nza2k

The capital of the island with the same name is a city that offers monuments to see, like the Old Fortress, good restaurants where you can eat some pretty healthy Greek food, and it provides access to some nice beaches in the surrounding area (rent a car if you do not want to be dependent on buses with random schedules).

Having grown up devouring every Jacques Cousteau documentary on TV (I know, I am showing my age here, since he is a figure that young people today probably do not even know!), I was really curious to visit this place that he directed for many years. First of all, the building itself is worth admiring. It is a large, imposing structure built on a cliff overlooking the sea. The interior is really interesting, with some beautiful tropical aquariums and large tanks with fish of all sizes, including sharks. A great memory.

This is clearly not the cheapest agency. It is pretty easy to find better deals on the internet. On the other hand, the customer service is really top notch. The welcome at the branch is super courteous, they take you to your vehicle, or they bring it to you. They explain its quirks if needed. The check-in is done calmly. In many branches, you can return the vehicle outside of opening hours with a box to drop off the keys. You receive the check-out report by email. As a side note, I returned a vehicle with a few scrapes on the fender, and I was worried about an abusive charge of several hundred euros (I have heard so many stories like that), but nothing happened! Like Bill, I have been upgra…

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Right next to the Jardin d'Acclimatation, in the middle of the bois de Boulogne but too far from the Sablon metro station, this museum is in an ideal and privileged spot for a relaxing cultural break. The architecture of the building, shaped like a sailboat, is remarkable and worth the trip all on its own. The architect is Frank Gehry, who we also have to thank for the famous Guggenheim museum in Bilbao. The interior is very spacious and offers a fairly large and varied collection of contemporary art. The temporary exhibits are refreshed frequently, with themes or artists coming from all over the world. There is a restaurant inside that is expensive, but it offers a unique and super bright s…

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My feeling is that this place is convenient for relaxing with the family, without having to deal with complicated planning (airplanes, airport transfers, excursions...). Everything is on site, the pool that acts as a Caribbean beach, the playgrounds, and the nature outings. For others, between friends or as a couple, you might get bored pretty quickly.

White sand for long stretches, sun, warm water... But there are a lot of lounge chairs, beaches are more or less privatized by the hotels along the shore, and the water is sometimes infested with sargassum, those brown algae that take over the water and make you not want to swim at all, especially since the seaweed washed up on the sand releases an unpleasant smell as it decomposes.

Lively place that is hopping all year round. It is warm and sunny enough to swim in December. In the summer, it gets almost too hot and humid. Also, watch out for the hurricanes that can pass through there in the summer. As for the nightlife, there are restaurants, bars, clubs, and discotheques in abundance. It is more concentrated than in Cancun. It is easier to get around on foot.

Several Northern European cities go by the name Venice of the North: Amsterdam, Stockholm, and I think Bruges as well. If one of them truly deserves that title, it is Amsterdam. The canals are everywhere in the city center. The old houses have been well preserved, and this former merchant city knew how to use its wealth to showcase its heritage. I also have a soft spot for Amsterdam and its history. It has a long tradition of welcoming the persecuted, like Jews and Protestants. And then there is the massive adoption of bicycles, which is super eco friendly :) In short, a modern, historic, open city, I love it. Do not just stop at its scandalous reputation, that is just so reductive.

Frankfurt has a charming old town center and a super modern business district with its skyscrapers. It is also a very green city on a human scale, which is easy to explore on foot. Finally, it is a lively, cosmopolitan city, with lots of people out in the streets, restaurants, and pubs. I think I could live there.

The city didn't really leave much of an impression on me, but during a road trip through Mexico, stopping in Tuxtla can be a good idea. There are some great excursions to take at Sumidero Canyon, including birds, birds of prey, monkeys, crocodiles, dizzying cliffs, and a cave chapel. Our guide offered us other tours for the afternoon, but the overnight bus the night before had wiped us out, so we declined. Anyway, it's an interesting stop that's worth including in your itinerary.

Great weather all year round, the desert and the mountains right at the city gates, loads of activities to discover... Marrakech is a city that has known how to adapt very well to the demands of modern tourism while keeping its charm. You might regret that the coast is relatively far away, but it is still very easy to find a hotel or a riad with beautiful pools. I have already heard some people complain about the artificial side of certain places, saying they are "too" touristy. It is up to you to get off the beaten path a little and away from Jamaa El Fna square. I assure you, these are real Moroccans living in Marrakech :)

Just steps from Times Square, right in the center of Manhattan, there are quite a few places that really gouge you on price. That is not the case for this hotel, which offers rates that are totally reasonable for what you get. You will be a stone's throw from the legendary Times Square, without being directly exposed to the constant noise of that plaza. The location is super convenient for anyone wanting to catch Broadway shows, as most theaters are within walking distance. The property itself is pretty standard and clean, without too many unnecessary frills.

Look, I am not going to introduce the Red Light District to you, known worldwide for the very specific trade that goes on there. 2 things really stuck with me: - The lack of transition between this neighborhood and the others. You can be walking around, stumble upon a square set up around a church (yes, a church!) and discover on that same square windows with red lanterns. - The crowd: the place has become a tourist attraction. Lots of tourists, and not just men, come here to walk around and visit this cultural curiosity unique to Amsterdam. Of course, do not go there with kids, but it would still be a shame to visit Amsterdam without seeing the Red Light District with your own eyes.

Haha, I laugh at myself when I think back on the Begijnhof (which I never knew how to pronounce), or the Amsterdam Beguinage. The guidebook I had in my pocket highly recommended visiting this must-see spot in the Dutch capital. Even though it is right in the city center, I admit I struggled a bit to find the place, because the entrance is very discreet. Anyway, after finally getting inside, I did not see anything that special, just a very quiet courtyard surrounded by houses...