Archive for the ‘Destinations’ Category
A stay and cruise holiday in the Caribbean will see you embarking on a spectacular adventure around some of the most exotic islands in the world onboard the luxurious cruise ship the Carnival Victory, as well as the opportunity to spend 3 nights at the beautiful Almond Casuarina Beach resort in Barbados before you depart on the 7 day cruise.
You get to fully relax at the 4* Almond Casuarina Beach resort in Christchurch enjoying lazy days languishing beside the pool as well as exploring the brilliantly-coloured tropical fish, sea turtles, shipwrecks and coral reefs underwater with a snorkelling day trip on a boat. After 3 days relaxing and taking in the sights of Barbados you will then be ready to embark on a 7 night cruise on the Carnival Victory from the port of Bridgetown.
Hastings Christchurch
Picture courtesy of shaggyshoo
The Carnival Victory is a spacious modern cruise ship and not steeped in tradition like many others, onboard you feel free to let your hair down and enjoy everything this vessel has to offer from four pools, spacious sundeck to a luxurious spa as well as many fun family activities. They also cater for many tastes with plenty of bars and restaurants and you will find plenty to do on an evening like parties happening on deck, movies to watch under the stars and live music in a number of the bars.
Overnight you travel to each new destination waking up each morning in a different port to explore, from the island of St Lucia with its amazing scenery, varying from exotic rainforests and botanical gardens to volcanoes to St Kitts and St Maarten where you can enjoy plenty of well-organised activities, from duty-free shopping and water sports to historic and desolated beaches. Other exotic destinations include San Juan in Puerto Rico, St Thomas and the Dominica where you can enjoy the local rum punch and adopt the ‘no worries’ attitude of the locals and watch for whales and dolphins, or go river tubing and even traverse through the jungle canopy. Each island you visit offers a different experience each time so you will never tire of the adventure. A stay and cruise holiday is a great way to get away on a relaxing holiday, there is no reason not to book one now with some great cruise deals available!
St. Thomas Harbour
Picture courtesy of Quintanomedia
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Iran is a country of contrasts, made up of a natural landscape of dense rainforest along the Caspian coast and the north where temperatures rarely fall below freezing, towards the east of the country the landscape emerges into desert basins and salt lakes. Iran is also one of the world’s most mountainous countries, its landscape dominated by rugged mountain ranges. Across Iran’s vast countryside you will discover a varied amount of wildlife from bears, gazelles and wild pigs, to wolves, jackals, panthers, Eurasian lynx, and foxes. There is also a lot of culture to discovery in this country once known more as a warring country some of which can be discovered in places like Tehran, Mashhad Isfahan and Shiraz.
Khezr Beach, Hormoz Island, Persian Gulf
Picture courtesy of Hamed Saber
A sprawling city at the foot of the Tochal mountain range Tehran is the largest city and capital of Iran, it has long but somewhat unknown history dating back to the 9th century. The is still a lot of history to be seen however a lot of the older more traditional buildings were torn down in the 1950’s to make way for more modern buildings and architecture. Tehran is a city of contrasts and can been seen across the city, there is a divide between the north and the south with a split of modern and rich to traditional and poor, religious and secular. The north of the city seems most modernised and affluent with most hot spots to be here.
Tehran
Picture courtesy of Ensie & Matthias
Shiraz has been Iran’s regional trade centre for more than one thousand years and is located in the southwest of Iran on the Rudkhaneye Khoshk seasonal river, known as the city of poets, wine and flowers is a city of gardens, due to the many gardens and fruit trees that can be seen in the city. A popular destination to experience some of Iran’s great culture has a lot of history to explore like the tombs of Hafez, Saadi, and Khaju e Kermani which are enclosed in a mountain above the cities old quarter.
If you wish to explore the history and culture and enjoy the natural beauty of Iran you can book a flight to Tehran or Shiraz or any of Iran’s other major cities for an interesting break away.
Shiraz botanical garden
Picture courtesy of indigoprime
After surviving a decade and a half of conflict, Beirut has undertaken a huge reconstruction project and is on the way to creating a new commercial and residential district for the 21st century with improved banking, construction, import-export and service industries. It’s now also easy to get to Beirut thanks to their newly renovated Rafic Hariri International Airport which has transport links to the city by service cab or taxi cab.
The city that has been continuously inhabited for millennia and has so much ancient history to explore because Beirut stands on the site of a very ancient settlement going back at least 5,000 years. Until recently many archaeological remains have been left undiscovered, after the conflict ended in 1991 many archaeological investigations have taken place with many Roman and Medieval artefacts discovered. Visiting sites such as the Group of five columns part of the Roman settlement you can learn much about the cities varied history as well as enjoying the splendour of the Roman Exedra, Roman baths and many the floor mosaics. Beirut also has a wide range of culture to explore and you will find many local art exhibitions and shows featuring local artists, you can also pick up lots of local traditional crafts, fashion and jewellery on many local markets.
