Archive for the ‘Destinations’ Category
For those who travel without children and enjoy a holiday abroad where the weather is warm and there is plenty to see or do when the schools have gone back then a Mediterranean cruise should fit the bill for you perfectly. The best part of a Mediterranean cruise is the different and diverse countries you get to visit along the way which offer a rich culture that you can experience and enjoy, from a stroll along La Ramblas in Barcelona, or enjoy Rome’s grand Trevi Fountain all in one trip.
If you take a Eastern Mediterranean cruise then you can take in the sights and sounds of Greece and the Greek islands, Turkey, Croatia, Cyprus, Malta and possibly Egypt as you make way with your journey, you can take in a mix of sights such as mosques and minarets in Istanbul, or rest up in a sleepy Greek fishing port such as Kusadasi. If you opt for a Western Mediterranean cruise then you get to take in the delights of Spain, France, Italy and North Africa, such as the beautiful island Capri, or glitzy resorts like Monte Carlo, Nice, St Tropez, Villefranche and Portofino.
With a Mediterranean cruise holiday there are many great cruise deals available which are either, a fly and cruise holiday or a cruise from a UK port.
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With all the travel woes at the moment is staying in a holiday cottage in England or elsewhere in the in the UK a safe bet for your summer holidays? We keep hearing about travel firms going bust, talks of strikes both here and abroad and the poor exchange rate so there should be no reason to go abroad for a holiday this summer. Although we tend to be blighted by poor weather here in the UK we can get lucky and see some days of sunshine, however if you’re staying here in the UK your probably not interested in sunbathing all day on a beach or by a pool.
There are so many outdoor and indoor activities the whole family can enjoy. We have 15 National Parks to enjoy in the UK which cover beautiful areas of mountains, meadows, moorlands, woods and wetlands as well as an extensive coast line which covers little harbour villages to bright and bold promenades along the sea fronts.
If you like big city lights or quiet country retreats there is something for everyone, you can stay in luxury 5* hotels to simple hostels or enjoy the peace and quiet of a quaint cottage or canal boat for something a bit different.
When you think of a cruise holiday many people tend to picture a sedate older passenger relaxing on deck or partaking in some gentle afternoon croquet as they travel around the Mediterranean or the Caribbean, however that’s not all cruise liners have to offer. You can experience places that you may never have thought about, experience thrills you have never tried before and also enjoy some of the world’s most amazing natural beauty.
A great cruise holiday for the avid traveller is a Far East Cruise, here you can travel to the Orient, which is steeped in tradition, customs and superstition, you can enjoy a mix of high flying faced paced urban life in the fast-growing cities of the “Tiger” economy such as Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila and Kuala Lumpur and fast-emerging countries like Vietnam. As well as the slow agricultural way of life in the many picturesque rural villages continues unchanged as it has done for centuries.
For those who like to enjoy the history their destinations have to offer a cruise holiday to the Falkland Islands will be just what you need, although best known for the eponymous war that took place in 1982, the island also offers plenty of nature and geological treasures as well as military history. The Falklands also make a great destination to visit by sea because you can easily explore many of the smaller isles such as Barren Island, Beaver Island, Bleaker Island, Carcass Island, George Island, Keppel Island, Pebble Island, Sealion Island, Speedwell Island, Weddell Island and the Jason Islands.
So if you fancy experiencing changing your views on what cruises offer then look for cruise deals to some far flung fun destinations.
Now is a great time to look for a last minute family holiday to Spain, many large travel companies are reducing their prices in the hope of attracting more British holiday makers to go abroad. Many have found that their bookings for this year have dropped because more people are choosing to stay here in the UK for their holidays. Spain is always a popular family holiday destination and at the moment you can find plenty of family holiday rentals in Spain at really great prices, not only that there are some good offers available for flights to Spain as well.
There are many popular family holiday resorts in Spain such as Gran Canaria, for family orientated entertainment, great especially if you have young children, or Barcelona, which has a great combination of culture, coastline and a great climate, and if you have older children and want to introduce them to the ‘real’ Spain then Andalucía where flamenco dancing and bullfighting where born will be the destination for you.
Self catering is the best way to make the most of Spain, you can go out and enjoy everything this amazing and diverse country has to offer, and you are free to come and go as you wish as well as being able to go out and sample the local cuisine. Holiday rentals in Spain are perfect for families no matter what the size, many villas and cottages can sleep up to 16 so you won’t be short of space and you will normally find that you have your own private pool too, so no battling it out for sun beds.
Sand dunes and sea - Gran Canaria
Picture courtesy of Vin Crosbie
So far this year we have had one of the wettest summers on record and although we have had muggy temperatures we haven’t seen as much sun as we may have wanted to, and as we head in to autumn and winter our chances are pretty slim. There are many holiday deals around at the moment for some last minute get a ways, however you can also get some good off-peak deals for a winter sun holiday to give you a much needed boost over the winter months.
