Diego's Travel Tips

Europe

For lovely hotels with character: Hotels de Charme

France

Alsace

Strasburg is wonderful. The cathedral is beautiful. Colmar is also very nice and worth the trip. There is an EXCELLENT, three-star restaurant in Illhausern "L'Auberge de l'Ill".

There are a few castles in Alsace, all are nice to look at but they are not really worth visiting.

Paris

I love everything about Paris, particularly walking. It is really the best way to see the city. There is just so much to do in Paris, that I will not attempt to give an general overview, just some quick tips:

I love the Louvre, but only a bit at a time.

The Musée d'Orsay is smaller, more manageable, and is to die for.

I also like the Picasso Musseum.

If you go to Paris, you have to see the Sainte-Chapelle, a beautiful church. 4 bd. du Palais, 4e (Palais de Justice) Métro: Cité, St-Michel, or Châtelet-Les Halles.

Restaurants:

• Bistro de Paris, 33 r. Lille . M etro Musee d'Orsay. Tel: 01 47 83 70 09

On Boulevard Saint Germain:

• Café Les Deux Magots, 06th arrondissement, 6, pl St-Germain-des-Prés (01 45 48 55 25) Have a glass of champagne here.
• Cafe de la Flore

• Hélène Darroze, 06th arrondissement, 4, rue d'Assas (01 42 22 00 1) Expensive, but worth the price!

Downstaris is the cafe version of the restaurant. It's called Salon (tel: 01 42 22 00 11).

• Le Refuge des Fondues (XVIII) 17 rue des Trois Frères (Métro(s) : - Abbesses - Pigale) Lots of fun. Great cheese fondue and wine served on a baby bottle!
• Les Bouquinistes, 53, quai des Grands-Augustins (01 43 25 45 94) (Métro: Saint-Michel) (http://www.lesbouquinistes.com/en/bouquinistes/bouquinistes.html) very nice upscale food.
• Restaurant Maison Blanche, 15, avenue Montaigne (01 47 23 55 99)

Restaurant Maison Blanche Recommendation from Bridget.

Ice Cream: Eat Bertillon Ice Cream on Ile Saint Louis. However, don't wait in line at the original store. Ice cream shops on the same block serve the same ice-cream but at a fraction of the wait.

Tea:

• Marriage Freres Tea

Hotels:

• Hotel Ferrandi. 92, rue du Cherche-Midi 75006 Paris. http://www.123france.com/123/en/hotel.php?id_hot=880
• Relais Hotel Vieux Paris. 9 Rue Git Le Coeur, Paris. http://www.hotels.travelmall.com/content/hotel_info/Relais%20Hotel%20Vieux%20Paris--code--30173.html
• Les Relais de Paris. Budget chain. http://www.lesrelaisdeparis.fr/

Germany

Heidelberg

Heidelberg Convention and Visitors Bureau

Take lots of side trips from this lovely town.

Restaurants:

• Schönmehl`s Schlossgastronomie (Castle restaurant), Schlosshof, 69117 Heidelberg

Phone 0049 - (0)6221-97970 reservations www.schoenmehl.de Fine and romantic dinning on the Heidelberg Castle.

• Café Schafheutle (Hauptstraße 94, phone 14680) delicious pastries.

Italy

Florence

Restaurants:

• Alla Vecchia Bettola, 055-224158, Viale Ariosto, 32/34 R
• Trattoria del Carmine, 055-218601, Piazza del Carmine, 18R

Rome

Hotels:

• Aventino S. Anselmo Hotels, Via S. Melania 19, Roma 00153, Italy. www.aventinohotels.com
• Hotel Forum

-- DiegoValderrama - 27 Oct 2006

Latin America

Brazil (by rezab)

Belo

This is the bar capital of Brazil. There is no good reason to visit this city, similar to how nobody really visits Boston in the US. But if you ever go there, ping me and I'll put you in touch with friends.

Rio

Amazing. Stay away from Copacabana. For hotel, I recommend Ipanema. Lablon is right next to Ipanema and it's a very upscale neighborhood. I recommend Ipanema Plaza (fun french owner who I had drinks with) and Ceasar Plaza.

The subways are safe and reliable, cleaner and just as safe as NY. I recommend them.

A football game, specially in maracana, is a must. Most hotels take you to/from for R$100. Tickets only cost R$10-20. But given the cab fair (20-30 each way) and skipping lines to buy the ticket, it's worth paying more.

Sugar Loaf and Christ Corcovado are very tradicional sightseeings with breathtaking views if it's sunny.

Beach: Best spots - Ipanema, posto/station 9 and 10 and in front of a street called Joana Angélica (also known as Coqueirão). I met a few people from Lapa between these two points. So I strongly recommend only hanging out here on the beach.

Samba Go to Lapa (best options: Rio Scenarium (top 10 bar in the world according to a source I can't recall -- hang out on the bar on the 2nd floor as it's very easy to meet new people), Clube Democráticos, Carioca da Gema)

Clubs Nuth, in Barra and Melt in Leblon.

Restaurants:

• Porcão - the best churrascaria (all you can eat) in my opinion. Usually, I go to the Ipanema one (Barão da Torre, between

Vinícius de Moraes e Farme de Amoedo), but the best view you'll probably get in Porcão Rio's (Aterro do Flamengo, next to Marina da Glória).

• Celeiro (for salads and natural food - Leblon)
• Ten Kai (for japanese - Ipanema)
• Zuka (for nice food and atmosphere - Leblon)
• Saturnino (bar w/ great drinks, beautiful people and good food - Jardim Botânico)
• Jiló (chope and appetizers - Leblon).
• Bissell Cleaners
• Drink fruits juices and wonderful empanadas after going out - Go to BB Lanches, in Leblon (Arístides Espínola w/ Ataulfo de Paiva). In this same address you can also find a very nice pizza place called Pizzaria Guanabara, great to meet people.

-- DiegoValderrama - 16 Dec 2007

Costa Rica

Mexico

Ciudad de Mexico

Three Day Tour for Mexico City:

Saturday

Lunch: San Angel Inn ((55) 5616-0973)

Afteroon: San Angel, Coyoacan (Museo Frida Kahlo)

Dinner: Aguila y Sol (amazing food in Polanco)

Update: Apparently, Aguila y Sol closed early 2008 due to some bureaucratic problem. How sad! -- DiegoValderrama - 27 May 2008

Sunday

Morning: Castillo Chapultepec/Museo Antropologia

Lunch: Hacienda Los Morales

Afternoon: zona bellas artes (Museo Nacional de Arte/Palacio de Mineria)

Dinner: Los Girasoles (5510-0630)

Evening: Bellas Artes: Vallet Folklorico

Monday

Morning: Zocalo, murales (Secretaria Education Publica, Palacio Nacional, Catedral, Templo Mayor),

Lunch: Hosteria Santo Domingo

Evening: El Lago de Los Cisnes (tacos)

Side trip: Teotihuacán

Acapulco

Definitely go see the divers at La Quebrada!

Yucatan Peninsula

There is pretty good transportation in that area of Mexico. What we did on our 10-day trip was to first arrange for a hotel transfer from Cancun to Playa del Carmen to get us started. Then we just stayed there for a few days without a car. Then, we rented a car to go to Chichen Itza, then on to Merida, and then we dropped off the car in Cancun, at the airport. Driving was actually easier than Costa Rica.

Merida is actually a bit far away. I really liked the town, but if you are short on time and want to spend more time at the beach, I would spend the time at Playa del Carmen. From Playa, you can arrange for a bus tour to Chichen Itza (3 hrs from Playa), to Tulum (1 hr), or take a ferry to Cozumel (1 hr). Whichever hotel you stay at should be able to arrange all this.

The one thing you should check is how the area is doing after the recent hurracaine. Things should be ok by December, but I would check nevertheless.

Merida

Sunday: Visit the handcrafts Market "Lucas de Gálvez"; it has everything. Enjoy Merida en Domingo, outdoor handcraft markets and food festivals in the Main Plaza, Hidalgo Park and Santa Lucia Park. 9:00 am to 9:00 pm.

Monday: Take the tourist bus at 10:00, 1:00, 4:00, or 7:00 in Santa Lucia Park. In the evening, enjoy an outdoor concert with traditional Yucatecan dancing and dress at the Palacio Municipal on the main Plaza at 9 pm.

Tuesday: In the evening, dance to big band music of the 40´s in Santiago Park on the corner of Calle 59 and 72 at 9:00 pm.

Also, go to the Central Market, it's a lot of fun. For Guayaveras, go to Guayabera Jack. Great stuff.

Anthropological museum at Canton Palace. The museum is located on the main avenue of Merida, the Paseo de montejo, on the corner of Street 43. Its headquarters are in one of the most imposing buildings of the city, designed by the Italian architect Enrico Deserti.

Some restaurants I remember:

La Flor de Santiago Cuisine Regional Hours Daily 7am-11pm Address Calle 70 no. 478 between calles 57 and 59, Around Town

El Pórtico del Peregrino Cuisine REGIONAL, INTERNATIONAL Hours Daily noon-11pm Address Calle 57 no. 501 Between calles 60 and 62, Around Town

Also, there is a traditional ice cream place near the main plaza, but I don't remember the name.

