“Take a wok on the beach” JAN – Praia de Carvoeiro

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There are a thousand and one cantinas in Portuguese beach resorts and so it takes something a little special to stand out. However, in Praia de Carvoeiro we have found something a little different.

For a start, it should be mentioned that Carvoeiro is a picture postcard perfect resort. A beautiful beach nestled at the end of a valley with steep sides and part of a small town which runs back up the valley and across the surrounding hillsides. The beach has bags of character, with cliffs as bookends and enough of a slope to produce some challenging waves.

Thirty metres back from the beach you will find JAN, which serves up a very un-average and untypical Portuguese food experience. The thirsty can grab a smoothie (I had the mighty mango - ripe mango, banana, freshly squeezed orange juice, & creamy non-fat yogurt), and there is a varied assortment of great food from pittas to wok & finger food. None of it is your standard Algarve fare and, whilst not the cheapest meal you’ll have on holiday, you won’t forget it in a hurry.

www.jan-algarve.com
“Take a wok on the beach”

Visiting Sydney? Coastal Walk

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Visiting Sydney? 

Don’t leave without having done the stunning Coogee to Bondi coastal walk.

This walk takes in the most beautiful bays in the Eastern Suburbs and offers the most stunning views.  You can do it either way around, but starting from Coogee Beach you head north along the cliff path.  This is well used by the locals who you will see out jogging and power walking.

The first bay you reach is Gordon’s – noted for its underwater nature trail which attracts divers.  Following the path along the next bay is Clovelly, a sheltered bay perfect for snorkelling.  Bring your swimmers and take a dip here and see if you can find “Bluey” the resident Blue Groper.

From Clovelly the path leads through Waverly cemetery. A beautiful resting spot with views out over the cliff.  This must be right up there with the best final resting spots in the world.

Continuing on, you reach Bronte, a beautiful beach with a great sea pool and lovely park behind.  It’s also a great place to stop for a re-fuel in one of the numerous cafes.

Keep walking north and you’ll hit Tamarama – a small beach under sandstone cliffs which is nicknamed “Glamarama” by the Sydneysiders because of the clientele it attracts.

Finally you come over the top to Bondi with the most stunning views over Bondi Icebergs swimming pool and the beach beyond.

The walk takes about a couple of hours at a fairly easy pace.  There are lots of ups and downs, so not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.  The path is generally well signposted, but as long as you keep the sea on your right you won’t go wrong.

Finally, if you’re doing it in November, you’ll also get to enjoy the brilliant Sculptures By the Sea exhibition – a collection of modern sculptures along the coastal walk and a must in any art-lover’s diary.

 

The Potette – Can a potty really be “So Not Your Average”?

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The Potette

Can a potty really be “So Not Your Average”?

Well  the Potette is the product you wish your friends had recommended to you.  It is so simple and yet so clever you will wish you’d thought of it yourself.

This portable potty folds flat making it ideal for carrying around.  You can throw it in your suitcase when you go on holiday, or keep in the boot of your car for whenever nature calls.

It comes with disposal liners so you don’t need to think about where to empty it.  Simply tie up the bag and place in the bin.

The clever design also allows the Potette to be used as a trainer seat on an adult size toilet.

The Potette really does make life with a toilet trained toddler easier and what parent wouldn’t ask for that?

http://www.potette.com/index.htm

The Dubai Fountain, So Not Your Average Fountain!

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Asking for recommendation on what to do in Dubai from friends, most of them told me (rather cryptically) that I “had” to go and see the fountain. Thinking to myself, a fountain, really, how exciting – not – I promptly ignored them and set out to sample the many Dubai shopping malls. Until one evening, a colleague booked a restaurant by a large man-made lake to see “the show”.

Dubai Fountain

Fairly quickly we heard an eruption of music, light and thunderous jets of water dancing into the sky! That was THE Dubai Fountain, which I then watched, captivated, like a small child for most of the evening.

How could I have expected a ‘boring old fountain’ from Dubai, the land of the bigger and better!

The Dubai fountain is truly amazing, it is ENORMOUS, yet truly beautiful and amazingly it’s totally free to see! The water and lights dance to several different pieces of music every half hour from 6 to 10 pm (11pm at the weekends), you get a great view from pretty much anywhere around the lake, just wait, watch and enjoy!

Antilop high chair by Ikea, super stylish, super practical, and amazing value!

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Antilop high chair by Ikea, super stylish, super practical, and amazing value!

Sometimes the perfect solution can be the easiest and cheapest too!

We saw this high chair first in a restaurant and straight away thought how cool the design was, almost “Starck” like. Our daughter also seemed to like this so much more than the big bulky all singing all dancing one we had at home as it was much easier for her to see what was happening all around.

We managed to track where it came from and were pretty amazed to find that it was from Ikea and for just over £10!

I cannot recommend it enough, she still loves it as much at 15 months as she did at 9 and we have friends with a 2 year old little girl who love it as well.

It is the prefect design, it is so light you can carry it anywhere around the house (or garden!), so simple it is a dream to clean, looks great, does not take over half your lounge or kitchen and with the removable legs is truly easy to store.

Find out more here

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Trinity, Jersey

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Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Trinity, Jersey

Known locally as ‘the Zoo’, Durrell is the wildlife park that put Jersey on the conservation map. Founded by Gerald Durrell, reknowned conservationist and author, its primary purpose is to conserve endangered species. So it is a ‘zoo’ with a difference – a place where animals are kept in surroundings which are conducive to breeding (ie as close to their natural preferred habitat as possible); a place where education of the humans who have assumed responsibility for the welfare of planet earth is paramount.

So don’t expect to see crowd-pleasing animals (meerkats aside). Do expect to see and learn about animals which are on the critically endangered list. And learn how Durrell is working very hard to ensure their continued survival.

Oh, and we love the addition of webcams to their website.

Find out more at: durrell.org

The Balé, Nusa Dua, Bali

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The Balé, Nusa Dua, Bali

So this is definitely a case of ‘you get what you pay for’, but it is so worth paying for that little bit extra when it comes to The Balé.

This is how (and where) the rich and famous get away from it all. Twenty nine rooms only, each with its own private infinity-edge swimming pool and day bed, with immaculately trimmed lawn and frangipani tree to add that extra ‘je ne sais quoi’.

We honeymooned at The Balé, and it is without question the best hotel we have ever been in. The sense of peace (no kids allowed) and privacy is like nowhere else. The food is exceptional. And if that is not enough to take you away from it all, then there are treatments to transport you into another world. When you win Euromillions, make this your first stop.

Find out more here: thebale.com