Travel gems by Miss Sophie

Some travel gems, some luxury and some inspiration
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    • The unique Dalen Hotel in beautiful Telemark, Norway

      Posted at 11:19 am by mylifemyworldrg, on May 31, 2020

      The good thing about this summer, is that I have to travel and experience my own wonderful country. You are always looking for the unique and beautiful experiences in other countries, and forget to have a look at your own. This weekend I visited Telemark County, and stayed at the unique Dalen Hotel. The weather was excellent making the experience even more fantastic. Dalen Hotel, a member of the Historical Hotels of Norway Historical Hotels of Norway, have managed to preserve the original building and ambience from 1894. I love the architecture and the location.

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      I booked a package at Dalen ” Hike – In the footprints of the Rui girls”. It included both Afternoon Tea, 3-courses dinner and breakfast. When you arrive at Dalen Hotel, you sense that your are heading back in time. The hotel offers you quiet and a time to relax and recharge. And the surroundings both inside and outside the hotel encourage you to just take a deep breath, clear your mind, relax and enjoy. This is not a place to go if you are looking for a party..

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      Since the building is from 1894 some of the rooms are without bathroom, you have a common on in the hall. The rooms are well equipped with nice amenities. Bathrobe and slippers, sparkling water, antibac.. No TV, but you don’t have the time to miss it.

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      We arrived early, and started the stay with the afternoon tea as lunch. Since the weather was so nice, it was served on the terrace in front of the hotel. After the lunch we had a walk to Rui Gård, in the footprints of the Rui girls. The hike is mainly 700 hundred something  sherpa made stairs. Some nice viewpoints on the way up. It took us about 25 minutes in “normal” speed. Very nice view from Rui Gård, and a very nice place to rest with a cup of coffee.

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      You can either walk or drive to Vest-Telemark Museum, to have a look at Eidsborg Stave Church and the outdoor museum. The indoor museum was closed due to Corona Virus.

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      My recommendation is to not plan to much, but spend the time enjoying the wonderful Dalen Hotel and the scenery. The ambience, architecture and decor of the hotel. Learn about the history.

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      In the evening, the three courses dinner was served in the Bandak Restaurant. The staff team was very nice and the courses well presented. Personally the dinner did not meet my expectations in regards of taste and preparations.

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      In the bar there was live piano music after dinner

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      Breakfast next morning was a served on the table with some a la carte choices, as omelette and eggs in different options, due to corona. It was nice presented. You could also have a glass of champagne. The cup of tea outside afterwards was very nice, the bright sun and looking at MS Henrik Ibsen leaving.

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      A canal cruise I recommend as well, a very nice experience and a perfect way to explore Telemarkskanalen. This time I could not book tickets, but I have explored it once before.

      Dalen Hotel, a wonderful place to stay, a step back in time, as a fairytale. And the nature in Telemark is very nice, especially when the weather is a nice as it was these two days in May. Here are some last images… The Stave Church is in Heddal, 1,5 hours drive from Dalen

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      Posted in hospitality, Hotels, nature, norway, travel, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged #dalen, #dalenhotel, #heritage, #telemark, architecture, beauty, food, history, hotel, Hotels, inspiration, Leisure, nature, norway, travel
    • Gems to visit in Norway when we can start travel again

      Posted at 11:17 am by mylifemyworldrg, on March 22, 2020

      It is extraordinary times, we are all trying to stay safe for the Covid-19 virus and staying at home. Boarders are closed and countries locked down. We have to respect this and contribute to prevent the infection to grow. One of the effects are that hospitality business is almost totally closed down, hotels are empty and employees have no longer work.

      When society begins to open up again, we will see a change from before. This year I am sure there will still be limited travelling across boarders. This gives us an opportunity to explore our own countries, and support the travel and hospitality business in our own country to get the wheels turning and start to grow again, and it is super important. These days we are taking responsibility to prevent infection of Covid-19 to grow, in a few weeks or months we have to take responsibility to get the economy moving again, we have to stay at hotels, eat at restaurants, start to use and support all the different businesses in our own countries so people can get back to work and the economy to grow.

