Holiday Travel and Tourism Advisor

Tokyo is a huge and often confusing city for travelers, but with these tips you needn't be daunted by the Japanese capital.


100 Yen shops are great value for money.

Subway
Tokyo has an incredibly efficient subway, but the 13 lines are run by two different companies, Toei Subways and Tokyo Metro, meaning a bewildering variety of day passes are available. A good bet is the Toei and Tokyo Metro One-Day Economy Pass, which costs ¥1,000 and gives you a day of unlimited travel on all subway lines. During rush-hour the subway becomes an unbearable crush. All social niceties go out the window in a free for all that's best avoided completely.

Taxis
During the day traffic can be gridlocked, but in the evening, when traffic is lighter, taxis are reasonably alternative to the subway. Enter and exit taxis by the back left-hand door. Don't make the novice's error of trying to open or close the door -- your white-gloved driver will do that from the front seat. Ideally, have a map of your destination, or at least an address written in Japanese. Tipping is not expected.

ATMs
Although Tokyo is ultra-modern, you may have to revert to carrying travelers' checks for the duration of your stay. Few ATMs accept foreign cards, although you should have more luck at post offices and branches of Citibank.





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ATMs in busy areas stay open until 9 p.m. and most are closed at weekends, although Citibank has 24-hour ATMs. Credit cards are still not accepted as widely as you might expect, so travelers' checks are your best bet -- and make sure you're carrying cash if you're planning a night out away from the city center.

What's on
The best way to keep up with events and entertainment is with one of Tokyo's English language magazines. Metropolis and Tokyo Notice Board are two of the best -- and they're both free.

100 Yen shops
These bargain stores are hugely popular in Tokyo, selling everything from food to toiletries for ¥100 plus ¥5 tax -- about $1. They are also a great place to pick up an inexpensive, kitschy souvenir. Daiso 100-Yen Shop in Takeshita-dori (Village 107 Building, 1-19-24 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku) has four floors of cheap thrills.


Etiquette
As a foreigner, having a generally courteous demeanor will cover a multitude of sins, but there are a few rules you should try to remember:

- Never use your chopsticks to take food from someone else's and don't stick your chopsticks upright in your food when you've finished -- both of these denote funerary customs.

- If you're eating with other people, don't pour your own drink. Fill your neighbor's glass and wait for them to reciprocate.

- The Japanese don't pour sauces onto their rice. Leave any sauces in their serving dish and dip your food in lightly.

- It's a faux pas be seen eating in public -- especially on a train. And blowing your nose in public is an absolute no-no.




What are your tips for a great stay in Tokyo? Where have you found the "real" Tokyo? Send us your suggestions in the "Sound Off" box below and we'll print the best.

Tokyo: Stay in style
From luxury hotels in colossal tower blocks to traditional "ryokan" and functional capsule hotels, there's plenty of variety in Tokyo's hotel scene.


If you can afford it -- and you probably can't -- you owe it to yourself to stay at the Peninsula Hotel (1-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku). As well as overlooking the Imperial Palace, what makes this hotel so special is the incredible array of high-tech mod cons in the rooms.

There are wall panels that show the outdoor weather conditions, in-room nail dryers and espresso machines and, best of all, the toilets have a heated, self-lifting seat and built-in power deodorizer -- ingenious.

Another top-end option is the Park Hyatt (3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku), immediately recognizable as the setting for the movie "Lost in Translation." The hotel occupies floors 41 to 52 of the Shinjuku Park Tower, and with breathtaking views over the city and towards Mount Fuji, its popularity with visiting celebrities is understandable.

A more economical option is the Park Hotel Tokyo (Shiodome Media Tower, 1-7-1, Higashi Shimbashi), which also has great views, along with modern, unfussy rooms. The hotel even employs "Pillow Fitter" staff to make sure you get a good night's sleep. Marunouchi Hotel (1-6-30 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku) has comfortable rooms and is surprisingly luxurious for a business hotel.


A "ryokan" is a traditional Japanese-style inn, often featuring communal baths and rooms with futons and "tatami" (straw mat) flooring. They also tend to be cheaper than regular hotels.

