world reviewer
Alex Allen
Member statistics
- Member since
- 16th May 2008
Alex is about to embark on his final year at UEA, studying American Literature with Creative Writing. Hobbies include: reading, writing, chair-leaning and collecting small bits of wood and stuff. Also likes cats, but not when they wee on the bed. Ambitions: to travel more, write more and hear a blue whale sing.
Alex Allen's activity
- 11 Nov 2009
Alex Allen reviewed Turner Hall Farm in Lake District, United Kingdom
This campsite in Cumbria is not one for kids, grandparents or excitable dogs. In spring, the narrow valley on whose floor the site rests becomes a grassy pocket of lambs. It is mainly used as a stopping-off point for intrepid hikers and there is no showe…"
- 26 Jul 2009
Alex Allen reviewed The Islands of Stockholm in Stockholm, Sweden
It’s mid-July and the summer solstice has just passed its apex, though judging by yet another stifling night in London, this hasn’t appeared to quell the temperatures much. The feeble desk fan in the corner does little to alleviate the situat…"
- 01 Dec 2008
Alex Allen reviewed Hana Highway in Hawaii, United States
The Hana Highway creeps round the east coast of Hawaii in a clockwise direction, cut into the fingers of rainforest that probe the pacific. The views of oncoming coves and juts of jungle are breathtaking, as is the driving experience. Many of the bridges…"
- 05 Sep 2008
Alex Allen reviewed Vale of Pickering Caravan Park in North East England, United Kingdom
Made infamous by Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, the feral countryside of North Yorkshire is basic and unapologetic. This caravan park in Pickering may not be quite as dilapidated as the house in the popular novel, but it could do with a lighter hand t…"
Alex Allen reviewed Bay View Farm in Scotland, United Kingdom
In contrast with a lot of other campsites around Britain, Bay View Farm is unusually good value for money. £10 per night charge for tents is one of the lowest rates around and that includes the use of showers, washing up etc. You are on top of a hill, so…"
Alex Allen reviewed Three Cliffs Bay Caravan and Camping Site in Wales, United Kingdom
The Three Cliffs campsite near Swansea is one of those places that makes you glad of the world we live in, and at the same time jealous of having to share it. Wildflowers sway with vertigo at the views of the blue bay and the grassy limbs of land that st…"
- 29 Aug 2008
Alex Allen reviewed Brighouse Bay Holiday Park, Borgue in Scotland, United Kingdom
Campsites are great because they do what it says on the tin: provide a place to pitch a tent, and let you stay there for as long as you can afford. Unfortunately, in the case of Brighouse Bay Holiday Park, this might not be very long. Aside from the exto…"
- 28 Aug 2008
Alex Allen reviewed Stowford Manor Farm, Wingfield in Bath, United Kingdom
"Set in some of the most idyllic countryside in England, Stowford Manor Farm is a small, but neat and friendly campsite. Enjoy the traditional charms of the British countryside; a tree-fringed stream is a great spot to do some fishing, kids can explore th…"
Alex Allen reviewed Dennis Cove Camping, Padstow in West Country, United Kingdom
Dennis Cove Camping is a long-running establishment and they know how to keep a tidy ship. The campsite, 10 minutes walk away from Padstow is small, but well maintained and you’ll receive a warm welcome from the owners. The surrounding countryside is gen…"
Alex Allen reviewed Stowe in New England, United States
Some ski resorts are built to accommodate great numbers skiers; it is their trade and they have been doing it for centuries. Cable cars take you from the mountainside to your doorstep and back again from six in the morning, while snow machines churn out …"
Alex Allen reviewed Nxai Pan National Park in Ghanzi, Botswana
The unfenced campsites in the National Park in Botswana, where Lions, Jackals, Bat-eared foxes and Elephants roam at their leisure are not for the faint of heart, or weak of will. Needless to say, without the impractical desert temperatures there is the …"
Alex Allen reviewed Angel Island Campsite in San Francisco, United States
Angel Island has a history of different settlers; originally it was used as a hunting ground for the Miwok Indians who up until the colonization of America, would take to the island in boats for the deer and the seals that loved the rocks. Since then it …"
Alex Allen reviewed Árbùdir, Iceland in Iceland
In the remote region of central Iceland, there is not much in the way of convenient amenities. In Arbudir, the closest you’ll get to luxury is a small wooden cabin with a toilet inside. On the reverse side, if it’s a survival-of-the-fittest style camping…"
Alex Allen reviewed The Oberoi Vanyavilas in Sawai Madhopur, India
The fact that guests here reside in “tents” is just about the only thing that qualifies this luxury destination on the edge of the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve in west-central India as a campsite. The tents themselves are huge, exquisitely woven and house …"
Alex Allen reviewed Great British Beer Festival in London, United Kingdom
Held annually in Earl’s Court, London the Great British Beer Festival is a Mecca for awnings, beer stalls and avid consumers of alcohol. Organised by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, the Festival aims to educate people about the value of locally produce…"
- 27 Aug 2008
Alex Allen reviewed Camping in the Swedish Archipelago in Svealand, Sweden
It’s mid-July and the summer solstice has just passed its apex, though judging by yet another stifling night in London, this hasn’t appeared to quell the temperatures much. The feeble desk fan in the corner does little to alleviate the situation aside fr…"
- 19 Aug 2008
Alex Allen reviewed El Tajin in Poza Rica de Hidalgo, Mexico
