Malaga's Top 5

Editor's note: This is a guest contribution from Millie Spencer, a model and blogger currently based in Spain. Images used are by Elliot Brown, Fran Villena and Mark Koester under the Creative Commons licenses.

Malaga is a city often overlooked by those visiting Spain, mainly because Malaga flights tend to be cheap within Europe and tourists tend to fly here merely as a stop off on their way to the Costa del Sol. Malaga is a beautiful city offering plenty of culture and history, here are five places worth a visit:

Museo Picasso

The people of Malaga are understandably proud that Pablo Picasso was born in their city and the Museo Picasso, opened in 2003, is dedicated to him and situated in the heart of the city. A two minute walk from Malaga Cathedral, the museum is housed in a restored Renaissance building with the dramatic backdrop of Gibralfaro Castle and Alcazaba Castle nearby. Museo Picasso is an unmissable attraction where you get a great insight into how Picasso developed as an artist. There are 12 halls of permanent exhibition gallery, not limited to just his works in the Cubist style, this large collection of his work includes his early academic studies, his re-workings of old masters, sketches and ceramics.

Alcazaba

The Alcazaba is the best preserved fortress-palace in Spain. Home to a number of Moorish rulers over the centuries, each left their mark on the Alcazabra’s architecture. Starting your visit at the Puerta de la Bóveda, you follow the walls through a succession of Moorish gates. At the Puerta de la Columnas (Gate of the Columns) you can see where Roman columns were repurposed by the Moors to reinforce it. You can then admire the beautiful patio gardens and fountains en-route to the palaces. Many visitors continue on to walk up the hill to Gibralfaro Castle - remember to bring water as it is a long hot walk in the sunshine!

Gibralfaro Castle

For spectacular views of the city, a visit to this 10^thcentury castle is essential. Situated a hillside walk away from the Alcazaba, you can take a scenic stroll along the ramparts which have been well restored and inside the fortress itself you will find some buildings and courtyards. Some visitors like to pause on the ramparts for a free view, albeit from a distance, of bullfights in the La Malagueta bullring.

The Manquita - Malaga’s cathedral

Locals call the cathedral La Manquita, meaning ‘one armed woman’ because the south tower was never completed. Legend has it that lack of funds, due to monies being donated to colonists during the American War of Independence, meant that they couldn’t afford to build the planned second tower. The interior is Renaissance and baroque in style and most notable are the 40 finely carved statues of the saints by Pedro de Mena.

La Concepción Botanic Garden

If you are looking for a calm and relaxing space to take a break from the bustle of the city, La Concepción Botanic Garden is the perfect place to visit. It is rated as one of the best botanic gardens in Europe combining formal gardens with a lush forest. You can wander around at your own pace or take a guided tour to hear the history of the gardens.

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Tunisian Highlights: A Diverse & Desirable Destination

Editor's note: This is a guest post written by Lucy Hudson.

Offering dramatic desert landscapes, historic cities, warm Mediterranean Sea waters and atmospheric little restaurants in which to spend an evening, Tunisia is a North African sun-drenched beauty spot.

Around seven million visitors arrive in this inviting country each year, mainly to enjoy its boast-worthy beaches, but if you can tear yourself away from the stunning coastline there’s a lot to see and do in fascinating Tunisia.

Small costs, big fun

North African countries such as Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia have always provided excellent value for money in terms of accommodation options, restaurants and activities. The low prices for dining out, sightseeing and travel mean you can pack a lot into your holiday at very little cost. The bonus of a Tunisian holiday is the all year round sunshine, with companies like First Choice continuing to fly out through the off-peak season for those seeking winter rays. 

The Mediterranean coast

The shimmering waters of the Mediterranean Sea will provide idyllic views as you relax on some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Picturesque, white and golden sands are the norm here and La Marsa, Raf Raf and Tabarka are just three examples. Hammamet is one of the country’s most popular beach towns and it exudes an unspoilt and traditional atmosphere with a distinctly Moorish feel. Don’t be surprised to find vendors offering camel rides at some of the more touristy options; there’s enough room along this coastline to find a secluded stretch of sand if you’re looking to escape the crowds.

The traditional and the cosmopolitan

Tunisia is a perfect mix of the contemporary and the historic, and you’ll find a diverse range of towns and cities once you start exploring. The capital, Tunis, offers traditional and colourful markets set amidst its narrow jumble of ancient streets, and you can easily stumble upon a mosque or historic palace by accident. Head to Port El Kantaoui and you’ll find a chic harbour with modern restaurants serving the freshest of seafood dishes. Hammamet is without doubt one of the prettiest resorts in the country with whitewashed little houses overlooking the immense 10km of beach; the sunsets alone make this trip worthwhile.