Family-run Ryokan Sawanoya (2-3-11 Yanaka, Taito-ku) is cheap and homely. The English-speaking owner is exceptionally helpful and keen to immerse you in Japanese culture. If you're lucky, his family will put on a tea ceremony or lion dance for your viewing pleasure.

Ryokan Asakusa Shigetsu (1-31-11 Asakusa, Taito-ku) is a more expensive but more traditional option. Most rooms have private bathrooms but it's worth using the communal baths just for the views of the nearby five-storied pagoda. 'Western-style' rooms are also available.

If you're on a tight budget, or just curious, you could always try a 'capsule' hotel, where guests sleep in coffin-sized capsules, just big enough to sit up in. Aimed primarily at workers too tired or too drunk to make it home, capsule hotels are only really suitable for single-night stays.

Asakusa Riverside Capsule Hotel (2-20-4 Kaminarimon, Taito-ku), with a women-only floor, is one of the few capsule hotels in Tokyo that allows female guests. You'll be provided with a dressing gown and toothbrush and you'll have access to communal bathing facilities. Be sure to take earplugs, as the snores of drunken salarymen won't do much for your beauty sleep.

From ancient Phoenician galleys to 21st century super yachts, a lot has changed about the way people travel the high seas over the centuries.


The Mirabella V, built in 2003, is the world's biggest single-masted sailing yacht, with a mast that is nearly 300 ft tall.

1 of 3 Whether it's one intrepid "micro-yachtsman" navigating the Atlantic in a boat the size of a bathtub, or an elite racing team shattering world records in a state-of-the-art catamaran, these voyages all have one thing in common: they have altered the way mankind looks at the world.

MainSail takes a look at the ships, and the revolutionaries they carried on their way.

Voyage of the Beagle

When: 1831
Who: Naturalist Charles Darwin
Where: Galapagos Islands
The boat: The HMS Beagle was a 90 ft, 10-gun former British Navy warship built in 1820. The ship was repurposed and commissioned for civilian exploration voyages in 1825.
How long: Five years
Legacy: Aboard the HMS Beagle, Darwin collected specimens and began to develop his theories of evolution, which would later crystallize in "The Origin of Species."

Columbus discovers the New World

When: 1492
Who: Italian explorer Christopher Columbus
Where: From Spain to the Caribbean
The boats: The Santa Maria was a 70 ft, three-masted ship built from pine and oak, that could carry 40 men. The Nina and the Pinta were both smaller, nimbler boats with triangle-shaped masts better for navigating tricky waterways. The square-sail Santa Maria ran aground in modern-day Haiti on Christmas Day 1492.
Legacy: Searching for a new way into the East Indies spice route, it was aboard these three ships that Columbus unintentionally discovered the Caribbean.

'Micro-yachtsman' crosses the Atlantic in miniature boat

When: 1993
Who: American Hugo Vihlen
Where: Across the North Atlantic, from Newfoundland to Cornwall, England
The boat: The Father's Day, the world's tiniest sailboat at a length of 5 ft 4 in, was so small that Vihlen had to roll up into a ball to sleep, and couldn't stand up without opening the hatch and risk taking on water. Likened to a space shuttle, the boat is made from fiberglass-enclosed Airex foam and was fitted with GPS, a water maker, VHF radio and SSB/Ham radio.
Legacy: Aboard the Father's Day, Vihlen became the world's first "micro-yachtsman," but it wasn't all smooth sailing -- the boat was surrounded by whales, nearly capsized, and caught the tail end of a hurricane during its 105-day voyage. What world-changing voyages would you add to our list? Sound Off below

Magellan navigates Cape Horn

When: 1519
Who: Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan
Where: Around the world bypassing Cape Horn, South America via a narrow strait
The boat: Given to Magellan by King Charles I of Spain, The Victoria was the only one of five ships to complete the trip successfully. Only 18 of its original 237 crew members survived and the ship was so badly damaged it was only kept afloat by the crew continuously pumping water out of the hull.
How long: Three years
Legacy: During the first ever circumnavigation of the world Magellan discovered a shortcut through a waterway in the southern tip of Chile, which helped sailors to avoid the almost continuous ocean storms off Cape Horn. The voyage also established the need for an international date line -- as the explorers found upon return that their calendars were one day off.





