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| Last Visited Belfast:�
January 2000 | Page Hits:�
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| � 1 Rating on this Page - Changed: May 7 23:13 PST | | Belfast | |  | |
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celticbhoy07's suggestions on Belfast | 
When visiting Belfast you absolutely must: Highlights in Belfast are the Black Cab tour, walking the Golden Mile, City Hall, the Grand Opera House, the Harland and Wolff shipyards where the Titanic was built, the Europa hotel (most bombed in Europe across the road from the Crown Liquor Saloon (most bombed pub), and the Ulster Museum.
Fondest memory of Belfast: My fondest memory of Belfast was seeing the Republican murals up close and in person. I`ve looked and many pictures of these beautiful creations but its nothing compared to the feeling you get of looking at these pieces of art from just in front of it. By seeing these you get a greater feeling and understanding of what went on here and what still goes on here to some extent. Something that you cannot learn from reading about it in a book. It`s like history coming alive right before your eyes.
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Lodging Recommendation: MacPackers
Type: hostel
Location: 1 Cameron Street
Unique Qualities: This is quite possibly the best hostel Ive ever stayed in. Small (around 25 beds) very friendly hostel owned by Steve of Steve`s Backpackers in Derry. The closest you can get to staying in someone`s home and still being a hostel. Its basically a house converted into a hostel. Has 4-bed dorms and doubles and maybe a single or 2, internet access, a common room with TV and loads of information on Belfast and Ireland in general, a great staff, good location just south of the Golden Mile area near Shaftsbury Square and the university area. I really can`t say enough good things about this place!
More Info: (028) 9096 2978
http://oasis.fortunecity.com/tuscany/303
[email protected]
Comparative Price: $ (least expensive in the area)
Average Price: 7.50 per night including free breakfast and 30mins of internet time. If you stay 4 nights between Macpackers and Steve`s Backpackers in Derry, the 5th night is free!
Lodging Recommendation: The Ark
Type: hostel
Location: 18 University Street
Unique Qualities: Basically the same set-up as Macpackers. Actually its exactly the same and its about 5mins away. I chose to stay here in January as Macpackers didn`t answer the door but this is a great hostel as well.
More Info: (01232) 329626 (I think the Belfast area code has changed but this should still work for the time being)
Comparative Price: $ (least expensive in the area)
Average Price: 7.50pounds per night
Activity: My top recommendation is to take a black cab tour of the Catholic Falls Rd. and Protestant Shankill neighbourhoods as well as the peaceline, a sort of Berlin wall dividing Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods. The cost is around 7pounds per person for a 90min tour (some cabs do a per person rate and some do a per tour rate which is then divided by however many are in the cab which can be as many as 6).
Unique Qualities: A good way to get a look into the history of the troubles in Belfast. Throughout the 90mins you are first taken to the Catholic Falls Rd. which resembles a town you`d see in the South and there you will see many Republican murals, the Sinn Fein office, the INLA headquarters, churches that have been bombed and much more. Then you cross to the Protestant Shankill area where it feels like you`ve just entered somewhere in England. Pay attention to the colour changes from green, white and orange in the Falls to red white and blue. Here you will see more murals and various historical sights. From here you are taken down a road where you can see the peaceline, a yellowish coloured wall that separates the Protestant neighbourhood you are in from the INLA controlled Catholic area on the other side.
Location: Black cabs can pick you up from either Macpackers or The Ark.
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Nightlife Spot: Lavery`s Gin Palace
Unique Qualities: A great pub/club to have a couple pints and meet some new people. The downstairs bar in the back has a jukebox playing rock and punk music and upstairs on weekends there is dancing (cover 2.50pounds). Nice place frequented by travellers and locals alike. It`s open until at least 1am...most pubs shut at half 11.
Dress Code: there might be a bit of a dress code for the club at the weekend, Im not too sure.
Location: 12 Bradbury Place
More Info: (01232) 327159
Nightlife Spot: Crown Liquor Saloon
Unique Qualities: An interesting place to go for a drink at any of time due to the fact that this has the title of `most bombed pub in Belfast`. It`s been bombed 32 times but not in many many years and it is now owned by the National Trust and is beautifully restored in marble and given a Victorian atmosphere.
Location: 46 Great Victoria Street
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Off the Beaten Path: About 4 miles south of the centre are many riverside trails, ruins and parks making a nice change from the city atmosphere without having to go into the middle of nowhere. Also in the hills near town is Belfast Castle and the Devil`s Punchbowl. My friend told me all about this place and last time I went there I could see it from afar but I have no idea how to get there. Contact a tourist office to find out.
Warnings or Dangers: Despite the tarnished image given to it by the media, Belfast is a safe city to visit...statistically safer than Dublin even. The only problem you would encounter would be if you did something really stupid like run down a street or enter a pub in a Catholic neighbourhood wearing a Union Jack or a Rangers shirt. If you have common sense you`re going to be just fine.
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Cultural Tips: Don`t discuss politics or religion. These people live here, they know what happened, they lived through it and they really don`t want some foreigner bringing it up. People are very willing to give you history lessons so be polite and do the listening and let them do the talking. You`ll find people are very friendly and like to inform you of how their city really is and not what it`s made out to look like on the TV.
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