Still an active archaeological site, El Tajin is one of many pre-Columbian ruins still being uncovered in Mexico. The ruins at El Tajin only cover a kilometre square, but incorporate about 150 buildings, 20 of which have been fully excavated. Amongst the…"
- 13 Aug 2008
Alex Allen reviewed Rockefeller Center in New York, United States
The Rockefeller Center is an inter-connected complex of 19 buildings in mid-town Manhattan. Every winter they construct an ice rink in the Lower Plaza and erect an enormous, lavishly decorated Christmas tree that is definitely worth a visit for an emerge…"
Alex Allen reviewed Radio City Music Hall in New York, United States
In 1980, Radio City Music Hall made a welcome return to what it had originally been designed for: concerts and live stage shows. After its opening in 1932 was unsuccessful, it adopted cinema as a medium more in line with public demand. By 1979 though, ch…"
Alex Allen reviewed Malcolm X Museum in New York, United States
Grave of the assassinated Islamic icon Malcolm X"
Alex Allen reviewed Hayden Planetarium in New York, United States
With new technology claiming to make it “the largest and most powerful virtual reality simulator in the world”, it’s definitely going to appeal to kids. The thing is, with so much money having been spent on this technology, does it take away from the pla…"
Alex Allen reviewed Ground Zero in New York, United States
At the moment “Ground Zero”, a name borrowed from the site of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima is not much to look at. Plans for a densely planted memorial site are still in progress, but this doesn’t take anything away from the poignancy of what remains …"
Alex Allen reviewed Ellis Island Immigration Museum in New York, United States
Since it opened in 1892, Ellis Island has seen 12 million immigrants gain U.S. citizenship. Since its re-opening in 1990, Ellis island has welcomed an average of 1 million tourists each year. They come to learn what it was like for their grandparents, gr…"
Alex Allen reviewed Carnegie Hall in Plains Midwest, United States
Carnegie Hall in mid-town Manhattan architecturally, is one of the last remaining examples of its kind in the city. That is to say, it was built in 1890, entirely of masonry without any steel infrastructure. Carnegie Hall is more famous for its reputatio…"
Alex Allen reviewed Battery Park in New York, United States
Battery Park, just a few blocks from where the World Trade Center once stood takes its name from the artillery batteries that once protected New York Harbor. Fritz Koenigs sculpture ‘The Sphere’ which was damaged in fallout of 9/11 now stands, battered, …"
Alex Allen reviewed American Museum of Natural History in New York, United States
If you were to try to see every exhibit in this museum, you would find yourself needing at least one change of underwear; it is vast in here. Over 32 million specimens occupy 25 interconnected buildings including exhibition halls, research labs and an ex…"
Alex Allen reviewed Times Square in Milwaukee, United States
Originally Longacre Square, Times Square was renamed after the New York Times printing offices were established there. If it were renamed again today, it might be deemed something along the lines of McDisney Square; now it is the enormous electronic bill…"
Alex Allen reviewed Broadway in New York, United States
A word almost universally associated with New York and its theatres, Broadway is actually one of the oldest thoroughfares in the city. It runs right from the historical southern tip of Manhattan once known as New Amsterdam to the relatively leafy neighbo…"
- 08 Aug 2008
Alex Allen reviewed Monteray Bay Aquarium in US West Coast, United States
After days of envisioning throwing chunks of raw meat into the bloody, gnashing jaws of the resident Great White, I was utterly deflated to find out it had been released “for research” just a couple of weeks earlier. On the up side, there was a kelp “for…"
Alex Allen reviewed Cirque de Soleil in Las Vegas, United States
With five acts to choose from throughout Vegas, Cirque du Soleil offers up glittering portions of acrobatic and high-octane entertainment. From the water-borne antics of “O” at the Bellagio Hotel to Criss Angel dressed as a Victorian Noble at the Luxor, …"
- 07 Dec 2007
Alex Allen reviewed Chavin (Archaeological Site) in Peru
The ruins of Chavin de Huantar date back to a pre-Inca culture which first populated the Mosna canyon around 900 B.C. At 3150 m, and sandwiched between two Andean Mountain ranges, you could say Chavin de Huantar was "out of the way", but for anyone with …"
Alex Allen reviewed Taxila in Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Once a city made wealthy from being at the axis of conjoining trade routes, Taxila slipped into anonymity when these routes became obsolete in the face of modern transport techniques. Now under Pakistan’s jurisdiction, 35 km to the west of Islamabad, the…"
Alex Allen reviewed Bahla Fort in Bahla', Oman
Just outside of the city of Nizwa in Oman, Bahla Fort is an UNESCO World Heritage Site that has just about made it, limping, in to the 21st century. Since 1987 its sandstone towers, extremely vulnerable now to any amount of wind and/or water erosion, hav…"
Alex Allen reviewed Ancient Maya City of Calakmul, Campeche in Mexico
Calakmul, meaning literally "two adjacent pyramids" is one of the largest Mayan cities ever discovered. Spotted from the air by fluke in 1931, it has since been extensively excavated and preserved for visitors. The total ruins discovered so far cover an …"
Alex Allen reviewed Ruins of Paquimé in Nuevo Casas Grandes, Mexico
"The ruins of Paquime, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua are one of few places in the world that have not been entirely undressed by science. Archaeologists still debate what powers, if any Paquime had in the region, and if so, who was behind it? Various …"