Popular winter sun destinations include:
Buzios, Brazil which offers eight hours of daily sunshine
Bali & Indonesia which offers ten hours of daily sunshine
Goa, India which offers eight hours of daily sunshine
Reduit Bay, St Lucia which offers eight and half hours sunshine
Clearwater, Florida which offers eight hours of sunshine
The Caribbean is always a popular winter sun destination here you also get a good eight hours of sunshine a day with high temperatures of around 85.0°F or 30°C and a great way to experience the idyllic combination of sun-drenched beaches, endless swathes of blue cloudless sky and sparkling waters is by taking a cruise holiday. Not only can you spend time relaxing on board a fantastic cruise liner but also relax on private beaches or enjoy jeep safaris through tropical rainforests, swimming with stingrays or horse riding. On a cruise holiday your every need is taken care of and you won’t have to worry about a thing other than making sure you get enough rest, relaxation and most importantly sunshine.
If you book now you will find that there are many great cruise offers available so you can get your fix of winter sun, and prices are very reasonable especially when you think about how much you get to see and do, much more than a holiday in just one Caribbean resort.
If you’re looking for a holiday in the UK where you can enjoy walking, cycling, shopping, sightseeing, boat trips, canoeing, sailing or just relaxing on a beach, then one place where you can find all this is Norfolk. The gently rolling countryside of Norfolk is filled with ancient churches, windmills and picturesque villages with beautiful traditionally thatched holiday cottages to stay in. From here you can enjoy the woodland, forests, rolling chalk lands, coastline and the watery patchwork of the Norfolk Broads.
Norfolk has many great attractions dotted around the county, you defiantly won’t be short of things to enjoy and will probably wish you could stay for longer, whether your interests are historic buildings, wildlife parks, military museums or working steam railways. There are many fun adventures to be had for families with young children as well with zoo’s, sea life centres, nature parks, wildlife gardens and even a camel centre thrown in there!
There are some things that Norfolk is renowned for, such as the Norfolk Broads, which is a vast expanse of wetland and the third largest inland waterway in the United Kingdom, it is also one of the UK’s National Parks, although referred to as the Norfolk Broads, it also stretches into Suffolk, where it is known as the Suffolk Broads. The total area is 117 square miles, most of which is in Norfolk, with over 120 miles of navigable waterways, which make a great place to stay for a boating holiday.
If boating isn’t your thing and you prefer to travel by steam then can enjoy the railways and light railways of Norfolk, they include the Mid Norfolk Railway which is East Anglia’s longest heritage railway linking the market towns of Wymondham and Dereham. Or The North Norfolk Railway (The Poppy Line) which is a full size steam heritage railway which offers spectacular views of coast and country. As well as the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway where you can enjoy delightful countryside views of the North Norfolk coast.
For those who are looking to take a ‘staycation’ here in the UK this year for their summer holiday, you are probably looking for somewhere to visit that has plenty to do come rain or shine, due to the unpredictability of the UK weather. London makes a great holiday destination, there are plenty of things to do indoors and outdoors plus it’s easy to get to from anywhere in the country with flights to London from many smaller UK airports as well as great train links. We all know a holiday in London is a fun break for adults with plenty of shopping do, fine dining to indulge in and shows to see but what is there to enjoy if you’re going with children?
Surprisingly lots, there is something for everyone no matter what their age, for young toddlers and children right up to fussy teenagers!
For younger children days out include:
For animal lovers you can visit London Zoo which in 2010 launched its new Rainforest Experience and offers daily animal displays including feeds and keeper talks. You can also visit the exhibit “Into Africa” where you will come eye to eye with Africa’s most unusual animals.
You can also visit one of Europe’s largest collections of global marine life at the Sea Life London Aquarium, which is situated in the heart of London here you can enjoy an immersive and interactive journey along the Great Oceanic Conveyor.
If you feel that by holidaying in the city you are missing the charms of the countryside such as open farms then fear not you can enjoy that Hackney City Farm boasts a wide variety of animals on the farm with traditional farm livestock where you can usually expect to see pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals.
If animals aren’t your thing and you kids like learning about science, history or art then 3 London stops should interest you.
For a day of discovery, understanding, enjoyment and responsible use of the natural world a visit to The Natural History Museum will be ideal you can explore world-class collections, fantastic exhibitions and cutting-edge research.
For science mad children and adults you will defiantly be entertained for the day the Science Museum with exhibitions, events and films, such as a 3D movie, a jump on a simulator, or visit an exhibition, and encounter the past, present and future of technology.
You can also enjoy some family fun at The Cartoon Museum here you can see family favourites such as Dennis the Menace and Rupert to Andy Capp, Giles and Steve Bell. It shows over 200 original British cartoons, cartoon strips and comics as well as tips on how to draw cartoons where anyone can have a go.
There are also some great days out for those with older children and teenagers who want to see something a bit more in their age range such as:
You can get a great view from The London Eye which is the world’s tallest observation wheel with 40 kilometre panoramic views on a clear day.
Or for those who like it gory you can visit The London Dungeon which brings the darkest chapters of local and national history back to life, combining authentic set design, stunning special effects and live performance to recreate history’s horrible bits.
For those who like celeb spotting no trip to London will be complete without a visit to the world famous Madame Tussauds, which is filled with over 300 wax figures, including the Queen, the Beckhams and many, many more as well as 14 exciting, interactive zones and a brand new Marvel Super Heroes 4D movie experience.