Puerto-Vallarta (by rezab and updated by DiegoValderrama)

Restaurants to avoid: Fajita Republic and Le Bistro. La Palapa is a nice place on the beach with great reviews. But we didn't like it. They have a very limited menu. I would also avoid almost all restaurants in La Marina. The food is terrible and very pricey. We found a small cafe accross from the Westin Hotel that had decent food. Even the pricey hotel food was better than the Marina.

Restaurants to die for: Make sure you make reservations a few days in advance or even longer for high season for Café des Artistes and Los Xitomates.

Café des Artistes: The pumpkin/shrimp soup is great. The ossobuco/lamb chops entree is great. Save room for desserts. I also really liked the Mojitos here. When you make reservation, mention that you want to sit in the garden and not inside. It's very beautiful. This was by far our favorite place and we were really sad that we couldn't go twice since they were fully booked. There are also a lot of nice art galleries by this restaurant. http://www.cafedesartistes.com/ ((by rezab)

Los Xitomates: The food is great at this haute Mexican cuisine restaurant. The chef comes to the tables to chat with the guests, adding a personal touch. Their Margaritas are great. Their sea food amazing. We had the shrimp in adobo and the tuna in adobo and both were perfectly done. rezab had the rib eye steak, which was amazing. The cream of cheese soup is really good. http://www.losxitomates.com/

Le Arrayan: Cheaper than the other two places, but it's much cozier. Carmen, the owner, is very friendly and went to the famous hotel school in Switzerland. I recommend the chicken and the fish dishes. They advertise a "very special hot sauce" on the menu. We tried it and it's really hot. If you like to burn, get it. It goes well on the chicken. I didn't like the duck appetizer since it was cold. http://elarrayan.com.mx ((by rezab)

Hotels: Afra, Emilio and I spent . Fiesta Americana had a better beach but their food was aweful. Sheraton had much better food but it's more crowded. But you can find spots that avoid the crowd.

Other facts:

• There are a lot of ATMs downtown, they have good exchange rates. The American Express office also had very good exchange rates.
• Avoid the area south of the river downtown. It's way too Americanized

Peru

http://www.peru.info/perueng.asp

Notes from friends trips to Peru:

• Reza's trip to Peru

Lima

First of all, Lima is a very interesting city but it is not the easiest for tourists.

A good source of information is always frommers.com. They usually have pretty up to date reviews and tips. The weather is November should be warm and somewhat humid (although it never rains in Lima).

In Lima, I would definitely spend some time at the Museo de la Nacion, and do a city tour of the old historical center (city tour ($25) by Lima Tours (tel. 01/424-5110)). There, I would visit the Cathedral, Convento de San Francisco.

Lima's Plaza de Armas, the original center of the city and the site where Francisco Pizarro founded the city in 1535. On the north side of the square is the early-20th-century Palacio del Gobierno (Presidential Palace), where a changing of the guard takes place daily at noon. The Municipalidad de Lima (City Hall) is on the west side of the plaza. Across the square is La Catedral (cathedral), rebuilt after the earthquake, making it by far the oldest building on the square, and, next to the cathedral, the Palacio Episcopal (Archbishop's Palace), distinguished by an extraordinary wooden balcony.

Directly south of La Catedral on Azángaro at Ucayal, San Pedro (tel. 01/428-3017), a Jesuit church that dates to 1638, is perhaps the best-preserved example of early colonial religious architecture in the city. Open Monday through Saturday from 7am to noon and 5 to 8pm. bissell steam cleaners

Iglesia de La Merced, Jirón de la Unión at Miró Quesada, 2 blocks southwest of the Plaza de Armas, was erected on the site of Lima's first Mass. The church is open Monday through Saturday from 8am to noon and 4 to 8pm.

San Agustín, located at the corner of Jirón Ica and Jirón Camaná, is distinguished by a spectacular churrigueresque facade, one of the best of its kind in Peru, dating to the early 18th century. San Agustín's official hours are Monday through Sunday from 8 to 11am and 4:30 to 7pm, but, in practice, it's frequently closed.

Casa Riva-Aguero, Camaná 459, is an impressive 18th-century mansion with a beautiful green-and-red courtyard that now belongs to the Catholic University of Peru. The house is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 1pm and 2 to 7:30pm; admission costs S/2 (50¢).

Casa Aliaga, Jr. de la Unión 224 , is the oldest surviving house in Lima, dating from 1535. It is also one of Lima's finest mansions, with an extraordinary inner patio and elegant salons, and it continues to be owned and lived in by descendants of the original family. The house can be visited only as part of a city tour ($25) conducted exclusively by Lima Tours (tel. 01/424-5110).

For hanging out, I would spend an evening in Barranco.

Restaurants:

Northern Peruvian Food:

• Restaurante Fiesta en la Av. Reducto Miraflores

Seafood (including ceviches), these restaurants are only open for lunch:

• El Kallpallaq, Av Petit Thours, Miraflores
• Chez Eladio: Calle El Parqaue 187, San Isidro
• graco swing
• Cevicheria La Mar? (de Gaston Acurio), Av La Mar cuadra 7 de Miraflores. This place is super hip and popular, so it is hard to grab a table. Arrive before noon .

Chinese:

• Chifa Wa Lock, Av Angamos 700 Miraflores
• Royal, Av Prescott (las Flores ) 231, San Isidro
• In Chinatown , near downtown: Salon Capon, Calle Paruro (Dim Sum, Peking Duck) Ideal for brunch (~ 11 am )

Japanese:

• Ishi Ban Hotel Sonesta, El Olivar San Isidro

International Food:

• Rafael, calle San Martín 300, Miraflores

Juices:

• Las Delicias, across from the Cevicheria La Mar (de Gaston Acurio), on the Corner of Av. La Mar and Tudela y Varela. If you didn't know this, Peru has great fruits. And in Lima, going out for a fresh fruit juice and a sandwich is very common for lunch or an early dinner. Las Delicias is one of the most famous of these delicious juguerias.

Hotel:

My dad recommended the Casa Andina hotel chain (http://www.peru-travel.info/hotelesperucasaandina.asp)

Cusco

On visiting Cusco: You need at least three full days for Cusco, one day for the Sacred Valley, and one day for Machu Picchu. Cusco has so much to offer, and you may loose the first day there due to altitude sickness. Do not plan too much for that day. I suggest taking it easy, especially after you land. Do walk very slowly once you land, do not run to the terminal.

On the train to Machu Picchu: Take the Vista Dome train, not the back packer. When we did it, we took it at Ollantaytambo (in the Sacred Valley) at 8:15, not from Cusco. You save yourself the two hours (more sleep). On the return, we took it from MP to Poroy, not to downtown Cusco, and took a train-arranged bus for about $2 each. From Poroy to Cusco it is 15 minutes by bus but 1 hour by train. hoover suncast escali Alternatives to the Inca trail: Article from the NY Times http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/11/12/travel/12machu.html

Restaurants: To be honest, the food in Cusco is just OK. The Culture and History are great, but the food is average. It has improved lately. But, being at 3500 masl, you will not fell extremely hungry. Try to eat foods that are not too heavy, specially the first day. In the Sacred Valley, since it is lower in altitude, you can have somewhat heavier food. But the Sacred Valley it is also the country side, so the restaurants are basic. I would probably find a restaurant where they serve grilled trouut, or something like that. In Lima, there are many very interesting restaurants to go to. I will send you some recommendations later.for both Lima and Cusco.

• MAP Cafe, Museo de Arte Precolombino next to the Hotel Monasterio (you may need reservations)
• Inka Grill, Plaza de Armas
• Ayllu, on the Plaza de Armas. I have been going to since I was very young. The food is simple, but good. I would have a "ponche con pisco" (which is very hot milk, frothed with egg white, a bit of pisco) on an evening when you don't feel like having dinner, perhaps after coming back from Machu Pichu.

Hotels:

• Sacred Valley: Hotel San Augustin

(http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294321-d316203-Reviews-Hotel_San_Augustin_Urubamba-Urubamba_Sacred_Valley.html)

Other trips within Peru

Southern Peru:

• Puerto Maldonado (http://wikitravel.org/en/Puerto_Maldonado)/Manu
• Arequipa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arequipa)
• Colca Cahyon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colca_Canyon)
• [http://astore.amazon.com/bissellstore-20?node=114 bissel deep cleaner]

Elsewehere:

• Callejon de Huaylas (http://www.andeanexplorer.com/english/chp1.htm) (http://www.go2peru.com/huaylas_travel_guide.htm)
• Iquitos (http://www.go2peru.com/iquitos_travel_guide.htm)

United States

California

Santa Barbara

Restaurants:

• Bouchon (http://www.bouchonsantabarbara.com/). 9 W Victoria St. The food was simply delicious! For appetizers, we tried the sweetbreats rissotto and the pan-seared foie gras. For main dishes we loved the duck breast and the venison. This restaurant has a great wine list, full of local wines!
• La Super-Rica Taqueria, 622 N. Milpas St.
• Sage & Onion. 34 E. Ortega St.

Wineries nearby:

• Foxen Wineary and Vineyard (http://foxenvineyard.com/). Every wine we tried was better than the previous one!

New York

Ithaca

New York

Restaurants: Recommendations from my friend Michele

• Teodora, 57th St.
• Bianca, Bleecker & Bowery
• Jewel Bakko, 2nd Ave. and 5th St.

Disclaimer: Use at your own discretion, no warranties of any kind.

-- DiegoValderrama - 11 Apr 2007
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