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The ‘Secret Hotel’ concept has always been an intriguing one for me – why on earth would anybody risk his or her entire holiday by booking anonymous accommodation – sites like SecretHotels.eu have made it their business to help supplement the information provided by booking agents – so I decided to do some research and book one for myself…

First, the largest initial benefit, the cost! I was able to book a 4*, well-equipped hotel, in Amsterdam, during peak season, for £80/night – that’s roughly 40% below the list price of standard hotel listings in the area.

While not providing me with the name, the booking agent did specify a general location, which is usually enough to workout if you’re going to spend much time travelling to the sights – I’m pleased to say that I was bang in the center of the city.  Read more »

If you are thinking about a trip to Spain, here are some tips to help trim your vacation budget.

Book Your Flights at the Right Time

Though last-minute deals can be good value, you can get the cheapest flights by booking months in advance, especially if using a budget airline. Though budget airlines only cater for Europe countries, that doesn’t mean Americans shouldn’t think about them. Often the cheapest way to get to Spain is to find the cheapest flight to Europe and then to take a budget airline from there. But beware – budget airlines’ extra costs can take you by surprise, especially Ryanair’s. If flying transatlantic, the best prices are normally found around three months before flying.  Read more »

Spanish ham is greatly prized as a gourmet food both in Spain and around the world. It is eaten regularly in most Spanish households. In fact, not only is Spain the largest producer of air-dried-cured ham, Spaniards are the number one consumers in the world! Every Spaniard eats about 5 kilograms of cured ham per year. That is double what the Italians eat. There are various types of cured ham in Spain, ranging in price from economical to very expensive. Grocery stores, sausage shops and supermarkets all sell various types of ham and many will not be of a Denomination of Origin. That does not mean it does not great tasting, but it simply did not pass the strict quality control standards.

Ham is historically important food, dried and cured with salt for centuries. The people of the Iberian Peninsula ate pork and ham in their diet, even in the Roman era. However, when the Moors conquered the Peninsula, because of their religious beliefs, eating pork was prohibited. After the Christians regained control and forced the Muslims and Jews to either convert or go into exile, pork regained its popularity.  Read more »

If you are planning to go to Malaga in southern Spain during your next holiday, you will find that there is plenty to do, see and enjoy during your stay. I will give you a short overview over Malaga City with information on the city’s history, culture, entertainment and attractions.

Malaga is the capital city of the Costa del Sol and the capital of the province of Malaga. Malaga is a very popular part of Spain and especially popular with tourists from all over Europe, as it is the capital of the Costa del Sol, the suncoast. It is the ideal vacation destination offering great weather, beautiful surroundings and a lively atmosphere next to the beach.

In addition to the historical, cultural and recreational activities available, there is also plenty of nightlife such as bars, clubs, restaurants and live entertainment as well as great shopping. If you want to relax and enjoy a drink or fabulous meal, you will surely find the perfect after dark occasion for you. If you want to dance away the night, you can easily find the right bar or club for you. If shopping is what you like, you will be pleased with the wide array of shopping available. You can shop in top notch shopping facilities to small, unique boutiques with many unusual and unique gifts. Read more »

Although Nerja is a small place and maybe a little far flung from the famous tourist towns of Torremolinos, Fuengirola and of course Marbella, it’s a town that’s currently bucking the provincial trend in terms of tourism statistics. This past Easter period saw Nerja hotels reach more than an 85% occupancy rate despite the uncertain weather over the period, keeping the municipality above the provincial average. Despite the fact that national tourism statistics are noticeably down in Spain the majority of visits continued to be by Spanish nationals with many residents of Madrid making the journey to the coast and Nerja. International tourists have been making up the shortfall in visitor numbers in Andalusia in recent times and this was also echoed in the numbers released with the British and Germans coming next in terms of numbers. With Nerja’s popularity as a holiday destination continuing to rise I thought it would be a good idea to highlight what’s going on in the town in the coming weeks for anybody already planning their visit or any readers who might fancy a quick getaway.  Read more »