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      I am living in the beautiful country of Norway. I am working in the hospitality business and I have visited a lot of beautiful places. I can’t wait to start exploring more of my own country, I get surprised time after time for all the wonderful gems I discover when I am travelling in Norway. And we have the most wonderful and beautiful nature. People are different, some prefer to stay at larger properties with more options, some at small properties with more soul, charm and ambience. Some prefers cities with shopping and culture, some prefers nature, silence and smaller towns. In Norway we have everything. When doing a road trip in Norway you can experience a little bit of everything. There are so many gems in Norway, and I just want to introduce some of the options for you.

      At first, when you are road-tripping in Norway, do some research in advance to get to know your unique options. We have some smaller chains and hotel groups that you maybe don’t know so much about, and they are offering some unique experiences and some of them unique locations as well.., as De Historiske , Classic Norway, Fjordtind Hotels and many more.. in additions to many independent hotels. And then we have the larger chains as Nordic Choice Hotels located all over the country and mainly in the cities. Everyone have staff teams waiting for you, and want to give you the best experience.

      I also recommend to visit the site to Up Norway who can assist you and suggest some unique experiences, not only for accommodation, but activities as well. I guess they are the ones knowing most about Norway and every small supplier of experiences. Visit their site, and get in contact with them to make your travel and holiday in Norway even more unique.

      I have some wonderful hotels I want to share with you, but this is just a few of hundreds of wonderful, unique hotels in this country. We are so lucky, and this year is the perfect time to travel in Norway for Norwegians, and next year we are ready to welcome from all over the world again. (Hopefully, and maybe already this year.., but first stay safe)

      Amerikalinjen is my new favourite in our capital Oslo. Perfectly located, in a building with history and ambience, a lovely staff team and great Bar and Restaurant. Everything you need for a city break. Please go stay and enjoy.. These days they even offer a very good discount if your book before end of April and stay before end of August. This is a great opportunity, just book for summer and go visit!

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      Why not visit The Well and give yourself a unique spa experience? Treat yourself with a day visit and try to explore as many as possible of the different rituals, and your mind will be completely changed and you will want to go again and again. You have to be prepared to have a bit open mind (at least Norwegians) because there will a bit more nudity than usual, just try to relax and enjoy the relaxing feeling and the experience of the rituals and then enjoy a good lunch or dinner in the restaurant. It is worth it..

      Britannia in Trondheim.. member of Leading Hotels of the World, beautiful refurbished, plenty of choices for food and beverage. Even if it might be a bit more expensive than others, it is very good value of money. Just go visit! This is a must visit hotel..

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      Brakanes Hotel  – is perfectly located by the fjord in Ulvik, Hardanger. My dream is to explore this hotel on a sunny day in summer. Enjoy the views, lower my shoulders, zip on a glass of white wine and breath the fresh air.. Fjordtind Hotels have two more hotels in Hardanger located by the fjords with great views. You should not miss out on one of these..

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      At Strand Hotel Fevik – you can get the feeling of being in the south of Europe on a warm and sunny summer day. The sand beach, the garden, the sea view. Eating lunch at the terrace. The hotel is situated in Fevik, between the towns of Arendal and Grimstad. Dyreparken just a 30 minutes drive away. Perfect for families. Stay for a couple of days.. one night is not enough.

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      Støtvig Hotel is beautiful situated at the seaside at Larkollen, another wonderful hotel to visit at summertime (or any time of the year..) Nice view from the Restaurant and terrace. Breakfast buffet is very good (if buffet will be an option in restaurants this summer..) Anyway a very nice place to visit.

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      Quality Hotel Sogndal – I have to add this hotel as well, if you are driving one west coast of Norway, Sogndal could be an option to stop for a night. At Quality Hotel Sogndal, which is a bit lager property, you can choose between to good restaurants, and you find a good fitness room as well 🙂 You have to keep fit as well…

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      Røros is worth mentioning, I only have pictures from the wintertime, but this charming town with so much history and ambience should be visited as well..

