San Andrés & Providencia

Advantages: A relatively gentle introduction to South America.
Disadvantages: For such a big city it lacks a little in visitor attractions.

...you arrive there is a good selection of city centre places that generally have a few beds to spare. Barrio Brazil is a noted area for cheap stays and the lively area of Bellavista is also worth a try if there is nothing going in town. Santiago has 3 standards of accommodation to choose from. At the top end there is a huge range of multi-star hotels. The most celubrious of these can be found in the upmarket comuna of Providencia not too far from downtown. A little cheaper but still beyond most budgets is the familiar bed and breakfast style of accommodation. The most popular option for backpackers, however, are the Residentials (or Casas depending on style adopted by the owners, Casas being rooms let out in a home environment) which are a cross between a hostel and a budget hotel. We had been given several recommendations for Residential... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Friendly, warm
Disadvantages:

...San Diego is a fantastic holiday destination. It is warm and sunny but as it is on the coast there are cooling sea breezes. The people are all friendly and there is fantastic shopping centre. The buildings are all painted in bright colours as the town used to be owned by Mexico. A place that must be visited is Balboa Park which has museums in it (some of which can be free on particular days) and also San Diego zoo. The park itself is lovely to walk around and has tress from all over the world. Another must is old town. This is a place with shops and restaurants which are in 'old style'. It has a mexican feel and is very relaxing. Basically San Diego is a must!... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Sun, Sea, Sand and Loads to Do
Disadvantages: It's Quite Expensive

...My husband is an American from San Diego, California, so we're often flying out there to visit. There are many lovely places in California to check out like San Diego Zoo, Disneyland, Universal Studios and Seaworld to name a few. Not forgetting to mention the gorgeous clean beaches. The weather in San Diego is absolutely perfect. It's no wonder they call California the 'Sunshine State.' My favourite tourist attraction would have to be Universal Studios in Hollywood. Various movies have been made there, and there is an exciting range of rides. Seaworld in San Diego, home of the famous Shamu, is another very popular tourist attraction. However, unless you are really into sealife, I would give this a miss as it is very expensive. To sum it up, I would highly recommend going to San Diego/California for a holiday, as it's a wonderful... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful