Valetta (Malta) 2011

Malta is cooler than you think
I was surprised by how beautiful and spectacular Valetta is. No wonder Game of Thrones has filmed in some settings on the island. Valettas old town on the hill has a spectacular view down on the rest of the older parts of the city and the harbour. It looks like something George Lucas or Steven Spielberg would have made in their fantasy actions films. Almost to perfect!

The town is very calm and relaxed. It feels a bit to touristy and you also have to many British pubs with drunk tourist and expats. A lot of northern Europeans work here at the online casino companies.
But you can easily rent a boat or go for a hike to see the beautiful and barren coastline. The climate is really nice and people are friendly.

Small boats in the harbour

A lot of small harbours along the Valetta coast

Where are the (Game of Thrones) dragons?

The score! (This is the evaluation. The scoring system has 10 categories with 1-10 in grades, maximum score is 100)

1. The beach

Clean, water quality, nice sand, facilities etc.

Score: 8 (stony but nice beaches)

2. The boardwalk and local environment

Good for running and walking. Nice viewpoints. Vibrating life with people and activities.

Score: 7 (beautiful architecture along the coastline)

3. Rainy day activities

Is it close to a big city or is there a lot to do rainy days in the area (museums, parks, sights and events)?

Score: 6 (some museums)

4. Sunny day activities

Outdoor activities like kayaking, surfing and more.

Score: 8 (you can rent a lot of water sport things) 

5. Restaurants and cafes

Are there many restaurants and cafes? Is the food nice? Is it expensive or cheap? Service and variety.

Score: 6 (a lot of restaurants and some sorry British pubs)

6. Parks, forests and mountains

Can you find parks, forests, and mountains so you can go for hikes and do (mountain) biking?

Score: 6 (nice coastline to explore, rent a sailboat, it is fun)

7. Shopping and street life

What about the quantity and quality of shopping? Is it nice to stroll the streets at night?

Score: 6 (shopping is ok)

8. Weather

In this guide we favour summer temperatures with sunny days.

Score: 10 (Fantastic spot in the south of the Mediterranean sea)

9. Transport

Is it easy to fly to this place? How long and expensive is the trip including transfer from the airport.

Score: 8 (easy to find a ticket and quick transfer)

10. Housing and hotels

Is there a wide range of nice hotels, apartments (on AirBnb etc.) and houses?

Score: 7 (A lot of options)

Total score: 72/100 points

Skagen (Denmark) 2011

Skagen is great all in one destination
Denmark is packed with nice villages and cosy restaurants. On the northern tip of Denmark sits Skagen, famous for it´s painters and more. Skagen is big enough to offer a wide range of shops and restaurants. It has a nice meat shop, several bakeries and a lot of pubs. In the night it is nice to stroll down to harbour, buy an ice-cream and look at the boats. The beaches are great and the water is clear but Scandinavian cold. You can rent bikes or Segways to get out a bit from the city center. There is also nice some nice one day excursions by car you can do, to the buried church in the sand or to other nice villages along the coast.

Nice view overlooking the Skagen area

Nice seafood restaurants in different price categories

The score! (This is the evaluation. The scoring system has 10 categories with 1-10 in grades, maximum score is 100)

1. The beach

Clean, water quality, nice sand, facilities etc.

Score: 9 (long beaches with fine sand, clear but cold water)

2. The boardwalk and local environment

Good for running and walking. Nice viewpoints. Vibrating life with people and activities.

Score: 7 (the harbour is nice and there are some nice trails for biking along the coast)

3. Rainy day activities

Is it close to a big city or is there a lot to do rainy days in the area (museums, parks, sights and events)?

Score: 7 (interesting museums in town and you can take the car to theme parks)

4. Sunny day activities

Outdoor activities like kayaking, surfing and more.

Score: 7 (there is a wide range of typical things to do, e g biking, swimming, water sports) 

5. Restaurants and cafes

Are there many restaurants and cafes? Is the food nice? Is it expensive or cheap? Service and variety.