Named one of the ten liveliest cities in the world by Lonely Planet, Beirut has plenty to offer for evening entertainment with its night life districts which have many bars, pubs and clubs and a large selection of local restaurants specialising in Lebanese food as well as western restaurants.
Beirut is an ideal city to visit with a culture including Greeks, Romans and Arabs and its also very easy to get to with flights to Beirut going from all major UK airports.
Corniche West Beirut
Picture courtesy of austinevan
The town of Aspen which is nestled atop of the Roaring Fork river valley in Western Colorado makes most people think of the ski resort as a playground of only the rich and famous may be true if you were planning to buy a house there, (average price has now reached the £4 million mark) but you should not be put of taking a skiing holiday there, as you don’t need a megastar wallet to go.
There are more than 5,300 skiable acres over four mountains in the Aspen area all with varying terrain, ideal for everyone from beginners to experts. There are other perks to skiing in the US compared to European countries especially for beginners with many ski instructors English speaking. There is also Buttermilk which is a ski school where beginners can learn in safety from the faster slopes that are further up the mountains. There is also plenty to enjoy off piste with lots of forests to explore and other activities to enjoy like trekking and the usual sleigh rides.
Although you may think a holiday to Aspen may be expensive, if you shop around you can normally find some great ski deals that won’t break the bank and once your there you can keep the cost down as there are many bars and restaurants that won’t break the bank.
A cruise holiday on the Nile has a very old romantic touch it gives you a feeling of old world charm with pre-dinner cocktails and conversation and a dark-paneled saloon with heavy furniture and overstuffed chairs and women in glorious ball gowns. Here you can explore the many mysteries of the east in a luxurious cruise ship setting along the magnificent and historic River Nile, travelling at an easy pace enabling you to enjoy much of Egypt’s natural scenery and learning along the way the ancient history when visiting the tombs and temples at Aswan and Luxor.
You do not need to break the bank to experience the luxury of a cruise on the Nile as there are many cruise deals to Egypt, so you can experience the best of the country and visit some of the wonders of the world. The Giza pyramid complex and the Great Sphinx, such wonders which you can explore during organised excursions as well as the southern city of Luxor is home to the Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings.
Egypt is also a great holiday destination for those wishing for some sun, with temperature ranging from 21C in the winter to 43C in the summer and it is also generally rain free and you can also get great cruise deals to Egypt.
Valley of the Kings
Picture courtesy of Mossaiq
The UK is yet again braced for another cold spell with freezing temperatures so now is the best time to look at getting away and warming up, if you would like a relaxing holiday then why not visit the chic island of St Lucia which is the perfect place to de-stress. Stars such as Amy Winehouse go here to relax especially at this time of year where you will find temperatures of 30C and fresh breezes from the Caribbean coast that cut through the humidity. It’s not just a great escape for couples but also you can bring your family with lots to explore on this unspoiled exotic island.
For those who don’t want to spend all their time sunbathing on the golden sandy beaches there are other activities to enjoy such as diving, snorkelling, sailing, yachting, wind surfing, hiking, running and trail riding, if you prefer a more sedate holiday you can also relax in a spa and have a massage.
There is also lots of natural beauty to enjoy from the island’s landmark Piton Mountains which offer vistas across sparkling seas to some secluded sunspots such as Pigeon Island and Reduit Bay. The island is also famous for its local tipple Bounty Rum where you can sample it at the local island distillery, St Lucia Rums. There are also many festivals held on the island like the St. Lucia Jazz festival and the annual Carnival to International Cricket matches.
St Lucia
Picture courtesy of mickpix
Jeddah is also an up and coming tourist city in Saudi Arabian which is located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. Jeddah is the major gateway to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, which able-bodied Muslims are required to visit at least once in their lifetime. It is also easy and economic to get to with cheap flights to Jeddah departing from most UK airports, making it popular with new tourists who wish to experience the Middle East.
There are a many artistic things to see in Jeddah, this is because during the oil boom in the late 1970s and 1980s, there was a focused effort to bring art to Jeddah’s to show in public areas. As a result of this, Jeddah now contains a large number of modern open air sculptures and works of art, these are typically situated in roundabouts, for all to see. Some of the sculptures include works by a variety of artists, such as, Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, Joan Miró and Victor Vasarely. Because Islamic tradition prohibits the depiction of living creatures you find the sculptures often depict elements of traditional Saudi culture like coffee pots, incense burners and palm trees to the completely bizarre like a mounted defunct propeller plane, a giant geometry set, a giant bicycle, and a huge block of concrete with several cars protruding out of it at odd angles. There are also many museums in Jeddah, some of these show a wide variety of history from Jeddah and Saudi Arabia.
Jeddah is quite a cosmopolitan city, more than any other city in the country it is also a diverse multicultural city which has many people coming from all over the world, who share their cultures. It also features many historical buildings and many hotels near to the beach. It is also popular because of its shopping districts, restaurants and cafes and with one of the most famous shopping districts in Jeddah being Tahlia Street
Jeddah also boasts the highest fountain in the world, named King Fahd Fountain, they also have the annual Jeddah Festival bringing many visitors to the city during which, there are many games and activities held in the city like, water skiing competitions, art exhibitions, and music festivals.
