Sítio do Pica-pau

Advantages: an enchanting place
Disadvantages: none

...One of the lesser known attractions of Puerto de la Cruz, the resort in the north of Tenerife, is the Orchid Garden Sitio Litre. The mansion was built in 1730 and in 1774 the British merchant Archibald Little bought it together with a piece of land which he converted into a beautiful garden. Sitio is the Spanish word for site and the surname Little somehow changed into Litre. In 1856 the Vice Director of Bristol College, Charles Smith, purchased the property, his family owned the house until 1996, the mansion is still privately owned, but the garden has been opened to the public. Together with the ticket the visitors get a brochure and a list of all the plants and their names (which is to be returned), number plates are stuck into the soil so that the visitors interested in botany can inform themselves. A map shows the lay... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Near Cebu City and Mactan with its Resorts and Hotels - good connection by commuter ferry transportation
Disadvantages: Overpriced packages offered by some tour operators!

...transport between the barangays and sitios in the island. The island's main roads are mostly sandy. There are seven barangays in Olango Island, and it has a total land area of 954 hectares. Santa Rosa's area is 321 hectares and has about 4,500 inhabitants making it the largest barangay and the gateway to the island. Olango Island belongs to the City of Lapu Lapu in Mactan. The island has its own electric power plant also in Santa Rosa. Olango's rock base is coral limestone and littoral flats with thin sand or silt substrate and exposed rock base. The alluvium occupies mostly the coastal area of the island. Most of the 920 hectares is composed of calcareous sand, derived from the weathering of the limestone mixed with shell fragments. Olango Island has relatively few plant species. In the sanctuary, there are 27 species of mangroves... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Lots of fun, loads to do, easy to get to other places
Disadvantages: Can be very dangerous

...I used to live in Mexico city. There are a couple of things that all travellers there should know. For a start, never take a taxi off the street. Get your hotel to call you a sitio taxi. Your name and destination are then recorded. This is important because in Mexico City there are many kidnappings, muggings and murders. You will be targeted if you don't look latino. If for some reason you have to get in a taxi off the street there are a couple of things that you can do to protect yourself. The first is to make sure the license plate starts with an 'L'or an 'S' if it doesn't it probably means that the taxi is stolen and that the person driving it is in a crime ring which mugs passengers. The second check is to make sure that the number on the license plate matches the number on the side of the door. The third check... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful