The Ultimate Jet Setter

Day 2 After a few hours sleep (jet lag) I rose at 7am with the view of visiting some attractions. I left at 8:30 and got a tut tut from Khao San Road to The Grand Palace (Wat Phra Kaew). The tut tut was 80 baht/£1.79/$2 but there is always room for haggling. Entry costs 500 baht/£11/$16 which isn't worth it in my opinion. The palace is made up of several buildings with a lot of gold and sparkles. I found most of the buildings to look tacky and unoriginal. I wouldn't recommend going to the palace as it wasn't very interesting and the buildings aren't that breathtaking. To each their own but in my opinion the Grand Palace wasn't a must see for me. You can see some of the palace without having to pay also. If you do decide to go there is a dress code. Women need to wear tops that cover their shoulders e.g. t shirts. Tank tops or anything with a spaghetti strap isn't allowed along with shorts or skirts above the ankle. So maxi dresses, long shorts or linen trouser...

Day 3 I decided I want to go to the floating market in Damnernsaduak so purchased a ticket from one of the many tour agencies in the Khao San Road area. It was 250 baht/£5.6/$8.40 and included transport to the market and back. The bus left at 8am and took an hour to get there. Upon arrival you are told where the market is and given the option to simply walk along the canal or go on a boat trip amongst those selling for an extra 150 baht/£3.35/$5.04 which is about 30 minutes. Floating Market I chose the boat trip, it was fun but not a must do. You see several stalls selling bags, spices, souvenirs and women in boats selling fruit and cooking pad Thai. There are also men just off the canal with 'harmless' snakes charging for photos to have your photo taken with the snake. Floating Market After the boat your you are free to walk around the market that you can reach by foot. We left the market at 11 and arrived back in Bangkok at 1pm. The market is open everyday from 7am-12pm...

Day 1 So I have decided to embark on a 6 month expedition across 6 countries and 3 continents. My first port of call being Bangkok, Thailand. I had an 11 hour flight from London Heathrow to Bangkok International Airport. After about an hour of immigration queues I changed my money into Thai baht, got my luggage and got a taxi outside the airport. The journey to the NapPark Hostel just around the corner from the infamous Khao San Road took just over an hour and cost me 450 baht/£10/$15 which is quite expensive but you required to pay tolls and airprr taxes on your journey which increases the price somewhat. Going from Bangkok to the airport via mini van will only cost you 150 baht/£3/$5 and almost every hostel and tour/travel agent provides this service. I arrived at 5pm and it was still baking at about 30 degrees. After I checked into my hostel I was surprised to learn that no shoes are allowed to be worn inside as it is seen as a sign of disrespect so shoes are left outside or ...

If you're interested in learning Spanish while you're in Cuba, Havana University offers Spanish lessons for visitors from beginner to advanced level. Classes start on the first Monday of each month except August. There are 20 hours of classes per week starting at 100CUC/$100/£62 for 1 week, 200CUC/$200/£124 2 weeks, 240CUC/$240/£150 3 weeks and 300CUC/$300/£186 4 weeks.  There are more intensive and longer running classes from 4-9 months, prices ranging from 960CUC/$960/£600-2000CUC/$2000/£1250.  You can email asl@flex.uh.cu for more information. If studying for less than a month a tourist visa is sufficient. If studying for longer periods an academic visa is required which can be obtained in advance from the embassy or with the aid of the Spanish Faculty at the university. 

Santiago de Cuba Day I We drove from Holguin to Santiago. It was about 4 hours long. As soon as you enter Santiago you notice the sharp increase in temperature as Santiago is the hottest part of Cuba. To find our casa particular we chose one randomly where we saw the Arrendador Divisa sign. The house was beautiful inside with several rooms and an oriental garden. The rooms were very spacious with a large fridge, fan, air conditioning, two double beds and a large bathroom. A key is given for your room and the room was 25CUC/$25/£15 per night. This would be perfect for groups as this room would comfortably house 4 people. Gran Piedro View After we settled in we took the car and drove to the Gran Piedro which is a 8 mile drive up a winding mountainous uphill road. After about 25 minutes of driving you will be able to see magnificent views. It's like nothing I've ever seen before as you are so high up, the mountains are beautiful and you can see the differen...

Hotel Nacional de Cuba Hotel Nacional de Cuba  is one of the oldest hotels in Havana and was built on Mafia money before the Revolution. Several famous people have stayed there including Naomi Campbell, Nat King Cole, Kate Moss etc.  It's now a 5 star hotel located on El Malecon and four blocks from La Rampa. I stayed here my last 2 nights in Havana. Single rooms are 120CUC/$120/£74 per night and double rooms are 170CUC/$170/£105 per night. The hotel is very grand and opulent from the entrance which is lined with palm trees and lobby which includes reception, Cubatur, currency exchange, public relations, nightly shows and a postcard shop. Hotel Nacional de Cuba There is also a business centre which offers internet connection but at a higher rate than the other hotels in Havana. You can purchase wifi for 12 hours for 10CUC/$10/£6 and 24 hours for 20CUC/$20/£12. Hotel Nacional Price List Check in is at 4pm but the hotel will keep your luggage until check in....

Holguin Holguin was about a 5-6 hour journey from Trinidad. It's less poverty stricken that Havana. I didn't really do much sightseeing here apart from visit Fidel Castro's old house aka Sitio Historico de Biran. Bici-taxi If you're interested in Cuban history it's a must see. It's 10CUC/$10/£6 per person and an extra 10CUC per camera/photographic device. A guided tour is given, the tour guide only speaks Spanish so take a native speaker with you or try to understand the lingo. The tour is about 45 minutes and includes a tour of Castro's father's house, Fidel's house, Fidel's school, the teachers houses, barn, bar and restaurant. It's quite an impressive piece of land and an interesting tour if that's your cup of tea. Playa Esmeralda Fidel's house is a 32 mile car journey from Holguin. There are coach tours offering this service.  La Loma De La Cruz Restaurant view Later that  evening  we went to a  restaurant  ...