Ian and Wendy's Travel Blog

How to Drive 1,409kms/876 miles and Fly for 19 Hours in Two Weeks with a Toddler and Still Be Able to Call it a Vacation

Wendy — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:46:00 +0000

Passed out in our trusty G-Lite with a Booginhead SippiGrip keeping "Bear" safely attached

Recently we flew from San Francisco to Toronto. We followed up that five hour flight with a RIDICULOUSLY long 7 1/2 hour drive to Montreal. Then we made whirlwind visit to family in Ottawa and then drove back to Toronto just in time to catch our five hour flight to Aruba. There we spent a blissful week where our most pressing “problem” was – “pool or beach”? All that relaxation came crashing to an end though, when we boarded first a 4 hour flight to Charlotte and then another five hour flight from Charlotte back to San Francisco. Did I mention that we live a good hour and a half from SFO? Oh, yeah, and that we were traveling with our 16-month-old daughter? Thankfully she took all the car time and flights in stride. We invariably got off the plane to a chorus of “your daughter really travels well!”

Want to have this mini-miracle happen on your travels with your little one? Here are some great toddler travel toys that can help! Many of them can be “linked” on to your stroller, car seat, purse or belt loop, so they stay safely with you and don’t get left behind unintentionally. It was much easier to find toys that attached in this manner when our daughter was younger, but it seems just as important now! (Anything you buy on Amazon after following one of these links helps to support our site – thank you!)

1)Stroller Books. These great little books in the Maisy series come with a “leash” and a link to attach them to your stroller, car seat or even belt loop! There are four different titles, so they don’t get boring too quickly. The books are fairly small, so they’re easy for little hands to hold and lighter for mom and dad to carry. The only down side is that the “leash” is only attached to the book with Velcro. Most little ones old enough to enjoy books on their own also know how to open Velcro…but it’s nothing that some hot glue/crazy glue can’t fix! The link itself is also too easy to get off. Still working on a fix for that – let us know if you figure it out!

2) Eric Carle Stroller Cards. Like the Maisy stroller books, but these are individual (cardboard) “pages” that are on a great plastic link that’s actually completely closed. It comes with a fabric tether with a loop that actually snaps closed around your stroller, etc. Yes, we did initially choke at the price, but our daughter LOVES these things! They each feature a different texture and a beautiful Eric Carle drawing that keeps her entranced. That, combined with how well made they are, has us sold on stroller cards.

3) Dover Little Activity Books. These come in TONS of different themes, and despite the suggested age range, our 16-month-old had no trouble delightedly sticking the stickers all over the place – again and again! (Wendy used to teach kindergarten and can EASILY see a 5-year-old enjoying these as well). The books are really small – about the size of a post card. You get a scene that unfolds (so it’s twice the size of a postcard) and 3 or 4 sheets of stickers that can be re-used. Now, these are just regular stickers, not vinyl ones like Colorforms (which we’ll talk about in a minute, and which we also love). So, yes, they do tear and won’t last forever. But, for the price, you can easily afford to buy more! Also, because they’re regular stickers, your child can have hours of fun sticking them on you, and themselves! When we got them, we pulled out the staples that attach the sheets with the stickers to the background scene and then put it all back in a sandwich sized Ziploc bag. (Those of you who have read our post on Top 10 Items to make Travel with Baby Easy and Fun already know about our obsession with Ziplocs!) Since it’s SUPER light-weight, and very small, it’s also very easy to slip in your purse/diaper bag and bring to dinner. Given the price, you won’t be crying if it accidentally gets left behind.

4) Lamaze My Friend Emily and Lamaze Princess Sophie Play and Grow Toy. Our daughter is no longer interested in the different textures and sounds these toys make, but she does enjoy playing with dolls. These are perfect toys for travel since they can be linked on (unless you enjoy spending your flight desperately trying to retrieve items tossed under the seat/in the aisle, this is a GOOD thing).

5) Magnetic Sketcher. Draw over and over again and never make a mess! We loved that this one has a handle, which means that it can be attached with links to your stroller, etc. This is another toy that will definitely grow with your child.

