Posted By: Norman A. Rubin, England

The fair country of England is quite famous for its ghostly apparitions from the shade of Hamlet's father in the play 'The Tragic History of Hamlet', the ghost of Marley in the Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and to the delightful Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde.

For the lover's of ghostly spirits there are today many old manor houses, castles and abbeys in the British Isles that are rumored to be haunting grounds for an assortment of spooks. Here are a number of edifices compiled by the National Trust of England that would be of interest to ghost hunters and also for other visitors.

BICKLING HALL, NORFOLK: Blickling Estate is a treasure trove of romantic buildings, beautiful and extensive gardens and a landscaped park. You might hear the dying groans of Sir Henry Hobart who was killed in a duel, or witness Ann Boleyn's unhappy spirit wandering through the stately manor in your vis

BUCKLAND ABBEY: In the 13th cent Buckland Abbey was home to the Cistercian monks who built the Abbey and worked and farmed the estate grounds. Later two swashbuckling seafaring adventurers – Sir Richard Grenville and Sir Francis Drake – changed the shape of the abbey to their tastes and the fate of the country with their daring deeds. Today both of their spirits, accompanied by hell hounds, are rumored to haunt the former abbey. COTEHELE, CORNWALL: Cotehele is a sturdy Tudor manor house with many stories and legends that will interest the visitor through a guided tour. The rooms and halls are ornamented and festooned with tapestries and adorned with textiles, arms and armor, pewter, brass and old oak furniture. A visitor can explore the pleasant Valley Garden, which includes a medieval stewpond and dovecote, the Upper Garden or the two orchards planted with local apples and cherries. Yet it is haunted by the sounds of strange music, hazy figures and there is musky strange smell that permeates the interior. EAST RIDDLESDEN HALL: Visitors to the edifice can examine the exquisite embroideries and blackwork, oak furniture and pewter in the interior of the Manor House. A visitor can also enjoy strolling through the gardens of East Riddlesden with pink cherry trees, clematis, borders, daffodils and soothing lavender beds. Yet, despite the tranquility there are spirits that haunt the estate. One will encounter the White Woman who drowned in the ground's fish pond or meet the Grey Lady whose husband locked her in her room and starved her to death. RUFFORD OLD HALL, LANCANSHIRE: The hall is one Lancashire's finest 16th-century Tudor buildings, where William Shakespeare once performed for the owner, Sir Thomas Hesketh, and his esteemed guests.. As with all historic edifices it is decorated and ornamented with a fine collection of furniture, arms, armor and tapestries. The estate grounds are delightful where a visitor can enjoy the gardens, topiary and sculpture and a walk in the woodlands, alongside the canal. You will meet the spirit of the Lady in Grey, Elizabeth Hesketh who became ill while her husband was at war overseas. She vowed she would not leave this world without saying goodbye to her dear husband, who never returned. HAM HOUSE, SURREY: Ham House, rich in history, lore and atmosphere, is one of a series of grand houses and palaces alongside the River Thames. Ham manor house is largely the vision of Elizabeth Murray, Countess of Dysart, who was deeply embroiled in the politics of the English Civil War in the 1670's and subsequent restoration of the monarchy. The fine interiors and historic gardens make this a fascinating place to visit. The spirit of the Countess lingers there – maybe she can't bear to leave her masterpiece she created or she is paying for her misdemeanors during her play at politics. Outside of 'ghostly encounters', The National Trust of England founded in 1895 to preserve places of historic interest or natural beauty permanently for the nation and visitors alike to enjoy would be of interest. Every one of the National Trust's historic houses is unique and holds the secrets of those who once lived and worked there; the garden and landscape surrounding these interesting and well ordered historical sites promises amazing views and different beauty with each season. Also the National Trust looks after forests, woods, fens, beaches, farmland, downs, moorland, islands, archaeological remains, castles, nature reserves, villages to the attention of visitors. – Are you planning a trip to the UK? Then why not make the most of your visit with the National Trust Touring Pass? A 7 or 14 day pass with maps will give you free entry to over 300 historic houses and gardens in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Posted By: tommy, london

I recently returned from 3 months stay to Mauritius where my family and I stayed in a short term rental apartment. This can provide some significant savings in comparison to hotels, particularly on food. At this time of year many companies are offering up to 25% low season discounts. We booked through villamauritius. co.uk whom I would recommend thanks to their quick and reliable service.

Posted By: Rashida Tayabali, Sydney, Australia

My partner and I recently returned from a trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The best way to experience the food is by eating in street cafes/kiosks.

Most of KL's major areas have one or two streets allocated to about a dozen kiosks.Majority of them run by the Malays are halal(acceptable to Muslims)and clean.

Two people can eat a huge meal for AUD$3 including drinks in total. Do not bother eating at fancy restaurants as the food is much better in these cafes.

