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PeterAustralia

Oct142010
Travel Recommendation

                                Royal National Park                                
                                                                                        
                        Sydney
My Recommendation Tip
Just south of Sydney lies the world's second oldest national park - Royal National Park. It's here that you'll find some stunning coastal scenery. For those who like their walking, the 26km coastal walk reveals rocky outcrops, secluded sandy beaches and the odd waterfall . But don't be put off if you haven't the time, or the stamina, to do the walk. It's a pleasant drive through the park and there are places, such as Watamalla, where you can take in the scenery. There are plenty of other places to take in the diverse terrain too, from the northern most point at Jibbon Head with its views of Port Hacking to the southern most Stanwell Tops, which is a favourite for hand gliders. 
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Oct142010
Travel Recommendation

                                Hot air ballooning in Cappadocia                                
                                                                                        
                        Turkey
My Recommendation Tip
Cappadocia is one of those places you're unlikely to ever forget. The countryside is dotted with pinnacles (that look like castle turrets or giant mushrooms) that have a soft rock on the inside, and hard rock on the outside. They have been used as homes and churches through the centuries, and some are now becoming hotels. What makes it even more unforgettable is seeing it from a hot air balloon. They say that Cappadocia is one of the best places to take a balloon tour as the air currents through the valleys allow the pilots, with plenty of skill, to skim along the contours of the countryside to the point where they come close enough to pluck an apple from a tree! The balloon tours are expensive, but it is one of those must-do experiences (I'm really glad my wife talked me into it!)
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Oct142010
Travel Recommendation

                                Ankara Suggested Itineraries                                
                                                                                        
                        Ankara
My Rating
 
My Review
Ataturk's Mausoleum is monumental, and is obvious that the country revered him. The museum hidden under the plaza highlights all his achievements, from creating the Turkish alphabet, his push to modernise the country, to the role he played at Gallipoli in World War I. For an Australian, it's interesting to hear the other side of the story!
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Oct142010
Attraction

                                Ephesus (Efeze)                                
                                                                                        
                        Izmir
My Rating
 
My Review
The ruins become very busy as the tour groups from the cruise ships make their way to Ephesus. But its the crowds that also helped me to imagine what Ephesus would have been like back in its hey day, particularly as I walked down the cobblestones past the agora. 
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Oct132010
Travel Recommendation

                                Things to do on Santorini                                
                                                                                        
                        Greece
My Recommendation Tip
Santorini isn't just about watching the cruise ships dock and winding your way around the souvenir shops in Fira. You can take a tour out to the island in the centre of the caldera, Nea Kameni by boat. It's here where you realise that living on Santorini has been pretty precarious. The islands are basically sitting on top of a volanco, and it's on the centre island where you can see the suplhur fumes escape from a landscape that doesn't seem to have any vegetation. Another short boat stop away are the hot springs, but when mixed with the cool Agean Sea they are tepid at best!

While you're in the mood for learning about Santorini, check out the museum of Prehistoric Thera in Santorini. It shows how the island's ancient inhabitants lived all those thousands of years ago before volanic earthquakes made it a harder place to live!
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Oct132010
Attraction

                                Parthenon                                
                                                                                        
                        Athens
My Rating
 
My Review
As you walk through the Propylaea and get your first glimpse of the Parthenon you can't help but be in awe. The notion that such a large temple was built over 2000 years ago is mind boggling. Visiting the Acropolis Archeological Museum nearby is a must, as it gives a greater picture of how the Parthenon would have looked all those years ago, and what it has since been through!
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Oct132010
Attraction

                                Santorini                                
                                                                                        
                        Athens
My Rating
 
My Review
WE had a great time strolling the streets of Fira and looking out across the caldera. The amazing thing is that Santorini is perched on the rim of a volcano, and we took a tour to the island in the centre with its hot (or perhaps tepid) springs and the sulphur gases rising out of the moonscape.
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Oct132010
Attraction

                                Hierapolis                                
                                                                                        
                        Izmir
My Rating
 
My Review
You feel like you get a two-for-one deal at Hierapolis. Not only do you get to see Roman ruins (without the Ephesus sized crowds), but you also get to see the dazzling white natural cascades of carbonate minerals built up over centuries from the natural spring. 
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Oct132010
Attraction

                                Yerebatan Sarayi (Basilica Cistern)                                
                                                                                        
                        Istanbul
My Rating
 
My Review
Have a look at the columns in the Basilica Cistern ... there are very few that match. Apparently the Romans recycled columns from elsewhere in the country when they built the cistern. The cistern is a cool place to go to escape the Istanbul summer heat, and the fish seem to like it too!
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Oct132010
Attraction

                                Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya)                                
                                                                                        
                        Istanbul
My Rating
 
My Review
Hagia Sophia is one of those places in which you can't help but be in awe. It is easy to see why Byzantine Emperor Justinian all those centuries ago was blown away when he saw the interior of the church/mosque/museum.  Just the size and space of the building is overwhelming. My tip is to get there as soon as it opens to try to beat the tours from the cruise ships. 
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Oct102010
Travel Recommendation

                                Sunset watching in Santorini                                
                                                                                        
                        Greece
My Recommendation Tip
Santorini must be one of the best places to watch the sun set. We watched the sun set from two places. We watched it turn a brilliant orange as it set behind the island of Thirassia and the lights from the cruise ships slowly lit from the top of the caldera in Fira, and while on a tour from a boat moored off the town of Oia.  
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Sep092010
Attraction

                                Blue Mountains                                
                                                                                        
                        Sydney
My Rating
 
My Review
The Three Sisters and the Jameson Valley are spectacular, but it's also worth going past Katoomba and onto Blackheath. From there you can get to a couple of lookouts with views of the Grose Valley and the Bridal Falls. The valley almost looks prehistoric!
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Sep082010
Attraction

                                Galata Tower                                
                                                                                        
                        Istanbul
My Rating
 
My Review
Walking around the top of the Galata Tower is a great way to get your bearings in Istanbul. The 360 degree views helped me to figure out how the city with its Golden Horn, Bosphorous River and mosques are pieced together. Some say you can get the same picture more cheaply by going to a rooftop bar, but no bar would have the same height as the tower.
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Sep082010
Travel Recommendation

                                Port Stephens from Sydney                                
                                                                                        
                        New South Wales
My Recommendation Tip
To get away from the crowds on Sydney's Bondi Beach head north to the picturesque Port Stephens. It's about a 2.5 hour drive from Sydney but the view from the top of Mt Tomaree along the coast with its fingers of sandy beaches and offshore rocky islands is worth it! And I even saw a pod of dolphins!
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