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      Once again this is just a very few of hundreds of beautiful hotels all over Norway, I will try to introduce some more later.

      Take care, stay safe and stay at home until further notice… And when we can start travel again, support the hospitality business and help them get the wheels turning again..

       

       

      Posted in hospitality, Hotels, nature, norway, travel, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged gems, history, holidays, hospitality, Hotels, inspiration, Leisure, life, nature, norway, travel, travelling
    • Cappadocia – part two..

      Posted at 6:35 pm by mylifemyworldrg, on January 5, 2020

      When I lost my heart to Cappadocia..

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      Before I visited Cappadocia in April, I was thinking this is a one time visit – I had no intention to go back, and from my perspective Cappadocia was situated in the middle of “nowhere” and not a place it was naturally or easy to travel to.

      Well – that was in April. After my first visit I have learned plenty about Turkey – and travel in Turkey, and it is easy and cheap. I visit Cappadocia one more time in November, and this experience was 10 times better then the first time, and I can admit I lost my heart to Cappadocia.. The wonderful, unique nature, with beautiful sunrise and sunsets. When all the balloons are up in the air early in the morning… This time the weather was better, and also I had more time to explore the area. The pictures have different colors, but it is not filter, it is one of the exciting things with Cappadocia, the light, and not at least the change of light and colors. The colors in Cappadocia, at least when I visited in November, was magic. 

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      The first two nights I stayed at the Sultan Cave Suite. I loved the location of the property, with amazing views. The terrace and bar/restaurant area was charming and cozy. The Breakfast here was very good, and I dinner one night and the food and service was very good. The room I was not so impressed by, I had a reservation for a junior suite, and compared with the same room category at Artemis Cave Suite, the room was small and especially the bathroom. 

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      But the setting in the morning, the staff serving çay on the terrace, the breakfast setup for foto shoots was very nice. I would love to go back because of the view, location and restaurant. 

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      The second hotel I stayed at was Artemis Cave Suite. Here I stayed in a Cave room, the size was good, and the bathroom great. The location is very good here as well, nearby the Sunset Point, just a few steps for “down town” Göerme. You don’t have the same view as at Sultan Cave Suite, but here you can come more close to the balloons. The outdoor terraces was very cozy, and there was a breakfast fotoshoot setup as well. Breakfastbuffet was large and good. 

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      The last night I stayed at Museum Hotel for the second time, the weather was much better this time, and the light was very nice so it felt even more magic. The sunrise in the morning was amazing.. The view to Erciyes mountain.. stunning, I fell in love with this beautiful mountain.. This Vulcano is kind of the “mother” of Cappadocia. 

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      This time I had time to explore the outdoor museum and I also enjoyed a ATV sunset tour. 

      The ATV tour gave me opportunity to discover more of the small villages of Cappadocia.

      A walk to the open air museum is very nice in itself. The museum is not so big, and you use maximum one hour there.

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      So many beautiful sceneries in Cappadocia. Still so much to explore, and for me – this is a very great place to recharge, relax and just enjoy life. There is no night life in Cappadocia, but early mornings and evenings. And these mornings are the best, they are magical, you have to visit..

      Where to stay? So many good places, with different qualities, it depends on what is important for you. I loved all three hotels at this visit, and can recommend all.. If you prefer view then I recommend Museum Hotel or Sultan Cave suite. Museum Hotel a bit more expensive, but both room, amenities, breakfast buffet and service is better at Museum Hotel. 

      If any questions please feel free to contact me and ask!

       

      Posted in Hotels, travel | 0 Comments | Tagged Artemis Cave Suite, Cappadocia, Colors, Erciyes, history, holidays, hotairballoons, Hotels, inspiration, Museum Hotel, nature, Sultan Cave Suite, travel, Turkey, View
    • Madrid – you are wonderful ;)

      Posted at 7:32 pm by mylifemyworldrg, on December 15, 2019

      What is not to love about Madrid? I admit that sometimes my expectations are not to high when travelling to a new city. It is different reasons for this, I have not had time to search so much information in advance on what to see and do, and the choice of city is often random. This is what happened when I visit Madrid during Christmas and New Year. I wanted to visit a big city, and just searched on flights and accommodation with valuables rates, and Madrid was one of the choices and I am happy I did choose Madrid!