6) Iplay Peek-A-Boo Bag Everything A To Z . We are SO happy with this toy! We actually went ahead and bought a second one, their Iplay Peek-A-Boo Bag – Sugar `N Spice (they also have a Iplay Peek-A-Boo Bag – Rough `N Tuff aimed at boys). We love that this is definitely a toy that will “grow” with your child. Right now, our toddler enjoys shaking it as a rattle, as well as searching randomly for the hidden objects. The toy comes with a fabric tag with a list of the items inside – in both words and pictures. So, when she’s a bit older, she’ll be able to search for specific items. Further on down the road she can search for the object that starts with ‘A’, etc. This is definitely a toy that we can see a 5+-year-old still enjoying, so it’s one we’re hopeful will get a lot of use! We also LOVE that it has a small fabric loop in one corner that makes it easy to attach to your stroller, etc.

7) Wonder Pets Fun Pocket by Colorforms. Colorforms makes a bunch of different themed sets, so there’s sure to be something that will catch your child’s eye. These are the super-tough vinyl “stickers” that stick to one of two background cardboard scenes that are included. (Have a window seat? They also stick to – and easily come off of – windows). These are much sturdier than the Dover Little Activity Books and will definitely last much longer. But, they’re also more expensive, and since the background scene is made from heavy cardboard – heavier and bulkier. Not as great for slipping in your purse, BUT – your child can’t decorate the seats/trays etc. with them, either.

Booginhead SippiGrip. Ok, so it’s not a toy. But it is fantastic at tethering not just sippy cups but also your child’s favorite teddy bear, without whom life might just stop and definitely no nap will ever happen peacefully again, to your stroller, belt loop, etc. Thanks to our SippiGrip, “Bear” made it safely through all our travels and we never had to suffer that stomach wrenching awful moment when you suddenly realize you don’t know where your child’s “loved one” is.

9) Tolo Toys Magic Shaker – It may not look like much, but its little beads that seem to change color when you tip it over keep our little one fascinated. It also makes a pleasant sound when shaken that she enjoys but that isn’t loud enough to be annoying to fellow passengers. There are “fun house” mirrors on the end that might interest other kids. Ours doesn’t seem to notice them much. It doesn’t stop her from loving this toy, though, and we love that it can easily be linked to wherever we need it!

10) Super Sticker Pack – We happen to be lucky enough to live very close to Mrs. Grossman’s factory. Despite all the “flashy stuff” we’ve bought for our daughter, nothing seems to beat the fun of lots and lots of stickers. Luckily they’re both cheap and lightweight – making them perfect for travel. We have some with us at all times, tucked away in my purse for that unexpectedly long wait for dinner, or that lovely extra time spent waiting on the tarmac before taking off. Combined with a small, lightweight sticker book they make for hours of fun on the go.

Now, lest you think that our child is simply calmer/less energetic than yours and that’s why she travels so well, let us put your fears at ease. This is the child, who, at 11:30PM at night (in the time zone we started the day in), was happily saying “buh-bye” to each and every passenger as they streamed off the plane by us while we waited for our gate-checked stroller. We are definitely lucky that she enjoys meeting new people and seeing new things. We also find that not having a fixed nap/meal schedule makes adjusting to time zone changes a lot simpler.

Of course, you can’t expect any small child to want to sit still all day long. So, before boarding any of those flights, and before a long car ride, too, we do our best to exhaust her. We’re the crazy parents you see chasing our child through the airport – on purpose! In the airport we use our stroller to transport our carry-ons – and have her push it! By the time we’re ready to board, she is usually so worn out she’s refusing to stand, much less walk. A fringe benefit is that all the exercise works up a great appetite, too. Meal/snack time – another great airplane time killer!

Have some more favorite travel toys that have kept your kids happy on long trips? Have you discovered another secret to keeping your baby / toddler / kid happy while traveling? Please share!

