Welcome to Where To Find, our growing guide to those little-known places that never seem to show up on the travel radar--until now. We're not saying they're undiscovered, but you may need to look 'em up on our WTF Map.
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Welcome to Where To Find, our growing guide to those little-known places that never seem to show up on the travel radar--until now. We're not saying they're undiscovered, but you may need to look 'em up on our WTF Map.
MORE]]>
Our Eat 'n Sleep feature profiles a restaurant in a random city and a hotel nearby. It's kinda like that old show "Dinner and a Movie" but you know, with restaurants and hotels. And better jokes.
The Douro region in northeastern Portugal is known for its wines (you've heard of Port, haven't you?), and the hilly countryside has a few great hotel restaurants perfect for long, wine-soaked lunches. You won't have to sell the rental car to afford a meal at Quinta do Silval a winery/hotel/farm/country escape that also serves up meals for non-guests. Northern Portuguese cuisine is of course the specialty, and you'll want to watch for the roasted baby goat and potatoes, the ultimate local dish.
After feasting like a king on a pauper's dime, we suggest booking a room at the CS Vintage House Hotel just down the road. The 18th-century estate is a four-star hotel with a luxurious pool and lush gardens. After saving some dosh on nosh we figure you can afford to throw down on the fancy lodging--after all, out here in wine country, you won't have to budget for nightlife.
Related Stories:
· CS Vintage House Hotel [Official Site]
· Quinta do Silval [Official Site]
· Portugal Travel [Jaunted]
· Portugal Hotels [HotelChatter]
[Photo: Luxury Link]]]>
Our Eat 'n Sleep feature profiles a restaurant in a random city and a hotel nearby. It's kinda like that old show "Dinner and a Movie" but you know, with restaurants and hotels. And better jokes.
When in Rome, right? So when you're in Lisbon you might as well eat like the Portuguese. Those in the know say to head down to Restaurant Nilo for some of the best bites this coastal city has to offer. This little charmer of an eatery is located downtown, near the Rossio and Praca da Figueira, in close proximity to 20 other restaurants. But we can't figure why travelers would choose anywhere else, since Nilo's menu includes national dishes at a decent price.
You'll find delicious rice with seafood, codfish or one of the typical dishes of the day like cozido à Portuguesa or feijoada à transmontana. And last, but not least, don't skip the delicious Portuguese beer, Sagres.]]>
The much-hyped New 7 Wonders of the World project finally reached a conclusion on the weekend. In Portugal, symbolically on 07-07-07, the results of 100 million internet and text message votes decided the modern version of the 7 Wonders of the World.
So congratulations are in order for Petra, Jordan; Machu Picchu, Peru; the Statue of Christ the Redeemer, Brazil; the Chichen Itza pyramid, Mexico; the Roman Colosseum, Italy; the Taj Mahal, India; and the Great Wall of China. They now have one more promotional tag. Significant losers included the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty and the Sydney Opera House.
If you've been under a big rock the past year or so and feel like you've missed out, don't fret. The organizers have obviously realized they're on to a good thing--there's a lot of travel involved in a project like this--so now the quest to find the New 7 Wonders of Nature begins.
Related Stories:
· Seven Wonders Sing-A-Long [Jaunted]
· Machu Picchu coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Teen Wolf] ]]>
How do you know a destination is about to explode onto the international travel scene? When locals stop going to church and start opening spots that attract the Wallpaper* set. At least, so says the latest report from Aveiro, Portugal. New York Times writer Sarah Wildman spoke with a local specialty food shop owner who has the scoop:
Ten years ago if you walked around Aveiro on a Sunday, you wouldn't see a single person -- everyone was in church! Now that's no longer true.
So what does everyone do in Aveiro, if they're not praying rosaries? Hanging out in coffeeshops and design shops at Mercado Negro, it sounds like:
An entire neighborhood in and of itself, filled with smart boutiques, a bar, a coffee shop and several great rooms just for chilling out.
Mercado Negro may be pushing out the Church, but God love 'em for having a blog!
[Photo: Susanna Raab]
Related Stories:
· A New Culture Takes Hold in an Old Fishing Town [NYT]
· Hotels in Aveiro [HotelChatter]]]>
Jaunted's public transportation festival has begun. All throughout this week and next, our contributors will be focusing on their favorite and least favorite transportation systems around the world, with some valuable tips and memorable anecdotes to come. Join us in celebrating the ultimate travel tool: a cheap way to get around. Share your own stories with us in the comments or by emailing tips [at] jaunted [dot] com.
To really get in the mood for this, I threw on some fado and remembered those by-gone days spent in Lisbon. Yes, that city of beauty, city of history, city of explorers, city of too many #*$@ing hills! Fortunately for me, Lisbon was--and still is--blanketed with an elaborate and totally inefficient network of trams and funiculars. They'll save your life--or you'll risk it riding them.
Run by Carris the network covers the downtown area and beyond, extending to dope places like Belem. Very nice. But the fun part about the system isn't necessarily its logistical excellence--for all its reach, its scheduling can be erratic. What makes it a winner is how fun it is to ride around above ground on a rickety old tram taking in the sights.
Instead of walking up Lisbon's spirit-crushing hills, the trams made sightseeing easy. And I got to watch kids hop on the outside of the car to avoid paying a fare. Things got particularly interesting when the clearance between tram and building dwindled to about nothing. I watched a couple kids jump off to avoid getting smashed, then run to catch up to the tram and jump back on. You gotta love their gumption, though can't say I tried it myself. Hey--I was having too much fun being a total tourist inside.
Related Stories:
· Carris [Official Site]]]>
For the next couple of days we are doing a quick fly-over of the world's most dangerous airports. Know a stomach dropping, palm sweat inducing airport we should check out? Send it along.
Ever heard of Madeira, an autonomous island (part of the EU) off the coast of Norther Africa? It is a popular year round resort with a near perfect climate, good wine, incredible scenery, and quality surfing. Sounds like paradise, but prepare yourself for a turbulent landing on the island's partially over-the-water runway when landing at Madeira Funchal Airport.
The FNC runway is abutted by water on one side and hills on the other, and in 2000 the runway was extended over the Atlantic Ocean about half a mile in order to accommodate jet liners. The overwater landing strip addition is supported by giant pillars, which you can actually boat around once your stay on Madeira begins.
Want more? Even though British Airways (direct from London-Gatwick), Air France, and other major airlines land here daily, pilots and passengers have to put up with mega-turbulence during landing, so much so that, at times, high winds and storms still close this airport to jet liners during winter months.
The airport itself is extremely modern and well kept, which any entering visitor deserves after putting up with what can be a arm rest clenching landing.
Check out the video of a SAS plane that approached FNC, but pulls off just before landing--this place has one tough approach.
Related Stories:
· World's Most Dangerous Airports [Jaunted]
· World's Most Dangerous Airports [Google Maps]]]>