Tasha's Cafe (Johannesburg, South Africa)

Tasha's Cafe 
Shop 16, Atholl Square Shopping Centre
Cnr Katherine and Wierda Road East
Sandton, Johannesburg
South Africa
Phone: 011 884 03 65
Website
Menu
Hours:
   Mon-Sat 6.30-18
   Sun 7.30-16:

 What a great cafe!

The girls at the beauty salon next door recommended it to me while having a pedicure, and I am glad that I visited. The owner happened to be seating next to me that day, too!


Located in Atholl Square, this small European-like cafe and restaurant is simply wonderful. 

The selection of food and sweets is fabulous. I have one of their Spanish Quesadillas and it was fresh, tasty and filling. Truly delicious. The Pear and elderflower granita was simply fabulous, prepared on the spot, with the right amount of sugar, the right thickness and a wonderful refreshing distinctive flavour. I finished my meal with a coffee, which was just average, and a lovely Red Velvet Cupcake that was yummy and fluffy. 

The ambiance is warm, classy, trendy and welcoming, with plenty of wonderful decoration elements on the counter, walls and even the ceiling. I just loved it. Even the uniform of the staff is classy and elegant!   

The place has plenty of staff, and you won't feel that you have been forgotten or nobody is paying attention to you. Quite the contrary, everybody will be around you, perhaps too much around you, and you will have a personal waiter attending to your needs. In my case, a tall lovely guy called Anthony. Mind you, if your personal waiter is busy, any other will run to your feet to make your food wish come true. Seriously! There are plenty of newspapers for customers to browse. I always love this.

Tasha's welcomes people from all ages, locals and foreigners, which says a lot about any cafe or restaurant, and there is a constant flow of customers.

The place can be pricey for locals, I think, but it is OK for most foreigners and if you happen to live or stay in any of the hotels in Katherine St, you must visit!

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Fiji Beach Resort & Spa Managed by Hilton (Denarau Island, Viti Levu, Fiji)

Denarau Island,  Nadi,  Viti Levu, Fiji
TEL: 679-675-6800
FAX: 679-675-6801
Website

I spent a week in this hotel last Australian summer, during the Christmas period, and I had an unforgettable time.

Denarau Island is just Paradise, all green and posh with lovely beaches, palm trees and the care and attention of the always welcoming Fijean people.

The location was fantastic, the apartments were huge and very classy. The room had a big bedroom with a large firm comfy bed, flat TV and plenty of storage room, alarm clock and nice views of the ocean. There bathroom was also huge (shower+bathtub) with a good selection of good quality toiletries. The living room was also huge, with sofa, TV, an eating area and some cupboards. My apartment supposed to have a kitchenette, but it only have some plates, cutlery, a kettle, and a mini-fridge, so it was impossible to cook some of my meals on my own as I intended initially.

The infinity pool was one of my favourite spots. They provide you with free towels, you can order drinks from the side bar, and choose the pool that suits you best: families, children or adults only. They are not deep, so even bad swimmers can enjoy a swim without being afraid of drowning, especially not having a life saver program in place. The spot is wonderful as it is by the beach and the chairs and big umbrellas are stupendous. Heaven!

The hotel shares a private beach with the Sheraton and other hotels and it is wonderful having the option of walking around or having a swim if you want so. Mind the sharks. You can also do water sports, paragliding among other things, in this beach.

The inner part of the hotel, is covered by gardens, tastefully laid out, and decorated with traditional Fijian elements of pottery and wood. Really beautiful! 

There are three restaurants at the hotel, all very expensive, but the food is good, the settings excellent, and the staff very charming and attentive, although a bit distracted at times. If these options were not enough, the restaurants organise nights devoted to Fijian cuisine, Spanish cuisine, etc. also at very expensive prices. For example, a Spanish cuisine night was 130 US$ and the wines were not included!  If you have a kitchenette, you can buy your groceries at the supermarket at Denarau Port and cook yourself.

The staff were uber-friendly and helpful: cleaners, porters, waiters and waitresses, gardeners, towels booth people -  almost everybody. They would always say Bullah to you with a big smile, and treat you like a king/queen, so customers can enjoy the Fijian hospitality and have Fiji Time the way it should be enjoyed.

There is a Tour Desk at the Lobby and the people working there are fantastic, caring and very helpful. My especial thanks to Sereana, who made possible the impossible for me and did always everything with a big smile and a chillout Fiji Time. Most tour operators pick up /drop off from hotel, but most of them require a minimum number of people to operate.

Golf cars to take you and your luggage around, to move people around if the weather is bad,  or just have mobility problems, or just if you are feeling a bit lazy to walk to your apartment.

These a family friendly place, and there are tons of activities planned for the kids and the whole family, and the staff really enjoys dealing with kids as Fijeans are also family minded. Having said this, there are set activities organised every day at set times that are targeted to everybody in the hotel, not just families. 

