Miami is the southernmost city of Florida, USA. The name conjures up images of sunny beaches, tanned people, coconut trees and loads of fun and great food. Coming from chilly New York, Miami’s all-year-round sub-tropical weather was a big welcome. It was really nice to see trees and greenery everywhere instead of endless streets of skyscrapers.

Ocean Drive along South Beach

The Venetian Pool in Coral Gables is a charming, one-of-a-kind swimming pool. It is formed from a coral rock quarry in 1923 and has coral rock caves. Its recycled water comes from the subterranean aquifer that flows beneath it.

Soaking in the atmosphere at the Venetian Pool

After the Venetian Pool we had a look at the Biltmore Hotel. This legendary hotel, which was built in 1926, has seen guests such as Al Capone and was used as a set for the movie Bad Boys.

The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables has the largest swimming pool in the continental United States.

Travel Tips:

• Statistically speaking, Miami is the most likely major city in the world to be struck by a hurricane. The most likely time for Miami to be hit by hurricanes is during the peak of the Cape Verde season which is mid-August through the end of September. So try not to go during the hurricane season

• Many restaurant wait staff don’t speak or understand much English - not surprising considering Miami has a large Spanish-speaking population. It helps to know a few spoken phrases in Spanish.

• If you don’t want to have to rent a car, it’s best to stay in South Beach where cafes, restaurants, hotels, clubs are aplenty.

• Taxi rides are quite expensive. Almost all cab companies in Miami have fixed rates for travel into the barrier islands of Miami Beach and other beach and nightclub communities. A map showing the cost per location can be seen inside the cab. For example, we were charged the fixed rate of US$32 (excluding tips) to travel from the Miami airport to our hotel in South Beach and the journey took only 15 minutes. The charge is the same regardless of the pick-up location.

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