Explore the island of Djerba

Just off Tunisia’s south coast lies the idyllic little island of Djerba and an excursion by boat should be on your itinerary. This island gem offers the clearest turquoise waters in which to swim, surf, water-ski or enjoy whatever water sport action floats your boat. The island is similar to the mainland in that it boasts its own ancient medina where you can haggle for goods before dining in the many authentic restaurants. Don’t miss the charming little fishing port area or the ancient synagogue of El-Ghriba in Erriadh, said to contain the oldest Torah in the world.

Uncovering Tunisia’s history

If you want to spend some time exploring ancient Tunisia then this is a country that offers eight UNESCO world heritage sites. The most famous attraction is the incredible ruins of Carthage, which date back to 814 BC. For only a few dinars you can wander through the 10 different archaeological sites and view the remains of the Amphitheatre and the Antonin Baths. The Dougga and Bulla Regia Roman ruins are another excursion well worth taking and the impressive hilltop site includes the Temple of Saturn and the majestic columns of the Capitol. Down at Medina of Sousse, you will find an old commercial and military port that is typical of how traditional towns looked in the first centuries of Islam.

Adventure activities

Whether you fancy a trip into the Sahara Desert or a tour around some famous film locations you are spoilt for choice when it comes to activities in Tunisia. You can travel through the enchanting Sahara by jeep or camel before trying out some skiing and go-karting across the dunes. If you’re a movie buff you can visit desert locations made famous in films such as The English Patient and Star Wars; the salt lakes of Chott el Djerid and the Matmata dwellings should not be missed. Nature lovers can take a trip to Ichkeul National Park in the north to explore the huge freshwater lake teeming with pink flamingos, storks and geese.

Tunisia offers something to suit every taste whether you’re a beach lover, a culture vulture or simply want to relax and become immersed in a different way of life. This is a country that will definitely provide some unforgettable travel experiences and memories at pretty much any time of the year.

Image by www.sqfp.info, used under the Creative Commons license.
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Lucy Hudson works in digital marketing and likes to share tips on holidays, online shopping and writing, through blogging! She is also a keen swimmer and is learning to be a pro at Pilates.

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[SPONSORED] Beauty for the road

Girls, this one is for you!

How difficult is it for you to choose what beauty products to take with you for the road?

My answer - really difficult. Because I travel with carry-on luggage only, all my toiletries have to be under 100ml for airport security - which is a pain, to say the least!

When I look for toiletries to take with me when I travel, I'm generally looking for three things - size, efficacy, and multitasking ability. Size is an easy one to solve, since it's usually simple to transfer items from larger bottles into smaller, travel size ones. That means that multitasking ability and efficacy of beauty products then become my #1 concern.

What do I mean by multitasking ability? I mean a product performing more than one function. I'll want a moisturiser that comes with SPF so that I can take one product instead of two. But perhaps even more than that, I'll want products that actually do what they say they're going to do.

If your bathroom at home looks anything like mine, then you probably have more beauty products than you know what to do with. (I've actually had people come over and comment that it looks like a whole shop in there!)

There must have been a point in time I was trying to create the feeling of living in Boots.

Most people who travel once in a while can get away with leaving the majority of their beauty products at home and picking them up again once they get back from their travels. But because I'm on the road so much, I need to take these products with me or it feels like I'll barely be using them at all!

Recently, I've started moving toward using a bare minimum of hyper-potent products. I've got super duper temperamental skin - it's combination when I'm up north where the air is drier, but in the tropics where humidity is pretty darn near saturation my face looks oily as anything.

Bear in mind that everyone's skin is different, so what works for me might not necessarily work for you - but here's a short list of my favourite travel-friendly skincare products!

Kiehl's kiehls skin care, $38 / Face moisturizer, $31 / Carmex , $5.04 / L'Occitane , $34 / L Oréal Paris beauty product, $23

Among my favourites in this list are this eye cream by Kiehl's, and the wonderful hand and foot butters by L'Occitane (although to be honest, I absolutely love the smell of almost everything by L'Occitane!) Also, retinol creams are fantastic for keeping blackheads away - after all, you do want your travel photos to look good, don't you?

If you've got any products that are your travel favourites, remember to let me know!

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[SPONSORED] How do you dress?

Hey everyone!

First of all, I'm so so sorry for having neglected this space! It's been kind of hectic trying to move everywhere at once - I'm back in Singapore now, and I'm trying to catch up with a ton of things on top of editing photos and readying them to be uploaded here - and then I've got to write entries and school's starting and I'm expecting a new member of the family (more info to come soon! Squee!) and it's all rather chaotic and hectic right now.

But that's really no excuse to having not written anything for this long, so I'm going to shut up right now and get down to it.

