Travel Lightbulb

On a recent trip to Belfast, I visited the Titanic experience, which tells the tragic tale of the world's most famous liner. As well as the main exhibition (which extends over nine galleries), you can also visit the Titanic Dock and Pump-house - which is where today's photo was taken. Titanic sat in this very dry dock on the eve of her first and last voyage in April of 1912. What I loved about it was that you're able to wander around the dock by yourself, and soak up the sheer scale of the liner - just take a look at the size of the people in the photo below, and that gives you an idea of how massive the dock is! Top tip: If you go to the Titanic Experience, I'd highly recommend a trip to the dry dock as well - it's very strange, and ghostly to walk in the footstep of the Titanic.  If you have a photo you'd like to contribute, then please get in touch through the details on my contact page - I'd love to see photos from your own travels!

The photo below gives you an idea of just how idyllic the location of today's featured hotel is. The Uxua Casa Hotel and Spa is the only boutique hotel in the historic main square of Trancoso,a small fishing village on Brazil's idyllic southern Bahian coast. There are ten private casas, with a stinning beachside location, and the balance between luxury and laid-back is just right! Four of the houses are restored fishermen's homes which face the 16th century town green. The others are hidden in a lush private garden. The rooms are all unique and are furnished with a lot of recycled materials, and are simply stunning. There are two restaurants specializing in traditional Bahian cuisine (think fish stews, and fresh seafood), and many guests say one of the highlights of their stay is the food. There is also a spa, and a gym so you can chill out, or exercise - whatever takes your fancy! There is also a stunning lake-like swimming pool made entirely of of

Today's photo is a contribution from Ed Graham, who writes his own travel blog. It's a dramatic image, and Ed says: "The ground is alive in Iceland. This shot's from the northern Myvatn area where you'll find hot springs; boiling mud, and many other beautiful geologic rarities."  Photo courtesy of Ed Graham Ed, thanks for the photo contribution - it's a stunning, atmospheric shot. If you'd like to read more about Ed's own travels, you can visit his blog www.thepolarroute.com . If you'd like to see your own travel photo featured here, then why not get in touch with me - see the 'contact' page for details.

The term 'gastropub' has been around in the UK since the early 90's. For those of you not familiar with the term, it means a restaurant in a pub and was started to reinvigorate both the pub culture, and British dining. It soon took off in America, and has now spread even further afield......to India! Monkey Bar is a very cool and quirky place in Bangalore, which has been labelled India's 'City of the Future'. There is a real casual feel to the bar, which has long wooden benches and a really chilled atmosphere. The cocktails are fantastic - the house special, served in a jar (see above), is a concotion of vodka, green mango juice, lime, cumin and salt - yum yum! They also have signature drinks of the day, which are recommended by the waiters. As for the food, there is a real mix of Indian street food (potato patties, and vada pav - a spicy vegetarian dish) alongside Asian and American classics, (such as spring rolls; chicken wings, and