Pilgrims sail to Plymouth Rock

When: 1620
Who: The Pilgrims
Where: From England to Plymouth Rock
The boat: Primarily used as a cargo ship, in this instance the Mayflower, which was estimated to be between 90 and 110 ft, was used to transport 102 English separatists.
How long: Two months
Legacy: Half the Pilgrims died during the first winter on the Mayflower, but, in America, the ship continues to be a symbol of the bold English separatists who would encounter great hardships while they explored, and established colonies the modern-day U.S. east coast.

Cook charts the Pacific

When: 1772-1775, 1778-1780
Who: English cartographer and explorer Captain James Cook
Where: Pacific Ocean, Antarctic Circle
The boat: Called "the fittest ship for service I have ever seen" by Cook, the HMS Resolution was fitted with the most advanced technology of the day, including an "Azimuth compass," an ice anchor, a fresh water distiller, and 24 guns and small cannons.
How long: Five years
Legacy: Cook charted maps of the Pacific so accurate that many were still used up until 50 years ago, and proved the nonexistence of the mythical "Terra Australis" continent believed to exist in the south Pacific. In the process, the HMS Resolution became the first ship to cross the Antarctic Circle.

First solo circumnavigation of the globe

When: 1895
Who: Canadian sailor Joshua Slocum
Where: From Boston to Rhode Island
The boat: Given as a gift to Slocum in 1892, the rotting 36 ft vessel, The Spray, the sailor restored it for "$553.62, and 13 months of my own labor."
How long: Three years
Legacy: Slocum became the first person in history to successfully circumnavigate the world solo upon his return to Rhode Island in June 1898, inspiring generations of sailors to come.

Yacht with tallest mast ever sets sail

When: Built in 2003
Who: Owned by American Joe Vittoria, former CEO of Avis
Where: From Portsmouth, England to the Mediterranean Sea
The boat: With an overall length of 247 ft, the Mirabella V is the largest single-masted boat in the world. The super-yacht's unprecedented mast extends up nearly 300 ft into the sky, and its main sail is over 16,000 sq ft -- the biggest in the world.
Legacy: No expense was spared in the construction of Vittoria's luxurious yacht, which cost over $50 million to build. The Mirabella V spends her winters in the Carribean, her summers in the Mediterranean, and can be rented for around $400,000 per week -- but one tip: there isn't a single bridge in the world that the yacht can sail underneath.

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Phoenicians build empire on the seas

When: 1200-600 B.C.
Who: Expert sailors of Phoenicia's maritime empire
Where: Mediterranean Sea
The boats: The Phoenicians improved upon the galley -- the ancient ship powered by rows of human oarsmen -- by inventing the "bireme," a galley propelled by a second row of oars.
Legacy: Through their skillful use ships to trade valuable Tyrian purple dyes, the seafaring Phoenicians -- who could be considered the world's first "global capitalists" -- built a maritime empire from Spain to the Middle East that dominated commercial trade in the Mediterranean for the better part of a millennium.

Fastest circumnavigation of the globe

When: 2005
Who: French yachtsman Bruno Peyron
Where: Around the world
The boat: The Orange II, a 121 ft "maxicat," a catamaran designed for ocean racing, with super heavy-duty sails that can withstand prolonged exposure to heavy winds.
How long: 50 days, 16 hours, 20 minutes and four seconds
Legacy: The Orange II shattered the previous world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by nearly eight days -- and Peyron and his 12-man crew currently hold the Jules Verne Trophy, the prize given to the world's fastest circumnavigators.

TEL AVIV, Israel -- Tel Aviv celebrated its 100th birthday this spring, but this lively city on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean could just as easily be taken for a vivacious and confident 20-something.


The White City or 'Miami of the Middle East'; find your own Tel Aviv on a brief visit.

more photos » The city's modernist architecture has UNESCO World heritage status, but the most distinctive feature of the shabbier, yet decidedly cooler "Miami of the Middle East," is its boisterous atmosphere.