Today's topic is on dressing while you're travelling. We know how difficult it is to dress stylishly while you're travelling - there's always so much going on and you have to balance a thousand different things at once - plane tickets, accommodation, language barriers, and really who's got any time to think about what's hot on the runways?

I know I don't.

But that doesn't mean it's impossible to look good while you're travelling. I find that it's easier to carry a few basic and staple items with you that you can mix and match rather than try to fit your entire walk-in-closet in one suitcase.

I like to match very simple basics with little pops of accessories.

mbyM white shirt, $39 / Tinseltown polka dot denim shorts / New Look Brown pumps, $28 / ALDO / Tory Burch patterned scarve / Helene Berman striped floppy hat, $44

I find that it's helpful to work either with a lot of neutrals or with a very definite one pop of colour. No prizes for guessing here - my colour is turquoise! It's my favourite colour, and one that looks good on me which is why I own a ton of turquoise accessories.

I like matching this white-and-turquoise combination with a pair of leopard print pumps - these fold flat and are super easy to take with you, and add a little bit of sassiness to pretty much any outfit!

So really, my secret is just to own a lot of basics and accessorise with what I have. That's how I keep my travel weight down while managing not to look like a crazy hobo while spending long periods of time on the road!

So tell me, everyone - how do you dress for the road?

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[SPONSORED POST] A checklist for unforgettable skiing

Editor’s note: This guest post was written by Catherine Lavinia for Neilson Holidays.

All holidays start the same way – on the day of departure, there’s always a niggling feeling that you’ve forgotten something. Whether it’s something that missing from your suitcase or worrying that you’ve left the hall light on, it’s easier to think with a straight head if you don’t panic. Once you’re at the airport, what’s done is done – there’s no going back now, so let’s hope you have everything you need in your bags!

When you’re having a skiing holiday, there are some items that are absolutely essential. Ski lift passes, equipment and appropriate kit for the slopes are some of the things you absolutely mustn’t forget – your time on the piste just won’t be the same without them.

Once you have booked yourself in to one of the catered ski chalets in your chosen resort, the best thing you can do is write a checklist of essential items which you can refer to when it comes to packing your bag. This list should include the following crucial items:

• Lift Passes – While these are available to buy in the resort, pre-booking ski lift passes in advance can save you a great deal of money!


• Ski & Equipment Hire – If you don’t have your own kit, ski and equipment hire is vital. Specialist fitters will measure you so that your boots, skis and snowboard are all snug and comfortable, giving you the tools you need to enjoy the slopes in style.


• Ski School – Although most resorts offer skiing lessons, try taking advantage of deals by keeping an eye out ahead of time.


• Ski Gear – From thermal layers to salopettes and a ski jacket, ensuring you’re warm and protected on the piste is crucial. Take some sunnies or goggles too to keep the sun’s rays out of your eyes. Also pack some Sunblock and SPF lip balm – it’s amazing how strong the sun is, even when it’s snowing!

Most of all, look forward to having an unforgettable time on the mountains – it’ll be worth it.

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[SPONSORED POST] How to pack light for cruises

Editor’s note: This guest post was written by Catherine Lavinia for Thomas Cook cruises.

It can be challenging to prepare for a cruise, especially if it’s your first one and you’re unsure about what to take. If you’re flying from a port abroad and the cruise is less than 7 days, you may not want to pay for hold luggage if you can fit it all into your carry-on.

If the airline you travel with were to lose your luggage in transit, your entire trip could be ruined. travelling on cruises is less straightforward than a beach holiday, because unlike a regular vacation where luggage can catch up with you easily your days at sea make luggage retrieval difficult.

When heading off on week-long cruises such as those offered by the Thomson Celebration and Thomas Cook cruises, it’s no wonder then that many people opt to just take a carry-on bag. Knowing how to pack properly and maximise your space can be very helpful!

The key is to pack lightly. Avoid cramming in items of clothing that you probably won’t need (such as 7 pairs of shoes, ‘just in case!’). Be aware of the dimensions and weight you’re allowed, and keep an eye on the liquid limitations so that you know that whatever you pack will be allowed onto the plane.

Many airlines offer a 10kg limit nowadays which, if a little savvy, is plenty. Use a bag that is within maximum measurements, but only just.

Rather than packing seven different day outfits and similar amounts of evening outfits, compromise! Many cruises don’t require a formal dress code anymore so don’t worry about suits and evening dresses. Instead, pack multi-purpose items that can be mixed and matched. Pack a pashmina rather than heavy cardigans to keep the chill off your shoulders when required. Accessories don’t take up much space, so make use of them to glam up your attire.

While for many people, this may seem like too much hassle and they’d prefer to pay for the hold luggage, for others, it can be a handy, budget-breaking alternative that offers ultimate peace of mind.

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