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      Centro Centro

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      Placa de Colon

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      Monument to Christopher Columbus

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      Royale Palace

      You do not see or read so much about Madrid, and I really think this city is underestimated. You find history, architecture, beautiful parks, a lot of restaurants and good shopping. And it gives you much more value for money than for example Paris (even though I love Paris too..)

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      I stayed for 12 nights, at three different hotels in different areas of the city and I am happy I did since I learned more about the city and got to know some of the areas quite well. Since I am a Leading Hotel of the World traveler, I of course stayed at three at their properties this time as well.

       

      The first night I stayed at Gran Hotel Ingles. A very nice Boutique hotel in the city center. At first location seems a bit of, but when you get familiar with the surroundings you realize it is in the middle of the city and it is just a few minute’s walk to “everywhere”.

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      The room at Gran Hotel Ingles was different, with this charming bathtub in the room. My room had a very nice terrace, and the room was very nice equipped. Breakfast was very good. The bar area relaxing. I really enjoyed my stay, and regretted I only had booked for one night..

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      Gran Hotel Ingles

      Then I moved further into the old part of the city, not so far from the Royal Castle, and stayed four nights at Gran Melia Palacio de los Duques. I really loved my stay here as well. Here the staff was very friendly and attentive. I upgraded to the Red Level, and enjoyed my time with a nice share of Ruinart Champagne.. The breakfast was very good, a lot of choices, both health and sweets.. The location of the hotel was very good as well, just a few minute’s walk to “everywere”.

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      The last 7 days I stayed at Gran Melia Fenix, situated in the Financial and Shopping district of Madrid. The hotel was more “Classic” in regards of the room, but I enjoyed the time in the DRY Cosmopolitan Bar. Vibrant, but still possible to relax. Here I enjoyed most the location, both close to many shopping possibilities, and only a “short” walk from the El Retiro Park, but also many good restaurants in this area. I recommend this district if you stay for a longer period, so many choices.

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      I prefer to stay as many days as possible when visiting a new city, because you don’t get the spirit, ambience and feeling of the city and its possibilities when only staying one weekend or a couple of days. I stayed 12 days, and loved Madrid more and more for each day.

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      One day I also had this daytrip to Toledo and Segovia, this trip I really recommend! A very nice break from the city, and these two towns are very charming, and with some interesting history as well, and you can include a visit to Alcázar Castle in Segovia.

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      Segovia

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      Segovia

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      Retiro Park

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      Retiro Park

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      Metropolis

       

       

      Posted in Hotels, travel, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged architecture, Christmas, city, Espagne, food, holidays, Hotels, inspiration, lhw, luxuryhotel, luxurytravel, Madrid, Retiro, Sagovia, Spain, Toledo, travel, travelling
    • Istanbul – vibrant and loads of history

      Posted at 2:12 pm by mylifemyworldrg, on October 17, 2019

      Istanbul is a “must visit”. I didn’t know before I actually did visit.. and I had to come back again and again..

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      View to Hagia Sofia from Seven Hills Restaurant
      View to Hagia Sofia from Seven Hills Restaurant

      This wonderful, vibrant city, with all its history, and being part of both Europe and Asia making it even more interesting. It is a colorful city with a lot of charm. The city have several districts being quite different from each other. You cannot be bored in Istanbul. There are so much to see, experience and learn about. There are a lot of wonderful places in the world, but if you just have to chose one – chose Istanbul and you get a taste and experience of “everything”.

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      Sultanahmet is the Old Town of Istanbul were the famous Hagia Sofia (Ayasofya) and Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque or Sultanahmet Camii) is situated. Sultanahmet is the district in Istanbul with most tourist, and can be very crowded. But still a very nice, colorful and vibrant place, with different bazars, a lot of restaurants and some shops. And of course a lot of hotels and other accommodation. It is a very nice place to stay, and easy to use the tram to move around in Istanbul. If you are staying for a longer stay or more than one visit, the Istanbul Card is recommendable.