There is a small gym at the hotel, for those who mind their fitness during their holidays, but don't expect too much..

SO SO

-- My room was door to door with another apartment. I could see through the space between the two panels of the door. Even worse, the place is surely used as a family apartment when needed, so there is not noise insulation, and I could hear, word by word my neighbour's high-in-swearing phone calls to his partner after a break-up. 
-- I booked for a room-apartment with kitchenette facilities (so it was NOT an studio), but I was placed in one that has none. I had to request cutlery and croquery. I realised that there was a mixed up with my room type when I had unpacked everything, so I did not want to make any fuss and pack and unpack again, but the type of room was clearly shown in the voucher I provided with my online booking details.
-- No free Wi-Fi in the hotel!! Hello Hello Mr Hilton, are you in the 21st century YET? Paid Wi-Fi is so very last century.
-- Denarau Island is a wonderful place, but it is isolated from Nady and real Fiji. Perhaps you are not interested in real Fiji or Fijians, so this might not be a problem for you.
--  Everything is ridiculously expensive. The restaurants, the mini-shop and the coffee shop. Prices we pay in Australia or more. One wonders whether the locals benefit from this prices and the profits that the hotel makes.
-- There is nothing more annoying that having people drinking for hours in groups inside the pool when they could easily do so on the side chairs or at the bar. If you want to swim you have to deal with these people. I have no problem with people having a good time during their holidays but not at my cost. I love swimming, so I think it is not too much to ask to being able to enjoy the wonderful pools that this hotel has for swimming or bathing. But the hotel cashes in with the sale of alcohol, so the drunkards win.
-- Unlike most of the staff and the two big restaurants, some of the staff at the Spices small cafe were rude, unwelcoming and/or treated customers as they were making us a favour. This is not a charity shelter. We pay a lot of money to be there, and we have to work hard to get the money, so please remember this. :)))  

 

MIND
== The cyclone season around Christmas Time can be nasty. Check your period of holidays when visiting Fiji. I went during this season and I had gorgeous weather except for the first day.
== There are tons of mosquitoes in the evening and night if you seat outdoors, they will certainly like you. Use repellent.
== Port Denarau Shopping Mall is a 20 minute walk from the hotel, and you can find a bit of everything, restaurants, supermarkets, bottle shops, chemist, souvenir shops and pubs. The place and the prices are for foreigners so you will pay a lot for everything, but way less than you will pay in your hotel of selection. If you stay for a week or more in the hotel you will certainly want to buy some snacks and food items to have in your room. There is a beauty salon, nails place and hairdresser, too!
== The city of Nady (pronounced Nandy) is 30 minutes away by car.

IF THIS WAS MY HOTEL I WOULD...
-- I would make sure that you provide the room you say you would.
-- I would provide a free shuttle to Port Denarau or give customers vouchers to take the Bullah Bus.
-- I would provide free Internet not just at the Spices Cafe, everywhere. If Wi-Fi is a problem, high speed LAN would make wonders for guests!
-- Create an Fiji traditional restaurant. This is Fiji, no?
-- I would reduce the pricing of most things at the little shop, as they are ridiculously expensive.  No tourist likes feeling squeezed as a lemon just because he/she is on holidays.
-- I would request a drinking etiquette and ban drinkers from the pools like right now. Can we keep some etiquette at a posh hotel or is this too much to ask?

TIPS
# If you don't want to take the Bullah Bus to Port Denarau, you can easily walk to the mall. It takes about 20 minutes. Still, the weather is humid and hot, so carry an umbrella and drinking water. Another option is taking one of the minivan buses that the locals take, which costs a fraction of the price and take you there the same. Ask at reception for details. The buses stop at few metres from the lobby.
# Learn to say hello and thank you in Fijian language to the staff as they really appreciate this. After all this is their country.
 # If you want to enjoy a spa without paying the prices you have at the hotel spa, go to the Pure Fiji spa at Port Denarau. There is also a hairdresser and nails salon next door at a fraction of the price.
# There are a couple of supermarkets and bottle shops in Port  Denarau, so you can buy your groceries from there if you want to cook some of your meals.  
#  If you don't want to use strong DDT repellents, buy Reniu lemon grass spray repellent from the hotel mini shop. They are environmentally friendly and keep the mosquitoes at bay without infusing with chemicals the people around you while you spray it... 

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Lola & Punto (Granada, Spain)

Calle Montereros, 10
 18001 Granada
 Spain
 Phone: +34 677 470 582
 Facebook

Knitting an crochet are very much back and in vogue nowadays, and Lola & Punto has done a terrific job at making of a tiny space a paradise for knitting lovers and hand made nuts.

The shop is very small, but it has very catchy windows and a lovely fully packed interior. It is a welcoming colourful place. I love their walled asymmetrical shelves packed with colourful wool and cotton hanks.

Their selection of crocheted dolls is just lovable. I bought the bunny in my photo for my niece, and a crocheted hat. They are not only pretty and catchy, but also made with very good cotton, so they can be washed safely in the washing machine. If you want the same item in another size, the owner will make it for you quite fast and give you a ring to let you know that it is ready. She did that with the hat I bought for my niece and had it ready in 3-4 days.

I loved their bead necklaces, made with Indian wooden hand-painted beads. The ones already made are fabulous but they might be too expensive for your budget, as they were about 30-40 Euro, which is about Au 50$. However, they have a good amount of individual beads for sale, so you can get and mix the ones you like, buy leather thread (so many colours to choose from!), as well as other little things to make your own unique piece of jewellery for little money.

The owner holds regular workshops, inside the shop, to teach you knitting and crocheting some of the wonderful things she has on display.

Customer service was great. You can browse around unmolested or just ask the owner for help and assistance.

Handmade items are pricey (for Spanish standards) but affordable for foreigners, and you know that your are buying handmade good quality stuff, not a mass produced item.

UPDATE 2016
Most of the jewellery making stuff they had for sale in the past is gone, and the service is not as friendly.

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Zoco del Salón (Granada, Spain)

Paseo del Salon, s/n
18009 Granada
Spain
Facebook

If you are a fan of Etsy handmade handicrafts and clothing, you will love the Zoco del Salon - a handmade & handicrafts market.

It is held the first Saturday of every month (weather permitting), at the bottom end of the Paseo del Salón, in the area by the Placeta del Humilladero. In the summer months, the market changes its opening hours to avoid the heat of the hot Granada summer.

 

The white stalls are full of wonderful handmade stuff at terrific prices and customer service is excellent. You will find children clothes, adults T-shirts, home decor items, natural cosmetics and soaps, among many other things. Most of the vendors are also the makers of the stuff they sell, so they are really happy when you choose them.

 

I was in my personal heaven there. It reminded me of the Made in the Left markets in Perth WA regarding philosophy, atmosphere and sort of products you can find, but the one in  Granada is a bit smaller.

I loved many things, but I found the stalls selling toddlers and baby clothing and accessories among my favourite, due to the cuteness of the items and their good prices. Kids clothing is ridiculously expensive everywhere, but here you can find wonderful stuff for little money. I bought a couple of things for my cute niece.

If you are a foreigner and don't like traditional souvenirs, and you happen to be here when the market is held, this might be your place!

My fav stalls were the ones by Yomiss, Las Cosas de Mama, Degue, Periponte, Artsany, and Borstylus, but you will certainly find your own favourite items and stalls.

Prices were cheap or very affordable and strolling along the white tents a pure pleasure.

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Recharge.Com (Online Retailer)

I bought a cheap prepaid Orange Mundo SIM card in Spain to use during my visit there. This particular SIM card is very good for international roaming, so I decided to use it during my long trip abroad. Unfortunately, I forgot to open an online account to recharge it online before I left Spain, so I found myself in the middle of nowhere unable to recharge my mobile phone.

I found Recharge.com via Google. The site allows you to top up prepaid cards from +300 mobile carriers spread throughout + 70 countries. You can pay with your credit card, Paypal and a good number of other safe ways of payment, which vary from country to country (iDeal, Bancontact, KBC Homebanking, ING Home-Bank, Sofort, and Giropay). The site charges a fee for the transaction, but it is tiny and shown beforehand, so it is up to you to continue or not. The fees I have paid are very small in comparison with the benefit and service I got from them.

Recharge.com can be browsed in several languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, German, Portuguese and Polish) and has a very easy to use website, with everything you need to know told to you upfront in the FAQs. 

It sounds too good to be true? Well, it is good and it is true!

I have used the service four times during my trip across different countries and the top-up was immediate. I used my VISA card as as payment (normal info requested plus extra verification info) and not even five minutes later I received an SMS from my mobile carrier confirming the top up amount. Therefore, I was able to use my mobile immediately! Awesome!

The service is specially useful in small and remote countries if you are using a local SIM, but also available to carriers in USA Spain an Poland. See the map below to check if the card you have can be recharged via this site. Of course, you can top up your card from any country in the world, online, even if they don't have any carrier providing their services through this site:

MIND

If you introduce the wrong number, there is no way to rectify or recover your money, as the top up is available to customers immediately! So mind your fingers and open your eyes!

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Mr Munchies Sushi (Mount Lawley, Perth WA)

Shop 4
669 Beaufort St
Mt Lawley Western Australia 6050
Mount Lawley
Phone: (08) 9271 8409
Facebook

I love Mr Munchies for the freshness of their food, the creativity of their rolls and the fast and friendly service.



