Porto is nice enough, and definitely worth a day trip. Its UNESCO-listed Ribeira district and waterfront are nice to wander around, if very touristy, and a visit to one of the port wine houses in particular is good fun to sample the wines, learn about the production and enjoy the views.
But I thought it was a slightly less attractive version of the Alfama district in Lisbon and is more of a conduit to the real highlight of the area (and Portugal) which is the Duoro Valley (see Wine tasting around Pinhao in the Duoro Valley for more details).
All sounds a bit negative! – definitely worth a visit on the way to the Duoro, but no more than a day needed.
The famous travel writer Bill Bryson, after seeing half the world, was gobsmacked when he saw Durham and wondered why no one had told him about it before. So much so that he decided to become Chancellor of Durham University and says, “If you have never been to Durham before, go there at once. Take my car, it’s wonderful.”
Easy to see why – the setting with the magnificent Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle perched high on the tight meander of the River Wear is just stunning and is complemented by the small narrow streets that branch off all through the nearby town.
Its an easy day trip from Newcastle (see here for tips on Newcastle – A day in Newcastle), and one of the key stops on the main east coast line that runs through the UK. A must if in this part of the world.
Top tip – be sure to walk around the river right by the waterfront. The best bit is from Framwellgate Bridge to Prebends Bridge, but you can also walk all the Elvet Bridge.
Biased because this is where I’m from and, without doubt, its a Wow Wow Wow ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ . . . aye, for sure like, world class. But . . . if I put my neutral hat on and make an assumption that those visiting the Toon (familiar name for Newcastle) are not there just for the purely belta lash, I’d say its worth a visit for the following reasons:
✅ Newcastle has a great reputation for its friendly locals. Often ranks top amongst trusted and friendly accents (which is why they put all the call centre there . . . and who doesn’t love imitating the accent) and you do tend to find people much friendlier up north
✅ Elegant city centre that is amped by the dramatic quayside river area. Grey Street for example is one of the most photographed streets in the UK and the Quayside’s 7 iconic bridges give a focal point that many cities in the UK lack
✅ There are 3 genuinely wow factor spots within an hour drive of Newcastle itself that rival anything in the rest of the UK – the Northumberland Coast and the dramatic views of Bamburgh Castle in particular, the magical old town of Durham with its incredible views of the Cathedral and Castle, and hiking Hadrian’s Wall
✅ Oh . . . and the lash. Locals and visitors alike will quote ad-nauseam that the Toon is regularly voted one of the best places for a night out in the world. And that may only be a minor exaggeration. The combination of the fun-loving locals, a major student population with the two universities based in the city and Newcastle’s reputation as a stag-do destination all come together to generate a fun night out
If you’ve got only a day (in summer!), I’d recommend the below as a full-day itinerary to get the best of the place.
I’ve called out in another travel entry (
2 days hidden highlights of Hong Kong) that Hong Kong will surprise you with just how much natural beauty and tropical paradise is on its doorstep. Nothing shows this better than the day trip to the eastern beach of Tai Long Wan – HK’s most beautiful beach for both sand quality, water quality and surroundings.
It’s truly stunning as you walk over the nearby headland to see the two main beaches with Sharp Peak looming over and, as you get the sampan boat back to Sai Kung town, not for the first time you’ll be just amazed that you’re in HK.
Wouldn’t believe this is in Hong Kong right?
No wonder they filmed The Martian, Star Wars, Dune and Prometheus here – Wadi Rum does indeed feel like being on Mars and driving around in 4x4s with the wind in your face watching the sandstone cliffs and red desert pass you by really gives a sci-fi feeling of adventure. Expect to find yourselves regularly stopping to gawp at the latest stunning vista throughout the day.
I’m sure there is a bunch of ways to extend Wadi Rum to be a multi-day trip, up, but we had half a day plus staying over night in one of the Martian tents, and that felt like the right amount of time. Especially as we had time for both the sunset and the stunning first light.