How We Get Money When We Travel – And Why We Never Used Traveler Checks

Ian — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:30:59 +0000

The magic ATM that finally gave us money in Tahiti

In all of our travels, we have never once used traveler checks. No matter where we go in the world, we’ve always been able to find an ATM. We have a well practiced ritual of hunting down an ATM as the first thing we do in any country. The only place we weren’t able to find an ATM directly in the airport was in Rarotonga (Cook Islands) where the ATM was a 5 minute walk down the road. Arriving by train can be a little more difficult (as we found in Vietnam in Hanoi, where we had a 20 minute trek with our packs from the station to find a working ATM).
Fees
The fees for withdrawing from an ATM can be quite steep – although our bank refunds us a portion of that. However, the currency exchange rate is favorable – there is generally no markup over the standard bank rate, unlike the 1-3% that credit cards will charge.
The Different ATM Networks
Although it’s really not an issue in the US, there are a couple of major international ATM networks: Plus, Star, and Cirrus. For this reason we always carry a couple of different bank cards around. In addition, daily limits can be fairly low – and in expensive countries, to avoid having to hunt down an ATM every other day, it’s nice to be able to take out a larger sum (and split up between several backpacks / money pouches, of course!) .
Cash advances with a credit card
If none of our bank cards work, we have used our credit cards for cash advances. This has a couple of disadvantages. The currency exchange rate is generally not as favorable, and the credit card company starts charging interest from the minute you withdraw the funds (at an extremely high interest rate, generally). However, this technique has saved us a couple of times – make sure to know the PIN for your credit cards before you leave. Once upon a time, we used a trick of over-paying our credit card before we left and withdrawing from that balance. When we moved to the US however, we found that the credit card companies had wised up to this and will write you a check to wipe out any positive balance before letting you use it for advances. This technique might still work if you hold a Canadian credit card.
USD as a Backup
We always carry at least $100 US everywhere we go. This is our "emergency cash", and can be very helpful – especially on arrival at the airport for any expenses before an ATM is found. The US Dollar is accepted almost everywhere.
And finally, the closest we’ve come to running out of money…
In Tahiti, the only bank machine we could reliably find that would work with international bank cards was in the airport – and even then, it would only work with a credit card. When we arrived, we didn’t withdraw much money, since we didn’t want to pay the hefty cash advance fees. We assumed that downtown Papeete would have international-friendly bank machines. Not so much! We ended up deliberately overpaying for a souvenir at a craft market, and getting the seller to give us cash back – which got us through to when we were able to get back to the airport to use the charmed international machine. (this is technically illegal, but she was really kind!) It turns out that the machines in Tahiti often depend on a microchip embedded in the card itself, and since US/Canadian cards don’t have that, they don’t work. (We used to have the same problem in France – the gas stations don’t have attendants on the weekend, and non-chipped credit cards didn’t work!)
In general, a couple of ATM Cards, a Visa/Mastecard, and as a last resort a bit of USD has always guaranteed we’ve never had any troubles getting local currency.

Naturally Fjordland Pizzeria, Te Anau

Wendy — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 02:59:00 +0000

The line-up is worth it at Naturally Fjordland Pizzeria in Te Anau. The pizza is as delicious as it is innovative! There is an additional seating area through the doorway you see on the right of the photo.

After a disappointing attempt at Italian food the night before, we decided to try our luck at the centrally located Naturally Fjordland Pizzeria. Right in downtown Te Anau, the restaurant is very relaxed and casual. The menu is listed on a large chalkboard behind the counter. You place your order there, and then your waiter brings your meal to you at your table. The restaurant is eclectically decorated and has shiny pine floors. There is outdoor seating with umbrella shaded tables. The service was a little slow, but very friendly. To be fair, the restaurant was very busy when we were there.

Naturally Fjordland Pizzeria’s serves a large selection of interesting different pizzas and some pasta dishes. There are lots of vegetarian options, including a vegetarian lasagna (as well as the traditional meat one). A 9” small pizza is approximately $15NZD and a 12” large pizza is approximately $24NZD. Can’t make up your mind? A “half and half” pizza is $24.80NZD. (This might also be a great option for two people sharing who want different things, since even the small pizza is quite large and half a large should be more than enough for one).

Wendy selected the “Vegetation” pizza. The pizza sports zucchini, sundried tomato, feta cheese and mushroom and is topped with aioli (garlic) sauce and honey. It was AWESOME. Served PIPING hot, the thin crust was light and covered in lots of toppings and wasn’t greasy, either. The combination of sweet and savory toppings was fabulous!

Ian’s choice was the “Godfather”. It was topped with salami, olives, sundried tomatoes, spinach and feta. The great quality ingredients were delicious!

Even though we’d ordered the small size, the pizzas were really quite big for one person. That didn’t stop either of us from eating the whole thing, however! It was just that good! We only wish we had a restaurant that served pizza like this near us!

