The omnipresent WWW has replaced the realms of brochures and pamphlets we diligently pored over before planning our travel.

Seeking nuggets of wisdom in user-generated websites and blogs has made sure that we know where to eat the best Peking Duck in Peking, or stay at a quaint B&B in an Alpine chalet in Whistler.

One website you might want to browse is www.ivebeenthere.co.uk, not quite to plan your travel as much as to get smart tips for your travel intricacies.

With more than 20,000 user recommendations, the website lists profiles, a gallery of well-taken photographs and tips of to-dos in 136 countries! We loved the Photography section, which showcases winning photos of monthly competitions.



They might be too small to figure out details, but made us glare into our monitors and go, "Wow! I want to go there".

Mumbaikars will be surprised to read the sort of stuff that has got into the Tips section of the City of Dreams.
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Sample these comments: "You can get a tailor-made suit overnight from Burlington's at Colaba", or that the "Honey Bee Indian brandy is cheap, delicious and stops bad tummies".
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Though the website is affiliated to the credible UK-based newspaper The Guardian, we were appalled to spot oversights "Calabra Causeway" (Colaba Causeway), the "Sangi Gandhi Naional Park" (Sanjay Gandhi National Park) and "Maunga" (Matunga) in the Mumbai section.

Our tip: Browse through this one to get an idea about a backstreet bar or a beautiful country inn that another traveller or a local might have stumbled upon, and which no travel guide will tell you about.