The whole experience was brilliant – a real mega wow.
This is just one of those experiences that we’ve all heard about, but really needs to be experienced to be believed. Surrounded by history with the likes of Jerusalem, the King’s Highway and crusader castles nearby, you are very likely not only in this part of the world for the Dead Sea. But, if you are, be sure to give it a go as its heaps of fun. Plus, has the added attraction of being the lowest point on earth (408 metres below sea level).
You’ll most realistically access it via one of the hotels / spa treatment areas because you’ll want access to running water, ease of walking into the sea, towels, access to mud etc. The extra cost, either through a day pass or access via the hotel, is worth it.
One of the most famous cities in the world and the spiritual centre for three of the world’s major religions, Jerusalem is steeped in history and has sites that attract hordes of tourists and worshippers alike. I’m not religious, yet found it fascinating for its famous sites, but also just wandering through and seeing subtle changes as you move through the very different quarters. A real mega wow experience and very much lives up to the hype.
I’ve listed below the highlights, suggested itinerary for and tips for the experience, but I’ll start with two key tips:
Tip #1 – timings
We went on the sabbath – which in Israel means many things are closed. And in winter – which means the temperature was around 10-12 Celsius / 50-54 Fahrenheit in the day. So it was quite a bit quieter than normal and this made for a wonderful experience vs fighting through hordes of fellow tourists.
Tip #2 – how much time and what to prioritise
I’ve read in books like the Lonely Planet that you need four days to experience Jerusalem. I think that may be true if you are deeply religious or have a passion for the history of the area, but for those who just broadly want to check it out, and have the right level of energy, you can have a great experience with only one day.
So, if you only have one day, don’t stress and my suggestion would be:
- Firstly, start by focusing on the key sites of the old city – in particular the Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Temple on the Mount.
- Secondly, then stop and just get lost wandering through Jerusalem’s narrow streets and off the tourist trail. You’ll notice subtle differences moving between quarters and stumble upon some of the lesser known sites. Far more enjoyable that following a guided tour, and less tiring.
Hanoi gets a bit of a poor reputation, mainly because it has so many dour old communist concrete buildings on the outskirts and plays #2 to the vibrancy of Ho Chi Minh City. But the Old Town of Hanoi is a place that should definitely feature on an itinerary of Vietnam with its maze of lanes and what seems like endless places to pull up a small plastic chair, order a beer and just watch the mayhem go by. Might just be the most “classically Asian” spot in all of, well, Asia.
Top tips:
- Make sure you have some of the fresh beer at “Bia Hoi Junction” at the corner of P Ta Hien and P Luong Ngoc Quyen in the centre of the Old Quarter. It’s know as fresh beer because it’s made without preservative and supposed to be drunk straight away . . . so when in Rome
- Its worth heading over to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex
- Be sure to check out the evening water puppet show, which is a little touristy but still fun
- To see how Hanoi can fit into an itinerary for experiencing the highlights of Vietnam see this entry for more ideas – A 3 week itinerary for the highlights of Vietnam
Just outside of Ninh Binh there are series of lookout points and caves that take advantage of the surrounding karst landscape as the cliffs loom impossibly steeply out from the flat lush valley floor. The Huang Mua area has a tourist spot where you can climb up one of the hills and get great views around the UNESCO World Heritage listed landscape. Plus just to the west there are some small roads that allow you to cycle through the area.
It gets close to that classic picture-perfect karst towers view, but overall its a little touristy and, if you have the choice, head further inland. Only a few hours away to the north west is Mai Chau – far more atmospheric and less touristy. Definitely worth the extra drive and for tips and highlights see Cycling through the patchwork rice fields of Mai Chau.
And for ideas on how a trip to Tam Coc or Mai Chau can fit into an itinerary for experiencing the highlights of Vietnam, see this entry A 3 week itinerary for the highlights of Vietnam.
