Entries by James Hendicott

Greece is a mess. It’s a horrible situation for the locals, and somewhat weird given the nation’s role in producing our cherished democracies, but the sun-holiday spot is on the brink of ever greater financial disaster, encumbered by a failed government (re-election is due shortly) and rife with protest and political difficulties. It's probably not the time to be rocking up in Athens and exploring the sites (though you'd still be either incredibly unlucky or showing a basic lack of common sense to have any major problems), but of all the times to visit, sympathy and all, this might well be the one. There's a reasonable likelihood that the European single currency, the Euro, will no longer be in use in Greece fairly shortly. Plenty of economic commentators are predicting the country's expulsion, or withdrawal by other means, and some horrible times to follow. Time Magazine even called Greece the key to Europe's entire economic future, worryingly. For travellers, though, now's time to step up.

The reality is that Greece's economy is really heavily dependent on the tourism industry. So much so that, taking the UK as an example, recent figures showed that 5% of all holidays taken by British travellers last year were to Greece, behind only Spain and France. The latest estimates put the direct consequences of tourism as 17% of Greece's entire GDP, and that's without going into less obvious benefits. With the reports coming out of the country suggesting that the economic problems have a huge knock on effect on the levels of tourism, any influx of money is a whole lot more important than normal. From the traveller's point of view, of course, the intense selection of hotels, restaurants and other tourist-themed spots that have built up over the years have never been as competitive as they are now. With less tourists to work with, you're in for a huge influx of bargains, said to be starting at 20%, and heading far higher in plenty of cases. Assuming that the resorts last until you get there - don't book too far in advance, as some won't.

In the course of my travels, I've stumbled across a couple of underwater hotels, one with special chef service from a qualified diver in your luxury living room, and even an underwater post box, complete with special waterproof postcards. Until coming across Eilat's fine venue today, though, I'd never come across an underwater restaurant. Decorated in a playful, cartoony style (a disappointment, perhaps, given the more mature options available), the main attraction of The Red Sea Star, the world's first underwater, fully-functioning restaurant is obviously it's location. Off Eilat, the restaurant is situated six metres below the surface of the Red Sea, and offers perfect views across the surrounding coral.

Somewhat inevitably, it's a costly spot, but cleverly constructed to be accessible on foot by taking a lift down from a pier from Eilat itself. It’s said to serve up some quality food, even if it is the fish you came for. Admittedly, watching the fish swim by whilst snacking down on a seafood delight does seem like an oddly harsh combination, but unforgettable nonetheless. To get a weirder effect, you can head down at night, or watch the sunset through angular rays dipping below the surface and silhouetting any passing fish from above. The restaurant holds around 100, and - if you can't splash out for the slightly pricey full meals - is also home to a bar and the most surreal of dance floors; a definitely must-enjoy night out in Israel, even if it does mean being surrounded by tourists. There's even a carefully lit environment to avoid disturbing the surrounding fish, and an online discount. If you're heading to Israel in the near future, click here to avail.

I've been to a lot of places for a guy in his late 20s. I used to think that was important. Hell, I'm lying, I still think it's important, but not for reasons of numbers, but because as in many ways it has shaped who I am today. I met my wife whilst living and working in South Korea, and barely a day passes when I don't look back at how wonderful that time was. My wife's Irish, not Korean, so that chance meeting in a Buddhist temple three weeks into an 18 month stay ended up leading to my next move, too (I now reside in Dublin). I've also spent months travelling Europe and Asia, and met thousands of other travellers along the way. Increasingly, I've noticed a pattern of 'competitive travel' sticking through the gaps, a growing requirement to have seen half the world before you're consider a credible 'traveler'. I don't think it's a positive.

Take your standard hostel chat. It starts with the city you're in, what to see, where you come from and where you've come from. It'll quickly move on to where you're going, too, and there's a good chance you'll get on to edited highlights of your previous travel experiences. This is basic common sense - I've visited many a spot around the world simply because someone else raved about how wonderful the experience was, and I value that kind of chat, as a travel resource, far above anything I could ever find in a book. Often, however, it turns into some kind of 'who did what' contest, ending in a lengthy and often fairly dull list of places that the poor individual who happens to be least well travelled has to listen to for quite some time. If you haven't come across the situation yet, you're clearly not well-travelled enough (my tongue is firmly in my cheeks whilst I write that last line!)

Back in summer 2010, we took a glance at what were - in our opinion at that time - the top ten European music festivals. With summer just around the corner, and my personal number one (Glastonbury in the UK) not being hallowed due to the farm's fallow year this year, I thought it was high time we took another glance at just what might be on offer. There are a couple of festivals really sticking their noses straight into the top-end this year, and a few others that are worth checking out simply because of the atmosphere or scenery they have to offer...

Rock Werchter (Belgium) (link). Belgium's ever-growing festival king has been going since 1974, and despite having only three stages, seems to be becoming one of the biggest European festival draws. This year's festival has a Sunday line-up that - whether it's your cup of tea or not - would be big enough to cover the headliners for many a three-day festival. It's not a one off, either - in 2011 Rock Werchter won the European festival award for best line-up. The event’s four days long, and easily accessible via a free shuttle-bus from Brussels. Bring plenty of stamina!

Bestival (UK) (link). Started by a musician, and very much focused on the music scene and picking out its most experimental, credible artists, Bestival only has one inconvenience: it's hosted on the Isle of Wight. The island on the southern English coast is fairly easy to get to, but does tend to put off international visitors. Advocates say that the boat ride separates it from the UK festival scene's huge pack, and makes it feel like a holiday. Other draws include an annual festival theme (it's wildlife this year), luxury camping options, and surreal, Glastonbury-inspired corners like the Circus Field, Bollywood Field and Wishing Tree.

There's a certain amount of snobbiness surrounding the kind of bags we, as travellers, carry around with us. You might not notice it at first, but there's a reason why people are willing to spend a small fortune on designer backpacks, and others spend hours sewing patches onto their packs, or refuse to upgrade to a newer model. Singapore might view you as a scruffy undesirable, but to the rest of the backpacking community, a worn pack signals a well-travelled or long-term traveller. A suitcase, on the other hand, is often associated with a tourist. I must admit that I saw a certain amount of truth in this for a while - people do tend to fulfil these cultural stereotypes, and a simple fact of the suitcase is that taking it off the beaten track and away from the comfort of higher priced transport is just far less practical. At the end of the day, though, that's the key thing: practicality. Now, I regularly travel with either one (and more often, travel with just a 20l rucksack for shorter trips), and try not to see it as any kind of symbol of allegiance to one traveling group or another. Here, then, are the practical considerations when choosing a suitcase, or a backpack:

When to favour a suitcase:

- In modern, developed cities (or cities with decent sidewalks). First of all because walking around New York with a scruffy backpack is not going to help you fit in at all, and fitting in to a local culture is important in having the best experience. The backpack somewhere like this should be used only for when it’s part of a larger trip. Suitcases have wheels (if yours doesn't, seriously, why not?), and in modern cities with smooth sidewalks (especially cities with hills), it makes practical sense to wheel things around rather than fully lifting them up. And you'll stand out less.

- If you plan on buying breakables. If you're on a very long trip, it probably makes more sense to send them home anyhow, but when things are in the balance, the added protection afforded by a good suitcase might be worth the discomfort. You can pack breakables well in a backpack, but it’s still easier in a suitcase.