Tel Aviv is also a city of fascinating paradoxes: a single sex religious beach lies adjacent to a gay beach; on the Jewish holiday of Passover, there is virtually no bread to be found in the city, yet many restaurants serve rather un-kosher pork and seafood dishes.

Still the best quality of Tel Aviv may be the locals. While they can come off rowdy or downright arrogant -- in Yiddish it's called "chutzpah" -- Tel Avivians are also known for their candor and openness. Over the course of a simple chat, you could be asked how much you make in a year or if you are up for a trance party over the weekend.

A classic analogy likens the local personality to the sabra fruit of the cacti that blossom around the city's outskirts; prickly on the outside, sweet on the inside.

Start your day at Tel Aviv's former port, called the Namal by locals, one of the most popular neighborhoods of the city.

Closed as a port in the 1960's and resurfacing in the 80's as one of Tel Aviv's trendiest hang-out spots, the Namal boasts dozens of restaurants, open-air cafes, shops and night clubs.

At night, young, hip Tel Avivians invade the area for a night of dancing at countless clubs and bars, but in the morning the Namal is quiet and the perfect place to have breakfast while gazing out over the sea.

"Concept" restaurant Comme il Faut offers delicious organic and light dishes for a healthy start to the day.

If you are looking for a bit more substance to prepare for a day in the hectic city, head to Gilli's, a restaurant that prepares large, filling breakfasts.

From there, you can hire a bicycle at one of the Namal's rental stores and return it later across town. Cycling is a great way to get around with a wide pedestrian and bicycle lane running along the beach.

From the Namal, head south. The beaches on your right side are where tourists and Israelis alike spend much of their waking hours. Even at an early hour, you are likely to spot Frisbee throwers, surf boarders and kite-surfers lining the shores.

A few kilometers after the Namal is Banana Beach, named after its hip cafe, where you can stop for some sun and refreshments. On Friday afternoons amateur drummers gather for jam sessions.

From here, a short stroll or cycle will take you further south to Jaffa, the picturesque ancient port-city believed to be one of the oldest in the world and now home to a large number of Israeli Arabs.

Tel Aviv was originally created as a suburb of Jaffa, but the city quickly overtook its ancestor in modernity and practicality.

Yet Jaffa's charm lies in its timelessness; some of the structures date back 700 years to the Ottoman Empire. Here Jewish and Arab merchants sell beautiful objets d'art, old chairs and broken dolls, sitting side by side outside their makeshift stores and galleries.

One thing not to miss in Jaffa is Abulafia, a constantly busy over-the-counter bakery that sells delicious calorie-stuffed breads.

If you're still hungry, head to Puah, a scenic restaurant where everything from the chairs and tables to curtains and decoration has been purchased in the flea market. It's been said you can even purchase any of the restaurant's furniture to take home after your meal.

What do you think of Tel Aviv? Is it a Mediterranean gem or a muddled mix? Let us know using the "Sound Off" box below.

You can return your bike in Jaffa and walk or hop in a cab (they are everywhere, don't forget to ask for the meter or "moh-neh") to Neve Tzedek, an area founded in 1887 -- 22 years before Tel Aviv -- on land purchased by Aharon Chelouche, a prominent figure at the time in Jaffa.

Neve Tzedek is now Tel Aviv's most "artsy" area, with an atmosphere evoking a small artisan village. The classic neighborhood is home to some of Israel's most famous writers and artists.

The Chelouche family home has been turned into a beautiful museum with changing exhibitions.

Not to miss is the area's centerpiece, the Suzanne Dellal Center for dance and theater, an architecturally-pleasing host to some of Israel's world-renowned troupes and also a quaint place to stroll and have a coffee in one of its stylish cafes.

For a spot of shopping, next head to Shenkin street, where Tel Avivians shop for the latest trends. Don't expect high class, European-style boutiques. The fashion in Tel Aviv is laid-back and practical.

Nearby is the Nachlat Binyamin street, an arts and crafts market open on Tuesdays and Fridays, where you can find lovely hand-made presents.