Jeddah has been a port and trading city for centuries, which is reflected in its cosmopolitan mix of inhabitants. Today, it is the major commercial center of Saudi Arabia. It also has many government offices. Jeddah is known in the kingdom for its. It also hosts the Jeddah Corniche (waterfront area), which is the largest in the Kingdom with a great bunch of hotels, beaches and resorts clustered around it.
King Fahd Fountain Jeddah
Picture Courtesy of helmutkunert
Just because Dubai is currently in debt to the tune of around $84 billion and construction has ceased at many development sites, it does not mean it should be wrote off as a holiday destination, in fact now is probably the best time to go. With hotel prices cut and cheap flights to entice people to visit you can certainly pick up a bargain or two in some of the finest hotels out there.
There is also plenty to see, the sun-soaked emirate has just this week officially opened the world’s tallest building, the Burj Dubai tower, at more than 800 meters tall and can be seen from 95 kilometers away and surpasses its closest rivals, like the KVLY-TV mast in Blanchard in North Dakota, U.S, which measures a superior 628 meters-high and the Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower in China, at just 610 meters. It also has the world’s first Armani hotel on its bottom floors as well as housing 900 residences, 37 floors of office space and fine dining. Visitors can also look out from the highest observation deck in the world on the 124th floor which opens this month and which is reached by the longest lifts in the world which take two minutes to travel 504 meters.
As well as the Burj Dubai tower, Dubai has just recently opened its Dubai Metro, the fully automated driverless metro network at the moment the red line part of the network is open meaning you can travel in the chic driverless trains in the comfort of leather seats in gold class with Wi-Fi onboard, to travel around the city on. You can visit one of many of Dubai’s shopping malls which range from tradition Middle Eastern stalls to glamorous designer shops and boutiques, art galleries and museums showing the history and lots of new trendy cafes and restaurants.
There is also plenty new state of the art hotels to choose from, like the Atlantis Hotel on the Palm or the Burj Al Arab with its own helipad and features some of the finest cuisine in the world.
Burj Dubai Tower
Picture courtesy of Leandro
As travellers we are now made to feel guilty about going on holiday and increasing our carbon footprint, which we are led to believe will destroy our planet, this can be something of a put off to travel anywhere. However there are ways to make your well deserved holiday eco friendly even if you go abroad.
Cycling and Hiking holidays – An ideal way to sight see but also better for the environment than using a car. You can choose cycling and hiking holidays here in the UK or all around Europe, with the only emissions you will incur is travelling to the destination.
Camping – There are now many campsites which are eco friendly, but still very comfortable accommodation and amenities using more traditional style Asian yurts. There are also plenty of activities to take part in when on a campsite like swimming, canoeing, hiking, climbing, bird-spotting, biking, horse-riding and caving all aiming to be eco friendly.
Hotels – If you’re looking for a beach holiday so you can enjoy some sun, you can be eco friendly especially if you do some research into hotels as a lot of resorts all around now are building more eco friendly hotels and adapting existing hotels to bring them up to standard.
Flights – Most large airlines like BA and Virgin off carbon offsetting when booking your flight, which means you can pay to offset your carbon footprint, with money from that going to projects to improve sustainability and reduce carbon emissions.
You shouldn’t be put off from travelling as a lot of places depend on tourism which in some places helps sustain the environment, the best advice is always to be aware what impact you are having on the environment and how you could improve it.
yurt
Picture courtesy of henrybloomfield
The cold weather has set in, the nights are dark and chilly you feel like you need an injection of light into your life to keep you going, below are places where you might just find the right antidote.
Fumba, Zanzibar
The best time to visit is between December and February you will miss the northeast monsoon on the southwest coast of Zanzibar. The golden Shiri beach is fringed with mangrove and looks out onto the turquoise blue ocean on the beach you will be privy to some awesome sunsets as you relax drink in hand, in this secluded spot. If you don’t want to spend all your time soaking up the sun there are plenty of other activities to partake in like a picnic to Komonda Island where you can also snorkel on one of the largest reefs in Menia Bay, or fishing and snorkelling excursions and you can also rent kayaks and windsurfers.
Manafaru, Maldives
There are plenty of Maldivian style villas that stretch out into the lagoon that are perched over the water on one of many private Haa Alif Atoll islands, here you will find sheer luxury at its finest you will feel like you are in heaven. The northern-most natural atoll of the Maldives offers plenty of natural beauty as well as glorious sunshine to take in. This secluded island offers the perfect escape.
St Barts
This is the most chic Caribbean island and a favourite haunt of the rich and famous. There are 14 beaches on St Barts all blessed with gleaming white sand and very few of them attract crowds of people so you won’t struggle to find a secluded spot. St Barts also offers a glittering nightlife with restaurants and bars and sometimes on a night you will get live music or an outdoor movie.
Maldives
Picture courtesy of muha…