This isn't the only outdoor seating at Naturally Fjordland Pizzeria. Apparently we sadly failed to take pictures of our delicious pizza. We must've been too busy wolfing them down!

Naturally Fjordland Pizzeria serves a variety of teas, coffees and desserts. The only problem was that we were completely stuffed after our delicious dinner! But, since it was so good, we just had to find room for dessert! Besides, how can you pass on dessert when “Orgasmic Organic Ice Cream” is on the menu? A small container was $4.50NZD. We chose “Chocolate Climax” which is chocolate ice cream with a chocolate fudge ripple. It was good, but sadly didn’t live up to its name. (There were no When Harry Met Sally moments…). More sweet than chocolaty, it certainly was no Ben & Jerry’s (we heartily recommend Flourless Chocolate Cake!) We washed it down with a moccachino, $4.50NZD, which was sadly disappointing. It was very light on the chocolate and heavy on the milk.

Despite the slightly disappointing end to the meal, we would love to go back!

La Toscana Pizzeria, Te Anau

Wendy — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:02:00 +0000

Trying to enjoy the outdoor seating at Te Anau's La Toscana Pizzeria

The downtown area in Te Anau is compact, easily explored on foot and full of restaurants. Our first night there we chose La Toscana Pizzeria for its outdoor seating and tempting menu. The restaurant also offers free delivery. Inside, the restaurant is decorated with bottles on the walls. It has a relaxed, casual feel. The warm summer night was beckoning, though, and we managed to snag one of their two outside tables.

Venison Pizza at La Toscana Pizzeria. Te Anau

Ian chose the Venison Pizza, $18NZD. The thin crust was topped with venison that was unfortunately slightly chewy. The sauce was sweet and the meat was accompanied by caramelized onions, mushrooms and pine nuts.

Wendy had the Large Pansotti, $19NZD, (medium, $14.50NZD). This vegetarian option turned out to be a disappointing dish of pumpkin ravioli with basil and parmesan. It was served al dente, but was surprisingly tasteless. The Italian tomato sauce it came with just didn’t complement the pasta, either.

Large Pansotti - pumpkin ravioli with basil and parmesan at La Toscana Pizzeria, Te Anau

There were jars of pre-grated (and very processed) parmesan on the tables. Not really what you would hope for in an Italian restaurant. The seating outside would have been very pleasant except that it was unfortunately smoky – really not something we appreciate and definitely not baby-friendly. To top it off, the food was served warm, but not hot. Overall, we weren’t impressed and wouldn’t be in a hurry to return.

The Reef Seafood Restaurant & Bar, Great Food and a Beautiful Lake View in Wanaka

Wendy — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:04:00 +0000

The balcony of The Reef Seafood Restaurant & Bar frames the beautiful view of Lake Wanaka

We arrived in Wanaka late in the afternoon and after settling into our hotel we headed down to the lake for a lovely stroll. There is a small strip of restaurants that face out over the lake. We checked out a bunch of different menus and chose to eat at The Reef Seafood Restaurant & Bar.

After a quick climb up the stairs with the stroller in tow, we were promptly seated at a table on their outdoor, covered balcony. The views out over the lake with the mountains in the background were amazing! It was the perfect setting for what proved to be a lovely dinner!

Fish of the Day at The Reef Seafood Restaurant & Bar, Wanaka

Ian ordered the Fish of the Day, $26NZD, which was monk fish on the day we ate there. He had a choice of breaded or battered. He chose breaded and wasn’t disappointed. The breading was very light and not heavy and the fish was served with a nice tossed salad.

Stacked Portobello and Vegetables, the vegetarian dinner option at The Reef Seafood Restaurant & Bar, Wanaka

Wendy ordered the vegetarian option – in this case a Stacked Portobello and Vegetables. There was a wide variety of roasted vegetables: tomato, potato, sweet potato, asperagus, little portobellos, carrots, kumara (a native potato-like vegetable) and turnips. They were all drizzled with a flavorful sweet and savory sauce. The dish came with naan which was passable but had oddly crispy parts.