      When starting to write on this blog, I realized it is to much to write about for just one post, but I will try to..

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      View to Hagia Sofia from Seven Hills Restaurant

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      Hagia Sofia

      Hagia Sofia is a former cathedral, which became a mosque, but is now a museum. The history, and the beautiful inside of Hagia Sofia is worth a visit. The architecture is wonderful and so many unique Mosaics.

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      Gülhane Park is situated in connection to Sultanahmet , a nice park were you can have a short walk in relaxing surrandings, if you want to get away from the crowd.

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      Nearby you also find Yerebatan Sarnici or Basilica Cistern, with the Medusas. An interesting story, and this attraction is both cheap and do not have this long queues as many of the others.

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      On the other side of Bosphorus you find Karaköy with Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi) and the Taksim shopping street. A visit on the top of Galata Tower gives you the best view of Istanbul, but here again – there is a lot of people and you have to stand in line for a while to get the opportunity to explore this view..

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      In Taksim shopping street you find all kinds of shops, expensive to cheap, and Istanbul is a good place to shop. You can find very cheap alternatives to whatever you would like to shop.

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      In Taksim you also find nice cafés and bars, as you find all over Istanbul. You can always find some good food here, their food is inspired from both continents, and every country and culture around Turkey, and “added” their own traditions. The food is tasty and with flavors and colors 🙂 .

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      A very good option to dine is one of the restaurants situated by the Bosphorus

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      Mado Café
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      Turkish tea
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      Desserts and sweets

      Mado is of Turkish origin and their ice creams are made of goat milk. It is very tasty, and the goatmilk taste is not strong. Mado have a history of more than 100 years. And you can choose between plenty of tasty desserts and ice cream flavors.

      A daytrip to Price Island (or Kızıl Adalar in Turkish) is absolute to recommend. The ferry takes about an hour, and there are different island to choose between. The largest island Büyükada, is a really nice and charming island. I recommend to rent some bicycles and bike around the island to get to know ot and see all the charming Ottoman Mansions and beautiful views, a wonderful experience.

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      Beautiful scenery with Istanbul and the beginning of the sunset in behind, when the ferry is bringing you back from Adalar / Prince Islands.

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      The Ortaköy area of Istanbul is also very nice. More quiet, but still very vibrant. A very good option to were to stay, and very nice view as well. The Ortaköy Mosque is the “landmark” of this area.

      There are also many different cruises to join at Bosphorus, both daytime and night. If you choose to go, I recommend you to do good research to find one that will suit you. There are different dining options, music and entertainment. The pricerange and the quality varies a lot. For me, I don’t think it was value for money. Even if you have nice views, the total experience was not worth the money, but then I probably should have choose another cruise supplier.

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      Views of Istanbul..

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      Since I have been in Istanbul a couple of times I have tried different hotels as well. My favorite is Kempinski Ciragan Palace, but Swissotel The Bosphorus was a very pleasant surprise. Both are in Besiktas area, with some distance from Sultanahmet. In Sultanahmet area I can recommend Hotel Yasmak Sultan. It is located just a few minutes walk from Hagia Sofia, and only 2 minutes from the Tram Station. The restaurant is situated on the top and have very nice views on both sides of the city. The room and bathroom was delicate and fresh. And they have both pool and gym.

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      Another option is Celine Hotel situated on the other side of Hagia Sofia. This is a Ottoman Mansion with only 14 rooms, so breakfast and facilities are limited. Nice, but don’t think I will stay there again.

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      On the Galata Tower side, Karaköy, you find 10 Karaköy Istanbul a sbe hotel. Not a favorite either if you are looking for value for money. The rooms are small, and breakfast average. But interior are nice and delicate.

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      Then we have Swissotel The Bosphorus Istanbul, i really liked this one, it was large but not too large. It was vibrant and modern. The room had a very nice view to the Bosphorus, and had plenty of amenities.