Posted By: Pierre drake, thailand

Most of Thailand’s secrets have long been common knowledge, but there is still one little island - Koh Lipe - which stands out as a slice of paradise and is only now just being discovered.Bangkok, Thailand, 17th, February, 2009 - Koh Lipe (http://www.kohlipemapcom), a small island in the Andaman Sea, is a little gem 60 km off the coast inside the Tarutao National Marine Park. Koh Lipe has become the southern anchor of the busy north-south Andaman tourist route and getting there these days couldn’t be easier with boats arriving from all up and down the coast including Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, Krabi and Trang. Koh Lipe is also the jumping off point to Langkawi and Malaysia. At its largest the island is only 2 km long and 1 km wide. With 2 main beaches each with their own distinct character, there is something for everyone. The busy one, Pattaya beach has a wide beach stretched in a long crescent of fine white sand. In the evening it transforms as restaurants and bars set out chairs and bamboo mats on the sand and lit by candle light, reggae tunes drift down the beach.On the other side of the island is Sunrise Beach with views of several small nearby islands and a cool onshore breeze most of the year. Sunrise Beach is the opposite of Pattaya beach, with just a few resorts and bars, it is very laid back. It also has a very large coral reef with the best snorkeling on the island directly from the beach.There are no cars on the island and thankfully few motorbikes so people get around by walking. The whole island can be explored on foot in a couple of hours. Pooh’s Bar (http://www.poohlipe.com) in the middle of the island is run by the charismatic Pooh and is almost an institution on the island. Famous for its live music in the evenings it draws a large crowd.Karma Bar (http://www.karmabar.net) at the north end of Sunrise Beach is well known on the back packer scene with its mellow music and great location. At the other end of Sunrise beach is Castaway Resort (http://kohlipe.castaway-resorts.com) has stunning sea and island views which viewed from its raised candle lit deck has to be the ultimate in chilled out dining and drinking. Tarutao National Marine Park has some of the best dive sites in all of Thailand. Within easy boat reach of Koh Lipe are hundreds of coral reefs with an amazing variety of huge hard and soft corals. The corals and seas around Koh Lipe are full of marine life, offering everything from turtles to huge rays. Even if you aren’t a diver you can enjoy the marine world drifting along the edges of coral reefs with a mask and snorkel. Compared to other dive and snorkel areas there is so much to see and no competition to see it.Koh Lipe still has a lot of cheap back packer’s accommodation, with places like Varin offering simple bamboo huts close to the beach. At the top end is Sita Beach with a swimming pool and Castaway Resort with their 2 story breezy bungalow which was described by the Lonely Planet as ��?the most chic on Lipe’.Tips for Travelers:• If you are traveling from Hat Yai be in Pak Bara before 11am to catch the speed boat.• If you are traveling from Langkawi the boat journey is shorter and there is a small efficient immigration on Koh Lipe.• There are no ATM's on the island so make sure you bring enough cash for your stay, and then double it as you'll end up deciding to stay longer!• Varin 2 on Sunrise beach has the newest and cheapest bamboo bungalow huts.• Castaway resorts has the chicest accommodation http://kohlipe.castaway-resorts.com

Posted By: Geir Florhaug, London

Find out where John and Yoko first met, where Jimi Hendrix died, or where David Bowie posed for the cover of Ziggy Stardust. Rockspots London presents more than 500 pop and rock history landmarks in and around London, in a format optimized for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The application will appeal to anyone interested in the bands and artists that have shaped London's music history, whether they use it as a handheld guide while travelling around London or purely for entertainment.

Posted By: Lis Pettersen, Zen Resort & Spa Norway

I would like to tip you about a fantastic new resort hotel, with a dojo and a lot of unusal activities for a hotel. Such as zen archery, meditation, and various martial arts. have a look at www.zenresort.no where you can view videoclips.All the best.Lis

Posted By: WorknPlay, Seoul Korea

If you are visiting Korea, I strongly recommend this unique festival, it is an annual festival that Boryeong City is hosting every summer in Korea. There are 2-3 millions of visitors from all over the world to enjoy many interesting activities such as mud westling, mud massages, and mud king game etc. It's really fun experience if you are traveling to Korea. I enjoyed the energetic atmosphere the most. Boryeong Mud is actually very popular for high-quality skincare product, so it's great opportunity to try Boryeong mud as well. www.mudfestival.or.kr

Posted By: Lucile, Marseille, France

I just discovered an awesome website that could help travelers planning their trips : http://neomarco.com.If you feel like a new Marco Polo, you should definitely take a look!It’s a community-based website for travelers and craftspeople around the world who talk about the neat items they create and the cool finds they make!You can share your best travel experiences by uploading unusual, authentic or ethical cool finds and though help other travelers to locate the cool objects to bring back from their trips! You can also show the world your personal creations. And of course, it’s totally free.I am sure you all have plenty of great finds to share the world

Posted By: Martino Matijevic, France

If you are planning on using the metro while in Lisbon and having a go at taking the scenic Tram 28, Bica or Gloria funicular railways or the Santa Justa elevator (it alone costs 2.50 euros each way), better buy a 24hour metro ticket for just over 4 euros, as it includes not only metro, but also the Santa Justa elevator, funicular railways and all trams and busses.

You can find some more tips in Lisbon Top Ten article.

Posted By: Lucyna Rudnicka, Gdansk, Poland

A few of my friends came to visit in Gdansk not so long ago & I was stuck for ideas on what to do so I did some research on the net and came across 1stopjamboree.info's incredible list of activities. They have 30+ in Gdansk(with similar amounts in other cities) and, although my friends didn't book with them this time, they are almost certainly going to when they come back again in August. 5*