Score: 6 (for it´s size there are a lot places to eat)

6. Parks, forests and mountains

Can you find parks, forests, and mountains so you can go for hikes and do (mountain) biking?

Score: 6 (a lot of beaches and coast line, Denmark has no mountains)

7. Shopping and street life

What about the quantity and quality of shopping? Is it nice to stroll the streets at night?

Score: 6 (Bookstores, small boutiques and souvenir shops)

8. Weather

In this guide we favour summer temperatures with sunny days.

Score: 6 (Great for being in Scandinavia)

9. Transport

Is it easy to fly to this place? How long and expensive is the trip including transfer from the airport.

Score: 6 (Best is to have a car and drive from airports or the ferry from Gothenburg)

10. Housing and hotels

Is there a wide range of nice hotels, apartments (on AirBnb etc.) and houses?

Score: 8 (Stylish Danish houses for rent)

Total score: 70/100 points

South Miami Beach (Miami, USA) 2014

The score for South Miami Beach

1. The beach

Clean, water quality, nice sand, facilities etc.

Score: 7 (the city beach is ok for a quick swim)

2. The boardwalk and local environment

Good for running and walking. Nice viewpoints. Vibrating life with people and activities.

Score: 10 (long boardwalk with a lot people running, rollerblading and walking the dog)

3. Rainy day activities

Is it close to a big city or is there a lot to do rainy days in the area (museums, sights and events)?

Score: 10 (Miami has a lot of museums, malls and sights to visit)

4. Sunny day activities

Outdoor activities like kayaking, surfing and more.

Score: 10 (Here you can find everything) 

5. Restaurants and cafes

Are there many restaurants and cafes? Is the food nice? Is it expensive or cheap? Service and variety.

Score: 10 (Great latino restaurants, great variety of food, nice lounge bars)

6. Parks, forests and mountains

Can you find parks, forests, and mountains so you can go for hikes and do (mountain) biking?

Score: 6 (You have to travel a bit to get out in the nature)

7. Shopping and street life

What about the quantity and quality of shopping? Is it nice to stroll the streets at night?

Score: 10 (Nice local boutique shopping and big chains on Lincoln road, also big malls 30 min away

8. Weather

In this guide we favour summer temperatures with sunny days.

Score: 9 (About 20-22 degrees celsius in winter, a bit more than Las Palmas and also like LP a great year around climate)

9. Transport

Is it easy to fly to this place? How long and expensive is the trip including transfer from the airport.

Score: 8 (a lot of flights to Miami and also to Fort Lauderdale)

10. Housing and hotels

Is there a wide range of nice hotels, apartments (on AirBnb etc.) and houses?

Score: 10 (A lot of options, great hotels, can be expensive if the dollar is high)

Total score: 86/100 points

Links
Shopping
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calle_Mayor_de_Triana (also close to the best restaurants)
http://www.ccelmuelle.es
http://cclasarenas.com/interesante/como-llegar/

Santa Catalina hotel bar
http://www.hotelsantacatalina.com/en/

Fig Tree Bay (Cyprus) 2013

Best climate in Europe
Cyprus has a great position, tucked away in waters close to Turkey in the southeast corner of the Mediterranean sea. So here you can get summer from April to November. On the countryside in Cyprus you can find nice villages. Along the coast there are mostly tourist-ghetton. But if you are dying for some sun and poolside relaxation in May, this is the place to go to.

Fig Tree Bay is one of those typical tourist-ghetton with traditional concrete hotels that will not win any architect awards. But it is convenient if you have kids and/or just want to relax in the sun. If you want more action, stylish hotels and some local culture then rent a car and drive around for a week.



Fig Tree Bay on Cyprus

The beach at Fig Tree Bay

The score! (This is the evaluation. The scoring system has 10 categories with 1-10 in grades, maximum score is 100)

1. The beach

Clean, water quality, nice sand, facilities etc.

Score: 9 (ok, clear water)

2. The boardwalk and local environment

Good for running and walking. Nice viewpoints. Vibrating life with people and activities.

Score: 6 (nice boardwalk but short)

3. Rainy day activities

Is it close to a big city or is there a lot to do rainy days in the area (museums, parks, sights and events)?

Score: 5 (not very close to much interesting stuff, when it rains)

4. Sunny day activities

Outdoor activities like kayaking, surfing and more.

Score: 7 (yes, normal beach stuff to do, waterskis etc) 

5. Restaurants and cafes

Are there many restaurants and cafes? Is the food nice? Is it expensive or cheap? Service and variety.

Score: 5 (the usual boring restaurants on the street, greece restaurants, american sportsbar, irish pubs, pizzas etc. )

6. Parks, forests and mountains

Can you find parks, forests, and mountains so you can go for hikes and do (mountain) biking?

Score: 7 (not really, not much that is close to Fig Tree Bay)

7. Shopping and street life

What about the quantity and quality of shopping? Is it nice to stroll the streets at night?

Score: 2 (mostly tourist shops selling t-shirts etc)

8. Weather

In this guide we favour summer temperatures with sunny days.

Score: 10 (Perhaps the best weather conditions in the Mediterranean sea)

9. Transport

Is it easy to fly to this place? How long and expensive is the trip including transfer from the airport.

Score: 8 (A lot of flights to Cyprus)

10. Housing and hotels

Is there a wide range of nice hotels, apartments (on AirBnb etc.) and houses?

Score: 6 (this is a small village)

Total score: 65/100 points

Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain) 2013 - Scores 84/100

Las Palmas the hidden gem
95% of all Canary Islands tourist take the bus to the south were the climate is a little better and the hotels are bigger. But if you want to get a real Spanish city experience with a twist, you take a taxi north to Las Palmas.

The Canary Islands has great climate all year around. In Las Palmas the Canteras beach is right in the center of the city, just like the Copacabana does. In the north of the beach you have a nice sunny spot perfect for lunch. In the south it is more rough and here rule the waves and the surfers. So daytime it is nice to hang out around the Canteras and have som affordable surfing lessons or just do some running/walking along the big beach.

In the late afternoon it is better to take a taxi (cheap) to the old town and the shopping district. In Spain the really nice restaurants open at 9 in the evening. The spanish eat at 10 in the night, that is crazy late for a Swede. But if you do som shopping and visit some bars before and have some tapas, you might make it so you can be the first guest at 9. The best restaurants are situated in the narrow streets just above the major shopping street Calle Mayor de Triana.

There are great mini one day tour adventures you can do from Las Palmas
1. Mountain biking, nice organised tours, you get driven up to the top and ride downhill
http://www.free-motion.com/en/

2. Go visit the tourist ghetton in the south and have a swim at the Playa Ingles

3. Rent a car and go for hike in the mountains
http://www.ramblingroger.com/grancanaria/maps

4. Fishing and diving tours
http://www.carpgrancanaria.com


One night it is nice to visit the classic hotel Santa Catalina with it´s colonial styled bar.

Urban Las Palmas with its big harbour

Surfers on South Canteras beach, easy and cheap to take a surfing class

Christmas in Las Palmas with beautiful lit palm trees

Dramatic and scary road along the coast

Always a lot of things happening at Las Canters

Tilted photo from a really nice roof top pool and bar at the Hotel Reina Isabel

The score! (This is the evaluation. The scoring system has 10 categories with 1-10 in grades, maximum score is 100)

1. The beach

Clean, water quality, nice sand, facilities etc.

Score: 9 (the sand is a bit rough, but the ambience and the beach life is great)

2. The boardwalk and local environment

Good for running and walking. Nice viewpoints. Vibrating life with people and activities.

Score: 10 (long, wide boardwalk, with a lot of restaurants and Spanish people dressed up for strolling)

3. Rainy day activities

Is it close to a big city or is there a lot to do rainy days in the area (museums, parks, sights and events)?

Score: 7 (Great malls, nice cafes and some museums to visit)

4. Sunny day activities

Outdoor activities like kayaking, surfing and more.

Score: 8 (cheap surfing classes in the south end of the Canteras beach, you can also rent boats and more) 

5. Restaurants and cafes

Are there many restaurants and cafes? Is the food nice? Is it expensive or cheap? Service and variety.

Score: 9 (Nice restaurants in downtown Las Palmas, not to expensive, great outdoor bars and cafes)

6. Parks, forests and mountains

Can you find parks, forests, and mountains so you can go for hikes and do (mountain) biking?

Score: 9 (Some nice parks in Las P, and great mountain hiking 90 min drive up in the mountains)

7. Shopping and street life

What about the quantity and quality of shopping? Is it nice to stroll the streets at night?

Score: 9 (Great malls and also boutique shops in 

8. Weather

In this guide we favour summer temperatures with sunny days.

Score: 9 (About 20 degrees celsius in winter, a bit to cold for me, but the best year around climate  inside the European Union)

9. Transport

Is it easy to fly to this place? How long and expensive is the trip including transfer from the airport.

Score: 8 (A lot of carriers fly to Las P and the Canary Islands, the airport is just 20 min away)

10. Housing and hotels

Is there a wide range of nice hotels, apartments (on AirBnb etc.) and houses?

Score: 8 (A lot of different options, the hotels are a bit old fashion all though charming)

Total score: 86/100 points

Links
Shopping
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calle_Mayor_de_Triana (also close to the best restaurants)
http://www.ccelmuelle.es
http://cclasarenas.com/interesante/como-llegar/

Santa Catalina hotel bar
http://www.hotelsantacatalina.com/en/

Lara (Antalya,Turkey) 2015 - Scores 65/100

A great place for off-season vacation 
If you want sun and pool side reading and if you have kids. This is the place to go to in April (a bit of a gamble weather wise) May, October and November. The Antalya province is packed with big hotels and many have heated pools. in other parts of Europe there can be hard to find (non luxury) hotels with heated pools. So if you just want som sun and poolside relaxation, this is a great alternative before or after you can use non heated pools.

In general, areas with a lot of all-inclusive hotels (like in Turkey, Egypt, the Dominican Republic etc.) are not a favourite of mine. You eat to much if you stay in the hotels, the infrastructure in the area is poor and it is not nice to stroll around. But if you have kids and need heated pools this is the best alternative when the rest of Europe´s pools and beaches are to cold.

Lara is just one of those big hotel areas in the Antalya district. It has a nice beach and the hotels are good. They have playgrounds, organized activities, multiple pools, bars and restaurants. The food is okay and it is easy/lazy living in it´s extreme. One week is enough. 

The score! (This is the evaluation. The scoring system has 10 categories with 1-10 in grades, maximum score is 100)

1. The beach

Clean, water quality, nice sand, facilities etc.

Score: 7 (nice but a bit rough sand) 

2. The boardwalk and local environment

Good for running and walking. Nice viewpoints. Vibrating life with people and activities.

Score: 3 (no real boardwalk)

3. Rainy day activities

Is it close to a big city or is there a lot to do rainy days in the area (museums, parks, sights and events)?

Score: 5 (20 min to Antalya city with some sights and shopping, malls with global chains and brands)

4. Sunny day activities

Outdoor activities like kayaking, surfing and more.

Score: 8 (you can rent different kinds of water fun) 

5. Restaurants and cafes

Are there many restaurants and cafes? Is the food nice? Is it expensive or cheap? Service and variety.

Score: 4 (Mostly all inclusive big hotels)

6. Parks, forests and mountains

Can you find parks, forests, and mountains so you can go for hikes and do (mountain) biking?

Score: 5 (yes, but it requires some project management)

7. Shopping and street life

What about the quantity and quality of shopping? Is it nice to stroll the streets at night?

Score: 6 (Malls with global brands and turkish street shopping including carpets etc in Antalya city. no nice night strolling in Lara )

8. Weather

In this guide we favour summer temperatures with sunny days.

Score: 10 (Perfect spot in the southern part of the Mediterranean sea)

9. Transport

Is it easy to fly to this place? How long and expensive is the trip including transfer from the airport.

Score: 10 (A lot of airlines fly to Alayna/Antalya The airport is just 15 min away)

10. Housing and hotels

Is it a wide range of nice hotels, apartments (on AirBnb etc.) and houses?

Score: 5 (all inclusive and big hotels dominate)

Total score: 65/100 points

Alghero (Sardinia, Italy) 2011

Alghero is a great city & beach combo-experience
Sardinia has so many nice beaches. The super rich have their beaches where they anchor with their mega big yachts with Ferraris parked on the deck. They are up in Coast Smeralda and that can be worth a day trip to walk in the harbour and look at the mega-yachts. But back to Alghero, this is a place for the rest of us. Perfect if you want nice dining, some shopping and strolling but also want to live close to the beach. At 5 pm the locals (the professionals) enter the beach. The red evening sun with it´s magical light shines down on the Italians as they open their eskies for a great Italian afternoon picnic, with wine of course. The kids play football and the grandmother goes for a swim.

The strength of Italian towns are always the food and the architecture. But compared to Spanish cities they often lack mainstream shopping alternatives like Sara, Massimodutti and other chains (if that is what you like). Instead there is boutique fashion with higher prices or sometimes there is nothing. Italian town can also feel a bit old fashioned when it comes to (the lack of) cafes with wifi, english speaking staff or generous opening hours. There is something more that is hard to describe, that makes Italy a bit more "hard to get" compared to Spain, France and Portugal (if you are from northern Europe and USA). That is both good and bad. Again, if you only look to food, architecture and coastline beauty, no country beats Italy. All this is true for Alghero as well.


Alghero - in te center of Southern Europe

Alghero city view

The city beach

Narrow alleys in the old town

The score! (This is the evaluation. The scoring system has 10 categories with 1-10 in grades, maximum score is 100)

1. The beach

Clean, water quality, nice sand, facilities etc.

Score: 9 (nice, fine sand and unusually clear water for being a city beach)

2. The boardwalk and local environment

Good for running and walking. Nice viewpoints. Vibrating life with people and activities.

Score: 7 (nice boardwalk, some activities)

3. Rainy day activities

Is it close to a big city or is there a lot to do rainy days in the area (museums, parks, sights and events)?

Score: 7 (5 minutes walk in to Alghero, the town is a bit quiet though)

4. Sunny day activities

Outdoor activities like kayaking, surfing and more.

Score: 8 (some nice sights you can visit for a day, around Alghero) 

5. Restaurants and cafes

Are there many restaurants and cafes? Is the food nice? Is it expensive or cheap? Service and variety.

Score: 6 (Some nice Italian food restaurants)

6. Parks, forests and mountains

Can you find parks, forests, and mountains so you can go for hikes and do (mountain) biking?

Score: 7 (In Sardinia there are some really cool mountain hikes)

7. Shopping and street life

What about the quantity and quality of shopping? Is it nice to stroll the streets at night?

Score: 7 (Vibrant streetlife but limited mainstream shopping, no malls etc.)

8. Weather

In this guide we favour summer temperatures with sunny days.

Score: 9 (Great weather conditions in the middle of the Mediterranean sea)

9. Transport

Is it easy to fly to this place? How long and expensive is the trip including transfer from the airport.

Score: 8 (The airport is just 10 min away)

10. Housing and hotels

Is there a wide range of nice hotels, apartments (on AirBnb etc.) and houses?

Score: 7 (Some houses are a bit far away from the beach )

Total score: 74/100 points

Links
Mountain hikes;
http://www.discover-sardinia.com/travel-guide/activities/walking.cfm