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      And I loved of course the rooftop bar and the view..

      Kempinski has another price range, but it is my favourite, and I have stayed there three times, so it have to have it’s own blog post..

      I will have different recommendations for different people, because Istanbul have everything, and it depends on what you want to experience and prefer of accommodation and surroundings. Please let me know if you have some questions, I will be happy to assist!

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      Posted in travel, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Adalar, architecture, Bosphorus, city, Colors, Dining, Galata Tower, Hagia Sofia, historical, history, holidays, Hotels, inspiration, Istanbul, Karaköy, Leisure, life, Museum, Ortaköy, Ottoman, Prince Islands, shopping, Sultanahmet, Taksim, travel, travelling, Turkey, View
    • Athens – heritage, architecture and charm

      Posted at 10:06 am by mylifemyworldrg, on July 25, 2019

      It is time to start to post some of my travels the past year. It has been a busy year, and time flies. When it slows down in the summertime, you get the time to reflect on what has passed and everything you have explored. And Athens is one of the beautiful cities I have had the pleasure to explore.

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      Athens has the beauty and charm of the heritage sites and buildings around the city, together with charming streets and wonderful views. All this makes it a wonderful city to visit. And for me that loves history and architecture – perfect.  The city center is not that big, and can be crowded as it is a popular city for tourists. I visited in August, and according to the locals it is not so crowded this month because the locals are out of town on vacations.

      Since I am not to happy in standing in line for the tourist attractions, I have found my own “way” of exploring the most without. The first day on my trips I usually get on one of the Hop On Hop Off busses to get to know the city and “identify what to explore more in detail”.

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      Acropolis

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      In Athens I loved to stroll around in the charming streets, were you still feel the heritage ambiance.

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      And then I am always looking for a nice place to dine.. preferably with a view and some charm and great food, wine and quality..

      Luckily I discovered this place in Athens on my first day, and came back again and again.. A warm recommendation to visit Tudor Hall at King Georges perfectly situated on the Syntagma square. Here you get everything, the wonderful view, ambiance, attention, food and drinks.

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      And in the evening I am hunting for the sunset. I enjoy to sit and relax and watch the beauty of the sunsets. I found the perfect setting for this at Hilton Athens..

       

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      And yes, we returned to enjoy it with our dinner several nights

       

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      As a Leading Hotels of the World traveler I stayed at the Divani Caravel Hotel in the beginning of my stay in Athens. I was upgraded to a suite with a very nice view to the Acropolis. The swimmingpool on the rooftop had also a nice view.

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      One morning I had a perfect room service breakfast in my room

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      After some days here, we moved to Syntagma Square area and stayed at NJV Athens Plaza.

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      Here we enjoyed most the location and were happy of having King George and Grand Bretagne as “neighbours”, with more wonderful views and great dining.

       

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      The last night I explored the beaches of Athens, staying at Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso. A wonderful gem, and I got this room with a great balcony and view..

       

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      Enjoying life 🙂

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      Sunset and evening ambiance by the pool area

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      Breakfast on the balcony with a perfect view in a quiet morning

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      So, do I want to go back and visit Athens again? Yes, I do!

      You know my blogspots are not so into details, so feel free to contact me if any questions on how, what, why’s.. 🙂

      Posted in Hotels, travel | 1 Comment | Tagged ancient, architecture, Athens, beauty, city, Colors, Dining, Greece, historical, history, Hotels, inspiration, Leisure, life, nature, restaurant, travel, travelling, View, World heritage
    • Museum Hotel, Cappadocia, Turkey

      Posted at 2:09 pm by mylifemyworldrg, on April 21, 2019

      Museum Hotel – is a gem. Unique, in wonderful settings. Just to sit and enjoy the views, and all the historical items you can find all around you. Be sure not to pack the day with to many other things to visit in Cappadocia when you are staying at Museum Hotel, because you have to spend the time at the property..

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      The room was very nice, with good size. And there was a lot of amenities. Even in the room a lot of historical items, making the ambiance great.

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      Since there was changing weather while I was visiting, it was very nice to dine in the warm and cozy Restaurant Lil’a.