The Chocolate Torte made a pleasant enough ending to our dinner at The Reef Seafood Restaurant & Bar

We were reluctant to leave the beautiful setting, so we decided to cap off dinner with some dessert. Ian had a cappuccino, naturally. Sadly, he was not impressed. There was not enough foam and the coffee itself wasn’t up to his standards. We split a Chocolate Torte, $9.50NZD. It was a reasonably good flourless cake with Gran Marnier and served with a pleasantly fresh whipped cream and some passable vanilla ice cream. The garnish of orange slices was a nice touch, but the cake just wasn’t chocolaty for our taste.

Ok, we couldn't choose between this and the other view shot. What can we say? The view of Lake Wanaka is amazing!

Overall, the setting, with that fabulous view, more than made up for any shortcoming of the food. The service was prompt and friendly and we would happily return!

Blue Ice Cafe, Franz Josef Glacier

Wendy — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:06:00 +0000

Apparently we weren't the only ones who got tired of waiting for our meal at the Blue Ice Cafe in Franz Josef, New Zealand

It was Valentine’s Day, so we headed out to the Blue Ice Cafe in Franz Josef. Their lower floor was packed and we had to come back at a slightly later time to get a table. They offered we could be served upstairs, so we checked it out. The upper floor is much more of a bar, with stools only and a pool table, so we chose to wait.

The lower floor has a nicer ambience and we were shown to a candlelit table. We were offered a highchair for our daughter, but it was really dirty and broken, to boot!

Small pizza at Blue Ice Cafe, Franz Josef

Wendy ordered a small pizza with spinach, onions, red peppers, mushroom and baby corn, $16NZD. It was more than big enough for one person and could probably be shared. The pizza was okay. Nothing special, but passable. It had lots of toppings, and the crust was very crispy and thin. Unfortunately it was also greasy, and took 25 minutes to arrive at our table.

Overcooked vegetables accompany the heavily breaded rack of lamb at the Blue Ice Cafe, Franz Josef

Ian’s rack of lamb, $34NZD got an A+ for presentation. It looked very appetizing and he was excited to dig in. Unfortunately the meal itself didn’t quite live up to the image. The lamb was breaded and very good but the breading itself had too strong a flavor. The vegetables were all sadly overcooked.

The service was friendly, if slow, but overall the food just wasn’t good. We wouldn’t be in a hurry to return.

Priya Indian Restaurant, Franz Josef

Wendy — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:56:00 +0000

The brightly colored interior of Priya Indian Restaurant in Franz Josef. Too bad the food was much less exciting than the color choices...

It was Wendy’s birthday, so we treated ourselves to a great afternoon soaking and unwinding at the Glacier Hot Pools in Franz Josef. When we finally stumbled out of there we were relaxed and ravenous! Right across the street we spied Priya Indian Restaurant and our dinner plans were made!

The interior is brightly painted and the restaurant’s large windows look out onto the street. The restaurant is very informal and we seated ourselves. We decided to share the Veggie Banquet Platter, $28NZD/per person. It includes a vegetable platter with assorted appetizers, two vegetable curries, pappadoms, basmati rice, plain naan, and vanilla ice cream or gulab jamum (a traditional Indian dessert).

We started off with the appetizer platter. The pakoras were oddly hard and lightly spiced. The bhagee were very greasy and tasteless. Sadly, we found nothing to be impressed with, and hoped for better from the rest of the meal.

The disappointment continued with the Butter Paneer ($17NZD if ordered on its own). The tasteless tomato sauce with tiny bits of chopped cashew did nothing to help the bizarrely chewy paneer. It was very odd. The bad luck continued with the dal, which was extremely disappointing. It was supposed to be red pepper dal. It had maybe two pieces of red pepper. We ordered it mild, since our baby was sharing our dinner. This dal went beyond mild. It was tasteless. The pappadams were too salty and not even served warm. The rice was terrible. Yes, you read that right. They managed to make terrible rice. Apparently, it can be done!

The not-so-appropriately named Veggie Banquet Platter at Priya Indian Restaurant in Franz Josef. If this were really what Indian food tasted like, we'd both be a lot skinnier...

We washed it all down with what was supposed to be a chocolate shake. It was much more like very, very sweet chocolate milk, since it wasn’t frozen or even thick.

Finally, dessert arrived. By this point we weren’t very hopeful, but we were pleasantly surprised! The gulab jamun was served piping hot and very, very sweet – just the way it’s supposed to be! It wasn’t even overly greasy (which can be a problem). Finally – something that tasted the way it was supposed to!

