Travel Guide

1. Federation Square, we call it Fed Square. This is our public place, the hub of Melbourne. It connects the Melbourne city grid with the Yarra River and Southbank.There is often something on, such as free concerts or live broadcasting of a major Melbourne event.Fed Square is surrounded by cubic structures housing various museums, including the Ian Potter Centre, the Australian section of the National Gallery of Victoria. A must for the art lover!
2. From there, take a walk along Birrarung Marr, the stretch of the Yarra from Fed Square to the MCG (the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground). It’s the best place from which to enjoy the spectacular Melbourne skyline.There are large sized sculptures along the tree-lined river promenade, and the Federation Bells that ring through the air various times a day.
3. Then take a walk across to the Southbank, most popular on Melbourne holidays. On Sundays there is the Arts Centre Sunday Market - a great place for crafts and uniquely Australian souvenirs.Further along, you will find the Crown Casino and entertainment complex with food courts, cafes, shops, and nightclubs. On the river front are fountains - very attractive for kids play -, sound and light shows.
4. Catch the free City Circle Tram. It is a hop on - hop off old style tram that takes you free of charge around the city square and into the Docklands.It’s way to experience one of the famous Melbourne trams, and can listen to announcements of Melbourne holiday attractions on the way.For a more sophisticated tram experience, the same type of old tram has also been transformed into a tramcar restaurant traveling around the city at night.
5. From Southbank, take a Melbourne River Cruise! You can go by a ferry for a trip along the Yarra, past the Docklands and Port Melbourne, under the Westgate Bridge to Williamstown - you get a great view of the skyline along the way, and stop for coffee and lunch in Williamstown.
6. Visit Queen Victoria Markets - a Melbourne landmark. A great place to buy ‘fruit and vegies’ and well as other specialties such as continental meats, cheeses, breads, fish…There is also a large section with clothes, leather, ‘designer’ bags and all sorts of bargains. It’s worth just visiting for the atmosphere…
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Over the weekend I traveled to Snowdonia with the Aber Expeditions Club. Snowdonia is a region of north Wales and home to the tallest mountain in all of England and Wales, Snowdon. Coming in at 1,085 ft., it’s no monster, but still a good climb. I’ve always really enjoyed hiking or climbing in new places. There’s something about going over a new terrain that brings you closer to wherever you are. Different soil, rocks, grasses, trees, and wildlife put together the colors, sights and smells of each new environment.
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Here are 10 ways to save money on your holiday.

1. Book early
It may seem obvious but the holiday industry is like any other business affected by the basic economics of supply and demand. The best time to book, according to travel agent Trailfinders, is 11 months before you’re due to travel. The flights have just been released and there’s plenty of cheaper seats available.

2. Book late
The rules of supply and demand also apply in last few days before the departure date. If there are unsold seats and hotel rooms, you can bag a bargain with a few clicks of the mouse, or a phone call or two.

3. Buy a package
The internet has been a godsend for people who wish to bypass the travel agent and arrange their own trips. But here’s a little-known tip: if you are booking a flight and a car, or flight and accommodation, by packaging the two deals together, an agent can often offer a much better deal than if you were to book separately, even online. Call it creative accounting if you will, but it can save hundreds of pounds on a long-haul trip.

4. Travel on the ferry at unsociable times
After years of outrageously high fares, the cross-Channel ferry operators have woken up to the fact that people aren’t prepared to pay up to £600 to cross a stretch of water so short you can see the other side from our shores - especially as you can fly to Spain for a few quid. As a result, fares have plunged and if you can travel at night, it’s even cheaper.

5. Stay at home
A change is good as a rest so why not move into the spare room or swap rooms with your kids for a week or two. It’s free and can be great fun – especially if you can agree to swap roles so the children do all the cooking.

6. Share the cost
A holiday home that sleeps 12 people isn’t usually six times more expensive than one that sleeps two. So if you can bear to share with friends or family you could save a packet.

7. House swap
You may think you live in a horrid, torrid suburban time warp - but to an American visitor your home could well the quaint historic corner of Britain that they’ve been yearning for. Likewise, their ’small’ tumble-down hovel will probably feel like a mansion. Give it at try.

8. Check out the special ‘anti-truancy’ deals
As part of the Government’s Every Lesson Counts campaign to cut down on truancy, major holiday companies have developed special deals such as free child places and money off for adults. Ask your school for details or contact the travel firms - but bear in mind that many of these offers may still be cheaper elsewhere.

9. Surf for a deal
It’s one of the things the internet does best. Compare flights, create your own holidays and book online - or use it for research then phone around the High Street chains and haggle.

10. Check back later
Travel agents and internet users can reserve flights and holidays for several days without purchasing them. So if at first you find a deal is unavailable at the price you want to pay, you have a choice: pay the higher price or wait a few days to see if the places become available again.

1. MALDIVES

The 2004 tsunami, a fragile ecology and a recent bombing have done little to dampen a hotel boom in this island-nation of about 1,192 coral islets in the Indian Ocean. Among the high-end hotels expected to open next year is a Regent Hotels & Resorts (www.regenthotels.com) with 50 villas, many set over the water, allowing guests to observe the rich marine life while still lying in bed.

2. LIVERPOOL

There’s more to Liverpool than just the Beatles. Next year, this industrial city celebrates its 800th birthday (and its designation as European Capital of Culture), as it trots out everything and everyone, from Turner Prize artists to young emerging bands like the Zutons. But make no mistake: The headliner is Paul McCartney, who is returning to play the “Liverpool Sound” concert at Anfield Stadium on June 1 (www.liverpool08.com).

3. TUNISIA

Tunisia is undergoing a Morocco-like luxury makeover. A new wave of stylish boutique hotels, often in historic town houses, has cropped up alongside this North African country’s white-sand beaches and age-old medinas, drawing increasing numbers of well-heeled travelers. The Villa Didon (www.villadidon.com) in Carthage, for one, has a restaurant originally run by Alain Ducasse. Indeed, TripAdvisor ranks Jerba, a resort island off Tunisia’s southern coast, as the No. 1 emerging spot in 2008.
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