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      The outside area was the best, scenery changing with weather and lighting trough the day. Could never get enough pictures of the views..

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      In the morning, the two peacocks will be awaking you.. Or at least they was walking outside my window, giving me this joyful morning view..

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      The breakfast buffet was large, with plenty of turkish and local products. Have to go back to get some pictures from it..

      The Museum Hotel experience was very good due to the setting, but many of the team members seemed a bit unexperienced and there was quite a few details missing to make it to the top of the 5 star hotels.

      But still, I hope to be able to revisit and it is on my recommended list for you to visit.

       

       

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      Posted in Hotels, travel, Uncategorized | 1 Comment | Tagged architecture, Cappadocia, Colors, Dining, historical, inspiration, Kapadokya, life, Museum, nature, restaurant, travel, travelling, Turkey, View
    • Cappadocia (Kapadokya), Turkey

      Posted at 12:48 pm by mylifemyworldrg, on April 21, 2019

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      Cappadocia or Kapadokya (in turkish) – This unique, UNESCO World Heritage area is just amazing, and a “must visit” if you are into both history and nature. You will just fall in love with the beautiful landscape, the views, the fairy chimneys, the sunset, the sunrise, the changing weather. I have to admit, this is one of the most unique places I have ever visited, and I just can’t wait to go back and explore and learn more about all of it.

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      In addition, Cappadocia is becoming famous of all the Instagram photos of the Hot Air balloons and the charming settings from all the different Cave Hotels in the different town Göreme, Uçhisar and Ürgüp. However, Cappadocia deserves much more attention than all the amazing photos posted on Instagram..

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      Even if it might be the Hot Air Balloons that is most featured from Cappadocia at the moment, just be aware that this is not a “everyday” happening. If the weather or wind is not favorable, the balloons are cancelled. Therefor my recommendations are to at least stay a 3-4 days while visiting Cappadocia, so you are sure experiencing the Hot Air Balloons as well, because it is truly a beautiful setting in the sunrise. Otherwise, there are so much to see, do and learn about while visiting the area, if not just relaxing in the amazing scenery of Cappadocia.

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      I stayed two days in Göreme, at Charming Cave Hotel. Charming Cave Hotel, has a wonderful setting, and here, you are staying with a family doing whatever they can to give you a pleasant stay. The room are nice, but the quality of the equipment’s could be better. The shower fell almost apart and the hotel amenities, was already been used. Otherwise, everything was fine and very authentic. The friendliness of the family, and their hospitality was great.

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      Breakfast View Charming Cave Hotel

      Make sure that you experience the Turkish food and wine. The food has a lot of flavor and colors. The local wine is getting quite good quality.

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      The last night I stayed at the only Relais & Chateaux hotel in Turkey, Museum Hotel. The hotel is actually a museum and there are so much history. As the Hot Air Balloons is getting Cappadocia famous, the view and settings are getting Museum Hotel famous, even if it is so much more to it. There will be a separate post from Museum Hotel

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      I have to admit my first visit to Turkey was truly wonderful, much more that I expected. And my prejudice to the travelling there due to feedback from others are completely gone and I will return and explore more.

      Posted in Hotels, travel, Uncategorized | 1 Comment | Tagged beauty, Cappadocia, caves, history, Hot Air Balloon, inspiration, Kapadokya, life, nature, Turkey, UNESCO, View, World heritage
    • Giraffe Manor

      Posted at 6:48 am by mylifemyworldrg, on March 30, 2018

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      A perfect day, this is what we experienced when we stayed at the Giraffe Manor. If you have the opportunity to travel and visit this wonderful hotel with the beautiful and gentile giraffes – do it!

      We arrived at 11.00 am after being picked up at our hotel location in Nairobi. It was so quiet and beautiful to sit down outside the manor and just listen to the singing birds and surroundings. The welcome was very attentive and warm, and the staff team was very caring. We got served refreshments while filling out all formalities. It was no rush, and for me that was wonderful, just sit quietly and enjoy the surroundings.