The best part of a holiday in London is that all these attractions are easily accessible from anywhere in the city with great tube links and bus routes, as well as that London itself is easily accessible from all the major London airports, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost!
There are some countries which are known for their taste in fashion and one of those is Italy, many Italians take great pride in their appearance which is not surprising, after all Milan is considered by some in the fashion industry, as the fashion capital of the world. Italy also makes a fabulous holiday destination as well, even better if you have a keen interest in fashion, you can visit other Italian cities too such as Rome and Florence which celebrated sartorial guru’s have designated them fashionable cities. You can look to stay in or around these cities in either 5* fashionable boutique hotels or if your budget wont stretch to that you can stay in an self catering holiday rentals.
If you choose to stay in Milan you can expect a wide range of exquisitely designed clothing available, some by designers you may no have heard of yet and some by names you will no doubt be familiar with, and many of these chic fashion shops will be found along the stylish streets of Via Montenapoleone, Via delta Spiga and Via Sant’ Andrea. In the centre of Milan you will also find the swanky fashion district of Quandritatero della Moda which is home to some fabulous designer shops such as Armani, Versace, Fendi, Gucci and Dolce and Gabbana.
Via Montenapoleone
Picture courtesy of darkensiva
The Renaissance city of Florence known as the home of Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci is also known As the home of fashion too, the Italian school of modern fashion which opened in 1950 has grown the likes of Giovanni Battista Giorgini, Salvatore Ferragamo and Bulgari who now match the fashion heavyweights like Chanel, Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. Florence has a mixture of high end designer outlets such as Valentino, Armani and Gucci which you will find on the chic shopping street of Via de Tomabuoni, but it also offers a wide range of affordable fashion too which are located in Vio de’ Cerretani, Via Roma and Via Calimala.
Florence
Picture courtesy of Chi King
With the famous saying ‘when in Rome……’ you have no excuse to not be fashionable here, the picturesque streets that offer designer goodies will be heaven for any fashion aficionado, the Via Condotti, which is considered to be the world’s most elegant shopping streets is where you will find high end brands such as Armani, Gucci, Prada, Hermes and Valentino. However if you budget wont stretch to these designers, you can still enjoy the fashion in Italy, Rome has many smaller independent designers which are less price but equally as fabulous, many of these boutiques can be found on the Via del Governo Vecchio, and for younger fashionista’s Via del Corso offers trendy youth orientated fashion boutiques which are great value for money.
Via Condotti
Picture courtesy of AchimH
Italy is not just known for its fashion either, it’s also known for its food, whilst enjoying the fabulous fashion you can also sample traditional Italian fare, if you’re staying in self catering holiday apartments or villas, there is not excuse not to go out, dressed fashionable and enjoy local delicacies.
If you fancy drifting off to exotic far away shores with bright turquoise skies and sun drenched beaches without any effort this summer then a cruise holiday may be just what you need. There are some fantastic last minute cruise deals available now, which will see you enjoying the summer in style without spending a small fortune.
You can find brilliant cruise deals to exotic destinations such as the Caribbean, Dubai and Egypt or enjoy somewhere a bit closer to home such as the Mediterranean or the British Isles, or you could look to travel in 5 & 6* luxury at rock bottom prices onboard liners such as The Cunard Lines Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Victoria or enjoy the hustle and bustle on board the humongous Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas.
A cruise holiday will offer you the escape you need but without all the hustle and bustle of travelling and getting to and from places as that is all taken care of on top of that you will be waited on hand and food by the staff and can enjoy extensive ranges of cuisine. You can pop and see places you wouldn’t have dreamed of seeing before whilst enjoying excursions on shore or you can just while away your day been pampered onboard.
With the summer holidays here it’s interesting to note that last year less people travelled abroad for their holidays, ten million Brits in fact, with many choosing to stay closer to home for holiday, starting a trend known as the ‘staycation’. Many families chose to stay here in the UK in holiday cottages, B&B’s and small country hotels and enjoy the local area because of the drop in the value of the pound against the euro and the dollar, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Figures show that the popular holiday destinations such as , Spain, fell by 2.2million to about 11.5million last year, with France seeing its visitor numbers down 1.1million visitors to 9.8million as well as Portugal, down 720,000 to 1.8million. It’s not just European holiday destination suffering wither the number of people taking trips to the US slumped by 20 per cent, with only 3.2million, however the biggest drop was see in Mexico with 41 per cent drop in visitors after it was identified as the source of the global swine flu epidemic.
According to the 2009 Travel Trends study for the ONS, those who did go overseas found prices for meals, car hire and suntan lotion so high that they reduced their spending, with Spending overseas by families and businessmen fell by £5.1billion to £31.7billion.
However it’s not just the drop in the number of Brits abroad, the number of foreign tourists to Britain fell by 2million last year to 29.9 million. But with more people choosing to stay here in the UK tourism should pick up in resorts that have suffered in the past, with great prices for holiday rentals here in the UK at many popular destinations there’s no excuse not to have a holiday.