Archive for the ‘Travel guide’ Category
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.
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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.
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.
For a holiday a little closer to home Northern Ireland offers many delights and the County Antrim Coastline has a wide of range of attractions for everyone to enjoy no matter what you look for , making the area an ideal destination for a week’s holiday. Northern Ireland is relatively easy to get to from Great Britain, you can hop on a flight to Belfast and all you need is ID like a Driving License so no need for a passport. You can also take a ferry across and it’s also worthwhile to hire a car for the time you’re out there to get around the countryside easily.
County Antrim Coastline
Picture courtesy of Effervscing Elephant
County Antrim’s top attraction is of course the Giants Causeway the amazing system of hexagonal rock formations on the coastline is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of four natural sights belonging to the UK.
According to legend the Irish giant Finn MacCool lived on the north coast of Ireland over the sea from his Scottish rival Banandonner, both would roar across the water at each other and generally trade insults. The insults then escalated and Finn threw a rock to Scotland, thus challenging Banandonner to a fight, but Banandonner could not swim, so Finn desperate for the fight to go ahead ripped up slabs of volcanic rock and created a causeway between the two countries. However the fight never went ahead after Finn tricked Banandonner into thinking he was a baby when he arrived in Ireland so believing the child to be the offspring of his rival, took fright, convinced that if a mere baby could be so huge, the father must be a figure of epic size. He then fled Ireland ripping up most of the Causeway as he went.
Giants Causeway
Picture courtesy of qyphon
However the cause way was actually formed by volcanic explosions deep underground that forced molten basalt up to the surface and formed a plateau of lava which when it cooled and contracted it coalesced into huge hexagonal basalt columns around 60 million years ago.
Here you can enjoy the natural beauty of the cause way and if you are more adventurous can also challenge yourself to the 162-step hike from the Causeway to the cliff tops along the soaring rock columns exposed in the cliff face. If you have a head for heights you could also visit the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge which is nearby, this rickety 80ft-high bridge links the mainland with a tiny island 65 feet off-shore. However if you wish to partake in something more sedate or need a stiff drink after going on the bridge then a visit to the Old Bushmills Distillery will be in order, this is the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery.
Carrick-a-Rede
Picture courtesy of williamsdb
There are some great places to stay nearby including the seaside towns of Portrush, Portstewart and Ballycastle and easily accessible by car from Belfast, each town has a great offering of guesthouses, B&B’s and hotels.
The Birthplace of Scotland
Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs is an area that is considered to be the birthplace of Scotland and a focal point of much of Scotland’s dramatic history. The unspoilt landscapes of glens and bays, around Kintyre and Islay, the Trossachs and Breadalbane where the Highlands and the Lowlands meet within the boundaries of Loch Lomond and the sweeping mountains of Lorn set the perfect backdrop to the unofficial West Highlands capital, Oban.
Inversnaid - Loch Lomond
Picture courtesy of alllyballly
There are so many places to stay around here with Hotels set within some of Scotland’s finest Castles to quaint family run B&B’s or how about a self catering holiday rentals where you can stay in log cabins in the National Parks or traditional farming cottages. Once you have your base for your holiday you can trace the footsteps of those before you such as Sir William Wallace, Robert the Bruce St Columba, and Mary, Queen of Scots or outlaws like Rob Roy. For nature lovers you may be lucky to catch a glimpse of an osprey, a wildcat, a regal antlered stag or an eagle and on the coast you may be lucky enough to see one or two whales and dolphins.
Oban Harbour
Picture courtesy of Lombardo_UK
Whilst up in the Birth Place of Scotland you can immerse yourself in the traditions of Scotland and enjoy traditional folk music, highland games and local food as well as understand others fascination with the area such as travel writer, Sir Walter Scott, who penned his best selling poem ‘The Lady of the Lake’, about the landscapes around Loch Katrine. If you plan on staying in this fascinating region you can base yourself in one of many holiday cottages and travel around the region taking in all it has to offer.
Loch Katrine
Picture courtesy of Ben A’an
The Scottish Highlands hidden delights
When you visit the Scottish Highlands you’d be forgiven in thinking that you are in another world let alone still in the UK, many people often forget what natural beauty lies within this country and how much there is to enjoy. The Scottish Highlands offer a treasure trove of fresh fish, fine whisky, astounding lochs, and stunning scenery to explore, to see the best you can stay in one of many holiday rentals in the area from rustic log cabins to quaint little cottages to get a real feel.
Scottish Highlands, Gruinard Bay, Wester Ross,
Picture courtesy of HighlandBlade
The Highlands cover an extensive area and are home to a quarter of a million people, spread among some vibrant cities such as Inverness to small crafting communities as well as some of the sparsely populated islands around the coast. Covering the Northern Highlands, Skye & Lochalash, Inverness, Loch Ness & Nairn, Aviemore & Cairngorms, Fort William & Lochaber and Moray, you may need more than one holiday here!
There’s a lot to see and do in the Highlands whether your taking a family holiday, a romantic weekend away or an action packed group holiday why not give walking, cycling, golfing, kayaking, sailing or pony trekking a go. If you want to learn some of the history of the area, you can take a look around at some of the Scottish Castles such as Dunvegan Castle & Gardens which was built on a rock in an idyllic loch side setting, it’s also the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the ancestral home of the Chiefs of Clan MacLeod for 800 years.
Dunvegan Castle & Gardens
Picture courtesy of wineboar
There are many things that Scotland is famous for one of which is its best export, Whisky, for centuries the Gaelic speaking clans produced ‘uisge beatha’ (Gaelic: ‘water of life’), now known as Whisky, you can visit one of many distilleries and learn about its heritage and the importance to the culture and history of the country.
If you stay in a holiday cottage or cabin you can go out and enjoy all the fresh locally sourced food in the area such as fresh sea food, prime Aberdeen Angus beef and lots of whisky to wash it down.
Aberdeen Angus
Picture courtesy of gjeewaytee on and off
This summer for your holiday why not support tourism here in the UK, there are many great places to discover and nowhere more so than Scotland, with so many sights, sounds and tastes to explore you will probably find yourself coming back time and time again.
Getting to Scotland is easy you can get direct flights to Glasgow or Edinburgh from many UK airports, you can travel up there by train on the East Coast and West Coast Mainlines and you can also easily travel by car. If you travel by air or by rail you can hire a car to explore what Scotland has to offer or if you wish to get some exercise and want to explore harder to reach places you can also hire bikes to get around on.
Scotland is split up into 14 regions, each offering their own taste of Scotland:
1. Shetland
2. Orkney
3. The Outer Hebrides
4. Highlands & Moray
5. Aberdeen City & Shire
6. Angus & Dundee
7. Perthshire
8. Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling & Trossachs
9. The Kingdom of Fife
10. Edinburgh & the Lothian’s
11. Glasgow & the Clyde Valley
12. Ayrshire & Arran
13. Dumfries & Galloway
14. Scottish Borders
Over the summer there are many events and festivals held all around Scotland which offer an insight into the local history, some of these include:
Edinburgh International Film Festival – 16 June 2010 to 27 June 2010
Isle of Gigha Music Festival – 25 June 2010 to 28 June 2010
Scottish Traditional Boat Festival – 26 June 2010 to 27 June 2010
Tarbert Seafood Festival – 2 July 2010 to 5 July 2010
The Open Championship – 11 July 2010 to 18 July 2010
Hebridean Celtic Festival – 14 July 2010 to 17 July 2010
Inveraray Highland Games – 20 July 2010 to 21 July 2010
Wickerman Festival – 23 July 2010 to 24 July 2010
Edinburgh Festival Fringe – 6 August 2010 to 30 August 2010
Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo – 6 August 2010 to 28 August 2010
So all you have to do now is decide where you want to go in Scotland, whether you want to enjoy what the 14 Scottish Regions have to offer, or whether you want to take part in some of the many events that will be taking place this summer.
Flower of Scotland
Picture courtesy of foxypar4
We have only had a look at a couple of sights, sounds and experiences Vienna has to offer but there is still so much more left to discover, so if you have booked your flight to Vienna, let’s see what else this magnificent Austrian city has to offer.
We’ve mentioned some of Vienna’s palaces such as the Schönbrunn Palace and the Imperial Palace but that’s not all the palace’s they have, in fact there are two palaces on the Belvedere grounds. They lie in the middle of a grand park and were constructed for Prince Eugene of Savoy by J.L. von Hildebrandt, a famous Baroque architect. Today the Belvedere Palaces house museums featuring Austrian painting and art, the large gardens also feature what was Europe’s first Alpine garden in 1803 and are now home to more than 4000 plants that represent the diverse flora of the alpine ecosystem.
Vienna also offers a wide variety of exhibitions, displays and productions throughout the year that showcase a diverse range of cultural expression including Still life painting exhibitions, Television as art, photography festivals, musical events and much more.
If you want a change from sightseeing during your stay in Vienna, there is also a lot of shopping to be done, with many shopping streets and pedestrian zones that of plenty of luxury goods, jewellers, fashion and designer stores, antique stores and art stores. In Vienna’s hip shopping district you will also find many designer flagship stores, independent designer fashion stores and plenty of vintage shopping.
Vienna also has a huge range of restaurants that offer many different cultural dining experiences from traditional Viennese Cuisine to international cuisine as well as many trendy restaurants and bars and luxury restaurants and bars you will be spoilt for choice. During the day whilst exploring this great city you must pop into one of Vienna’s coffee houses, known as the Coffee capital of Austria here you can enjoy many hundreds of different types of coffee and what better way to enjoy your coffee is to sample some of the cities renowned cakes and pastries.
With so much to see, do, taste and experience you may well need to make more than one visit to Vienna.
Some places around the world cause you to catch a breath when you visit them, Vienna is no exception. Situated in the North-East of Austria on the banks of the magnificent Danube River, surrounded by the Wachau region, Vienna mixes past and present effortlessly. Grand imperial palaces and majestic squares stand out from the city like beacons from the past, with striking architecture that eco’s Vienna’s imperial history.
The capital of the Republic of Austria, Vienna is Austria’s largest city, and also Austria’s cultural, economic and political centre, you can easily visit this splendid city with many flight’s to Vienna from many major airports in the UK and around the world. In 2005 Vienna’s city centre became a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, making it an ideal cultural city to visit.
Some of the must see places include the Schönbrunn Palace, part of UNESECO’s cultural heritage, which was Empress Sisi’s former summer residence, a huge baroque complex that contains an enchanting park, the Palm House, the Gloriette and a zoo. Here you can explore the splendid Bergl Rooms and get lost in the Labyrinth.
To get to grasps with Vienna’s past and explore its culture, the Imperial Palace is a must, the centre of the vast empire of the Habsburg dynasty up until 1918 they had developed the area from the old palace and envisioned it to be a great imperial forum. Today you can learn so much about the history of Vienna here, with more than two dozen museum collections, as well as cafes, restaurants, squares and parks.
With so much to explore you won’t know where to start for your holiday to Vienna!
Schönbrunn Palace with backdrop of Vienna