Penang Mall, also there are lots of restaurants in Penang to suit every taste including Malaysian, Chinese, English, Japanese and European among others. There are fast food restaurants if you are not very adventurous such as Pizza Hut, McDonald's and Burger King!!!!

There are stalls along the beach selling snacks such as noodles, and lots of fish and seafood restaurants which are filled with huge fish tanks as you go in with everything from lobster to octopus and you tell your waiter which one you want and they go and cook it for you!!!! (Yes they are alive when you choose!!!!).

The currency is Ringgit and your money will go far in Malaysia as everything is so cheap and the people are really friendly. Taxis are probably the best way to get around Penang, they are cheap, but I would recommend agreeing a price before jumping in.

You can get buses but they are not as frequent, car hire is also an option but as the drivers are a bit mad, you may not want to tackle the roads on your own. There are bars, pubs and nightclubs in Penang that are popular if you fancy dancing, drinking or both until the wee small hours!!!! There are tours that you can book if you want to leave the organising to somebody else. All the temples and places we went to, we jumped in a cab, but you can book a proper tour and will probably learn more.

The tours you can book range from the places I have mentioned previously and tours around the Island and to museums. You can also book trips to Langkawi which I highly recommend (my blog on Langkawi will follow this one!!!) You can also visit Thailand as it is close to Penang. The weather in Penang is warm and sunny most of the time, they do not have a rainy season but September to November are known to be the wettest months. You can get to Penang with various airlines including Malaysian via Kuala Lumpur, KLM via Amsterdam and Lufthansa via Frankfurt or Munich.

There are no scheduled direct flights to Penang from the UK, although there may be charter flights. We loved Penang and 4 days is not really enough time especially if you want to soak up the sun rays as well as seeing everything. There are people who we spoke to who had booked a 2 week holiday in Penang and were just enjoying the weather and never ventured from the beach, which I think is a shame when you are travelling 14 hours or so on a plane, but it shows how popular it is.

Coming Soon Langkawi..........

Miami 2004

We flew to Miami in June 2004 with American Airlines via Boston and stayed at the Albion Hotel in South Beach Miami.

The flights on American were great as on the Manchester Boston flight, they use an aircraft that was previously used internally in the USA, so if you are lucky enough to get book a seat in the first 6 rows, this is the old first class so very big seats and extra leg room. On this particularly flight it is sold as an all economy service. It was nice to have loads of room!!!!!

The Albion Hotel is a nice hotel in a very good area just 5 minutes walk from Ocean Drive which is the heart of the Art Deco area and where the beach is. Just be prepared if you go to Miami that it is very expensive and when you dine or have any service where you would normally pay a tip, they automatically add a 15% tip to your bill. I think this is a bit cheeky really and have never know this anywhere else in the USA that I have been to. They do say that you can ask them to take the tip off if you are not happy with the service, but I would not do that!!!!!

South Beach is definitely the place to stay and be seen and loads of Celebrities have houses or restaurants there. We had breakfast one morning in Gloria Estefan's Hotel the Cardozo. When we were there, one night as we were going out there was a red carpet and loads of paparazzi, and crowds outside a hotel near where we were staying. When I asked somebody what was going on they told me that Marc Antony was doing a gig or appearance and his new wife (Jennifer Lopez) was attending!!!! They had got married about a week previously. Justin Timberlake was also in town but we never saw him. We did however see a famous footballer by the name of Rio Ferdinand!!!!! He was stood behind us in the Queue and sat on the table next to ours in the pub. It was the European Championships and he was still on his ban for missing a drug test!!!! He was with his team mate Wes Brown who also plays for Manchester United.


There are quite a lot of things to do in Miami apart from the obvious!!!!! (sunbathing, drinking, water and beach sports!!!!).

Versace's House (Casa Causuarina) is one of the most photographed properties on South Beach and is now a private members club. For some strange reason there was loads of people getting their picture taken on the steps where he was shot!!!!! How creepy is that!!!!!

You should really have a walk up Ocean Drive and Collins Ave and see the different coloured and styled Art Deco Hotels. Even the Starbucks is done Art Deco Style.

You can take a boat trip to Star Island which is basically what is says on the tin!!!!! It is an artificial Island in Biscayne Bay between Miami and Miami Beach. Famous celebrities who have properties include Madonna, Will Smith, Gloria Estefan and many more. The tour is about 1 hour and you get great views of Miami from the boat.


We also did a tour of Miami and surrounding areas where we visited Coral Gables, The Biltmore, The Venetian Pool, Coconut Grove and Little Havana. If you decide to do this sort of tour, make sure that you book a tour which allows you to get off and take photos. We had a grumpy driver from Argentina who would not stop and let us take photographs. We really wanted to take photos of the Venetian Pool and at Little Havana. Little Havana is a must see area including Maximo Gomez Park or Domino Park as it is known. There are domino tournaments and games played by the residents of Little Havana. There are lots of shops and restaurants all with a Cuban and Latin American theme.

The Venetian Pool is known as one of the most beautiful pools in the world as it is famous with celebs and has waterfalls, and fresh water. We liked Coconut Grove as it was different to Miami and had lots of nice shops and restaurants, so we went back the next day on our own.

We had our breakfast most mornings in the News Cafe on Ocean Drive. It is open 24 hours and is great for people watching. It is just a couple of blocks from Gianni Versace's House and it is said that he had his breakfast there the morning he was killed!!! The News cafe also offer great cocktails. The China Grill is the place to be seen in, (if you can get a table!!!!) as it is always full of celebs and is very hard to book unless your surname is Diaz or Lopez!!!!.

The Pelican Hotel is a trendy Hotel to stay in if you can get a room.

We had tried but it was full when we were going. It is owned by the Diesel Jeans company. It is on Ocean Drive overlooking the beach. It has 30 rooms and every one is different from the 'Me Tarzan You Vain' room to 'Born in the stars and Stripes' Room. It has tastes for everyone. You can check out the website for a nosey!!!!!!!....

Another day trip we did was the Everglades. This was really good and you can see lots of amazing birds, plants and flowers while dodging the crocodiles and Alligators.

The boats skim the water quickly at some parts, so hold onto your hats and glasses!!!!!. There is a presentation with a couple of alligator and Crocs we learned that the alligator will run from you while the crocs will run after you!!!!!.

I would recommend visiting the Holocaust Memorial at Dade Boulevard Miami Beach. It is free Entrance and one of the most moving attractions I have ever seen. The 42 foot sculpture below is the centre piece with lots of images and photos of the 6 million Jewish people who lost their lives. It is a very peaceful and quiet memorial and when you see it, you realise how lucky you are to not have been around at that time!!!!!

I did really like Miami, but it is very expensive, it has fantastic beaches and lots of people combine it with a trip to the Florida Keys. The people we met were very friendly, and perhaps one day we will go back after we have been everywhere else we want to visit......