InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) just published the latest list of hotels available through their IHG RewardsClub PointBreaks promotion for as little as 5,000 per night (worth $25). It’s a longer list than usual with almost 200 hotels at reduced rates of 5,000, 10,000 and 15,000 points. The list has a number of interesting hotels in great destinations included, so check … Continue reading
Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is a fun city – and it has a long history you can explore in the historic buildings around town, like the red-brick St Anne Bernardine church. It’s worth a walking tour of Vilnius to see this and other beautiful buildings!
After a leisurely walk through Vilnius’ old town, I had picked the Lithuanian National Museum as my next sight to see for the day. I love to see and hear the history of a country from their own perspective and the museum came recommended by the lady at the tourist office as one of the top sights to see in … Continue reading
The Novotel Vilnius Central was my second hotel in Vilnius during my Baltic Explorer trip. I was very close to making Platinum in Accor’s LeClub program and picked it based on a promotion! It turned out to be a great choice: I enjoyed a beautiful suite in a central location at a reasonable price, making for a very good value! … Continue reading
Sometimes I pick a restaurant for the great food it offers, and sometimes for its location. I picked the Trattoria di Ravello for its location and ended up happy with the food as well. It’s located along the main pedestrian street in Vilnius’ Old Town, Pilies, and allows you to watch city life go by as you enjoy your food. … Continue reading
I stumbled upon my first dinner restaurant in Vilnius on my walk through the old town. along the winding alleys of the old Jewish quarter on Stikliu street: Bistro 18. I often check out the menus and was impressed by the modern, French-European cuisine on offer at very reasonable prices. I was looking forward to dinner there and it turned … Continue reading
Vilnius was the the last capital of the three Baltic Republics on my Baltic Explorer trip and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect in this landlocked city. It didn’t help that I arrived on the bus from Riga in the rain and the bus and train station are not in the nicest part of town. But things started to … Continue reading
Vilnius was the last of the Baltic capitals I visited on my Baltic Explorer trip and I was expecting it to be similar to the others. And it is, yet it also has a character all its own! It has a beautiful old town to wander, well organized museums to feed your cultural needs and great restaurants to feed your … Continue reading
My Baltic Explorer trip covered 7 cities in the Baltics, Poland and Germany over a period of 4 weeks. Despite staying at mostly mid-scale and upscale hotels, it was an inexpensive trip, compared to other European capitals! The Baltics turned out to be a great value destination, especially for family vacations! Similar to my ASEAN Explorer, I want to share … Continue reading
After the ASEAN Explorer earlier this year, I planned a second major trip for this blog and this time I’m covering North-Eastern Europe and explore Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, in combination with a trip to home to Northern Germany! I have never been to the Baltics or Poland and am excited to see these places! … Continue reading