When the sun starts to set head over to Tel Aviv's most beautiful street, Rothschild Boulevard, named after the famous French philanthropist Baron Edmond James de Rothschild.

The boulevard, with its large pedestrianized, tree-lined lane and outdoor coffee kiosks is home to a large concentration of Bauhaus buildings, an architectural-style that became Tel Aviv's trademark after Jewish architects who fled from WWII Germany used it in constructions around the city.

Tel Aviv's Bauhaus structures have earned it the name the "White City" and UNESCO World Heritage status in 2004. Meter for meter, Rothschild Boulevard is now the most expensive street in the city.

It's also a trendy place to been seen and a fine spot for dinner: Cafe Noir is said to serve the country's best schnitzel, but for a more laid-back atmosphere, head to La Champa, which serves mouth-watering Catalan food.

Nothing reflects the city's vitality as much as its nightlife.

To start your night on the town, head to the lively new bar Buba Mara, where music varies from 80's pop to Latino and hip hop. The atmosphere is fun with a crowd always dancing around the bar.

Most Israeli men and women spend at least two years fulfilling mandatory military service, and the minimum age of 25 in many bars reflects this. Rules seem to be bent for foreigners, however.


For real clubbing, head back to the Namal, where you'll have a wide range of choices. Whisky a GoGo or open-air Shalvata are popular choices.

Finally, for after-hour munchies as the sun rises back over the beach, head to nearby Benedict, a fun bistro open 24/7, which is, unsurprisingly, always full with people getting ready for another day.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Most visitors to SANTO DOMINGO understandably make a beeline for the Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo's large, substantially intact colonial district, home to dozens of wonderful old buildings and a dramatic setting right on the river. Many never bother to venture outside of this expansive, historic neighbourhood, but while it rates the most attention you should also make the effort to check out at least a few other diversions – especially around the barrios of the Gazcue and Malecón – throughout the city.

Madrid, Spain

Madrid became Spain's capital simply through its geographical position at the centre of Iberia. When Felipe II moved the seat of government here in 1561 his aim was to create a symbol of the unification and centralization of the country, and a capital from which he could receive the fastest post and communications from each corner of the nation. The site itself had few natural advantages – it is 300km from the sea on a 650-metre-high plateau, freezing in winter, burning in summer – and it was only the determination of successive rulers to promote a strong central capital that ensured Madrid's survival and development.

Nonetheless, it was a success, and today Madrid is a vast, predominantly modern city, with a population of some three million and growing. The journey in – through a stream of concrete-block suburbs – isn't pretty, but the streets at the heart of the city are a pleasant surprise, with pockets of medieval buildings and narrow, atmospheric alleys, dotted with the oddest of shops and bars, and interspersed with eighteenth-century Bourbon squares. By comparison with the historic cities of Spain – Toledo, Salamanca, Sevilla, Granada – there may be few sights of great architectural interest, but the monarchs did acquire outstanding picture collections, which formed the basis of the Prado museum. This has long ensured Madrid a place on the European art tour, and the more so since the 1990s arrival – literally down the street – of the Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza galleries, state-of-the-art homes to fabulous arrays of modern Spanish painting (including Picasso's Guernica) and European and American masters.

As you get to grips with the place you soon realize that it's the inhabitants – the madrileños – that are the capital's key attraction: hanging out in the traditional cafés or the summer terrazas, packing the lanes of the Sunday Rastro flea market, or playing hard and very, very late in a thousand bars, clubs, discos and tascas. Whatever Barcelona or San Sebastián might claim, the Madrid scene, immortalized in the movies of Pedro Almodóvar, remains the most vibrant and fun in the country. The city is also in better shape than for many years past, after a £500-million refurbishment for its role as 1992 European Capital of Culture and the ongoing impact of a series of urban rehabilitation schemes – funded jointly by the European Union and local government – in the older barrios (districts) of the city. Improvements are also being made to the transport network, with extensions to the metro, the construction of new ring roads and the excavation of a series of road tunnels designed to bring relief to the city's overcrowded streets. The authorities are even preparing a bid for the 2012 Olympics.