 

PIZZICATO FIVE
1= Mr Munchies is a superhero that creates unique-looking and unique-tasting rolls with the magic of his fingers. The sort of roll that you don't find elsewhere and is prepared on the spot, fresh and yummy. They not only have a menu of set rolls, they have seasonal and special ones, so regulars get enthralled, excited and their stomach Astro-boyed with the news. Among the set rolls, the seafood roll  is my fav so far, but I have liked also the Mexican Roll and the Chicken Mango. The Pork Hei roll, a special at this very moment, it is just fabulous. If you are the fancy-individualistic e-sushi type, you can make your own rolls on order, you tell them which ingredients you want, the size you want, the colour you want, and they work fast as machines so you smile when you get your u-roll.
2= They ingredients they use are x-F (extremely fresh) and you can select a HR (half roll), or a FR (full roll) which is perfect to suit any stomach size or craving.
3= The Munchies do bother with the presentation, and that is extra points they make with me. After all we eat as much with our eyes as we do with our mouths.
4= They have a nice selection of sides, and of non-alcoholic Western and Asian drinks.
5= Mr Munchies is fairly priced and you get a good return for the money you invest in your stomach..

GONG FOR NIHON!
+ Location Location. Heart of Mt Lawley but hidden from the view of non superheroes and explorers.
+ Nice cozy corner on the mural wall.
+ Dine in or take-away.
+ Dine inside or on the walled bench outside if you are in a hurry or just there is no room inside.There is no option. You've been warned.
+ All the staff  members are welcoming and very friendly.
+ Service is fast.
+ Nice vibe.

BANG!
- The storage area is inside the shop, so that is a bit down and creates a mixed-up feeling of "where the heck am I?".
- The rice on the rolls is not properly set for rolling, so the rolls crumble and collapse as soon as you touch them, falling foolishly onto their tiny longitudinal serving dishes or onto the table. The fact that the seaweed used inside is a bit stiff does not help to prevent the crumbling of the Munch, so you could find yourself, well composed, looking like a lady with half a roll hanging in space between your teeth and your chin. No photo, please.

SOON (PLEASE)!
? Remove the dam boxes from the shop and find another one where to pile them up!

? Work on the setting of the rice so it does not collapse. If Donburi or Aisuru can prepare fresh rolls on the spot without the roll collapsing, Mr Munchis can do so, too.

? A slightly bigger dishes would be most convenient for mess-around people.

? A few more individual tables would suit better the tiny space of the shop, as they can be together to accommodate a group or separated to fit single or coupled eaters.

? They should work on their sweets and dessert menu, as it is very poor at the moment.

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Travalo (Online Shop UK)

Website
Online shop
Facebook

Do you use perfume regularly? Do you travel? Do you go away for long weekends? Are you on the move and want to carry your favourite scent/s without having to carry the whole bottle/s?

Travalo - a Scottish Company- came up with the perfect solution: small refillable spray and rollerball containers that can be filled and refilled directly from the perfume bottle. They are very small and light, leak-free, aircraft-approved, easy to carry, stylish and colourful. 

To fill in the container, you first remove the nozzle of the perfume, plug the stem into the bottom hole of the Travalo container, and pump it until it is full. The different models of Travalo can load 4-5ml of product, giving you about 50-65 sprays. 

Although the product can be found in some local and international perfumeries, I found that the variety of colours and models is just Spartan in Perth, so I have been ordering mine from the Travalo's online store directly.

They have different types an colours suitable for women and men. Pricing goes from the 25 bucks for the Rollerball models to the 20 bucks for the Classic models. They have a gorgeous variety of colours, which come handy when you have more than one perfume and want to identify them easily. 

Shopping from their website is very easy, and you will receive a confirmation email when you place your order, and another one when the order is fulfilled. You can use PayPal or your preferred credit card for payment, and the site is SSL secured. Good thing for Australians - an Australian company settled in Queensland (Brandpoint) fulfils the orders, so you will get yours in about onr week. They deliver to your door, but if you aren't at home, they will take your parcel to your nearest Post Office, from where you can collect it. 

Customer service has been very friendly and prompt to any enquiry. They do not provide (or at least me) with a tracking link, but they diligently reply to any enquiry about your order. 

KUDOS
Easy to order and shop.
Fast delivery.
Very informative website and great customer service.
No need of registration for online shopping, although you might want that.
Gift packs available.
Pricing can be set in USA, AU and Canadian Dollars and Euro.

DOWNSIDES
The products are pricey. 
The website lacks a bit of information on International shipping costs and timing.
The online shop is a bit temperamental at times.

TIP
If you get the register/login page when accessing the online shop, refresh the page and the products page will show.

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