Overall, we clearly can’t recommend this restaurant. Despite the friendly service and the very convenient location, we would never choose to return.

The Lotus Heart – Fabulous Vegetarian Dining Right in Cathedral Square, Christchurch

Wendy — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:07:00 +0000

Peaceful, relaxed dining at The Lotus Heart - a great vegetarian restaurant right in Cathedral Square, Christchurch

We had been in Christchurch for a couple of days and had already exhausted our guidebooks’ restaurant recommendations one way or another. (Some we ate at, some were too pricy, some WAY too quiet for dining with a baby…). It was our last night there and we were wandering around, hoping to find some inspiration for a place to eat close to our hotel in Cathedral Square. At that point we were tired out from a great day of sightseeing, our daughter had passed out in the stroller, and we would probably have settled for Subway if one had presented itself. Luckily, instead we noticed a small sign, right around the corner from the Starbucks in Cathedral Square, that said “Vegetarian Cafe”. “Cafe” sounded reasonably priced and not overly fancy, Wendy’s vegetarian, so that seemed promising and we were right in Cathedral Square – about a 2 minute walk to our hotel. Sold!

We carefully walked up the long flight of stairs with our stroller carried between the two of us. There is no elevator and we sure didn’t want to wake a sleeping baby! We entered the restaurant (which also houses a gift shop and has a take away/take out in bio-degradable containers – with a charge for each container) and were treated to a great surprise! Approximately a million years ago (ok, actually, it was in 2000/2001) we lived in France. We spent lots of weekends in Paris (thank you now-defunct Air Liberte and your insane couples’ discount!) and ate at this awesome vegetarian restaurant there all the time. It was run by devotees of Sri Chinmoy – an Indian guru, and the walls of the restaurant were covered with his paintings. Well, we couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised than to walk into The Lotus Heart and see…the same paintings! Well, at least, the same style. Sure enough, The Lotus Heart is run by devotees of the same Sri Chinmoy! Now, the only question was, how would the food compare to our favorite restaurant in Paris?

The fabulous Masala Dosa at The Lotus Heart - delicious vegetarian food in Christchurch's Cathedral Square

We were quickly seated by the hostess, who, like the waitresses was dressed in a sari. Our table had a great view out over Cathedral Square and we were offered the use of a highchair (unfortunately, it was the only thing in the restaurant that wasn’t sparklingly clean). The restaurant is filled with lots of plants and there are fresh flowers on the tables. The menu ranges from “burgers” and pizzas to Indian favorites, with mains in the $20-$25NZD range. There is no alcohol served, but we accompanied dinner with a lovely bottle of sparkling grape juice.

Ian ordered the Masala Dosa, $20NZD. It was FABULOUS! The potato filling was very flavorful, yet still mild (and not just by his standards!). It was also HUGE! The dosa itself was slightly chewy and somehow managed not to be greasy. It was served on a banana leaf lined Indian metal plate.

Wendy had the Paneer Steaks, $25NZD. Cooked in maple syrup (!) and served with paprika roasted vegetables it was an awesome twist on an Indian favorite. Extremely flavorful and fabulously delicious!

Innovative and delicious Paneer Steaks at The Lotus Heart - a great vegetarian restaurant in Christchurch's Cathedral Square

Dinner was so awesome that we decided to order dessert, too! Ian accompanied his with a cappuccino. It came hot (as it should) and with a nice foam. The Chocolate Velvet Cake we ordered lived up to its name! It was FABULOUS (and Wendy does not say that lightly or without thorough “research” into chocolate cakes all over the world). Served with toasted almond ice cream, the cake was intensely chocolaty and very smooth. Well worth the fairly steep $11.60NZD! (It’s also available in a vegan version and the one we ordered was gluten-free!) The ice cream wasn’t creamy enough for our taste, but it did have lots of almonds and paired well with the chocolate cake.

Overall, we had a wonderful dinner at The Lotus Heart. Even for a confirmed non-vegetarian like Ian, there was plenty of choice and the food was filling and delicious. Vegetarians and vegans will especially delight in the wide array of choice. The friendly, prompt service, fabulous location and great views are just the icing on a great cake. We only wish The Lotus Heart was located a bit closer to us, so we could go back!

Topkapi Turkish restaurant – Fast, Friendly Service and Good Food in the Heart of Christchurch, New Zealand

Wendy — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 20:15:00 +0000

Topkapi Turkish Restaurant - family-friendly dining in Christchurch, New Zealand

We’d been at a Tweetup with fellow travel bloggers and suddenly realized it was quite late for dinner. Topkapi Turkish Restaurant’s fast service soon had us tucking into some great food. They’ve been in business for over 20 years, and it’s easy to see why! Their reasonable prices and friendly service make it easy to relax and enjoy the interesting decor and low tables with bench seating.

Ian had the Lamb Iskander. It was served on a bed of rice with carrots and couscous and was delicious! Wendy had lots of vegetarian choices for dinner, all around $19NZD. She chose the Falafel Iskander and found it very flavorful. Ian finished up the meal with some baklava which was very good – sweet, but not overflowing with honey.

The waitresses were very accommodating of our baby and we definitely felt welcome eating there as a family. Their reasonable prices still not within your budget, or looking for something even faster? Takeaway/ take-out is also available and is much cheaper. According to their website, they also occasionally have belly dancing!

What Does The iPhone 4 Have To Offer Travelers? Top 5 New Features!

Ian — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:59:00 +0000

iPhone 4 and Stoaway Bluetooth Keyboard

Normally, we don’t travel with much technology. A small unlocked cellphone for emergencies, and sometimes a PDA (remember those?). However we recently took the plunge and each got an iPhone 4. There are several improvements in the iPhone 4 that make it an even more compelling travelling companion than previous generations of the iPhone.

1. Facetime

Facetime uses the iPhone 4’s new front-facing webcam to allow video calling. It is very simple to use – just call up any other iPhone 4 user, and click on "Facetime" and suddenly you’re video chatting with each other. At the moment, this is limited to iphone 4 users, but that will inevitably change as Apple has promised that Facetime is an open standard (and thus can be adopted by other devices). For people roaming the globe, one important part of Facetime is that it is currently wifi only – it will not work on cellular data networks. Although this means you won’t be able to video chat with your mom from the Great Wall, this also means that video chats are free of carrier roaming charges. So long as your hotel/hostel/cafe has wi-fi, you can Facetime anyone in the world, for free.

2. Native Bluetooth Keyboard Support

As fun as typing a long blog post on an iPhone is, it can take quite a long time. With iOS 4 (built into the iPhone 4), Apple now supports bluetooth keyboards. I recently tried out an old iGo Stowaway Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard that we had lying around. The iPhone discovered the keyboard immediately, told me what to type to pair it with the keyboard, and it was done. Every app now works with the keyboard. Yes, the “ultra-slim” keyboard is still about 3 times the size of the iPhone itself, but it’s still better than carrying around a netbook / laptop.

3. Camera – Amazing HD Video and Great Still Images

Photo of our local market, taken with iPhone 4

The iPhone 4 has a 5 megapixel camera on the back, with an LED flash. We’ve been very impressed with the quality of the photos (especially outdoors), as well as the HD video it produces.

It’s very easy to share these on social networking sites and “blog on the go”. The video can be edited with iMovie, which makes it surprisingly easy to throw together a good looking professional video (unlike the one below). Getting the video onto the internet while preserving quality is a little more difficult – uncompressed HD video upload is not supported natively (Apple expects you to plug in to a computer to access the video). However, there’s an app for that – www.pixelpipe.com , although a little rough around the edges, it enables 720p video upload to any number of sharing websites. See below for a sample of how the video looks.

iPhone 4 Video – Click to see it in HD

4. “Retina” High Resolution Display

The iPhone screen now has a much better resolution of 960 × 640 pixels. This makes a big difference when using the iPhone as a browser – for instance, the Safari browser has incredible detail, making it much easier to read detailed text pages.

5. Battery Life

With a claimed 40% longer talk time and much longer standby time, this is useful when days can go by before you can next “plug in”.

And, we’re not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing yet, but:

Micro-SIM Standard

For those who jailbreak their iPhones (not us – yet!), the iPhone now supports micro-SIM’s. We’re not sure if this is more common yet overseas – please let us know if you think this is a positive or a negative in the comments!

Do you have an iPhone 4? What do you think? Please let us know in the comments!