Posts Tagged ‘Holidays’

Yachting Holidays

This year, rather than opting for the usual holiday, why not try a yachting holiday? There’s no better way to spend your time than sailing along a beautiful coastline, enjoying the sea breeze and excitement from a yacht.

Where is best?

There are so many destinations to choose from when deciding where to go on your sailing holiday. We’ve chosen three hot spots to help you make your decision.

Croatia

With many unspoilt and remote islands to discover, a Croatian sailing holiday is the ideal destination for those with a sense of adventure.

Cruise upon the crystal clear waters and stop to visit the historical villages and small marinas which are becoming increasingly popular with sailing holidaymakers. With countless town quays, you’ll never be far from a restaurant or shop for supplies.

Overnight, you can either moor up in a marina with all its conveniences or opt for setting anchor in a secluded creek. Or why not anchor in a quiet bay, perfect for a peaceful swim?

You’ll receive the warmest welcome, typical of Croat hospitality. And warm sunshine too! Croatia has 2600 hours of sunshine per year. Early summer brings good winds, making May and June the best months to go. July and August offer calmer periods, suitable for those preferring a more peaceful sailing holiday.

This amazing country has loads on offer and is great for both those new to sailing and veterans of the sport.

Where to visit – Dalmation Coast, Korcula, Dubrovnic.

Greece

Clear turquoise seas and colourful views ranging from vineyards and orchards to rocky terrains and pebble beaches. Greece offers the most spectacular scenery.

Visit the beautiful quaint villages and sheltered harbours the Greek islands have to offer. Greece also offers sailing holiday makers many places of historical and cultural interest as well as stunning architecture.

Quiet sandy beaches in picturesque coves make for the perfect anchor. In the evenings you can tie up on the quay at one of the many holiday resorts and take in the nightlife.

The weather is invariably good throughout the summer months and the light afternoon breeze makes Greece an ideal sailing location. From April until October there is very little rainfall but the islands still manage to maintain their lush greenness.

The southern island is ideal for the less experienced sailor due to the sheltered waters and shorter routes. The North offers less crowded waters but longer passages for more adventurous sailing.

Where to visit – Cephalonia, Corfu, Ithaka, Paxos, Kythira.

Italy

A gorgeous coastline of breathtaking mountains, still lakes and idyllic islands coupled with vibrant cities, make Italy the perfect destination for holiday cruising.

Italy is a country which has preserved its history for thousands of years. Naples is ideal for art lovers wishing to visit museums and monuments, while Tuscany offers rustic charm and raw beauty. If glamour and style is what you crave then Capri is the place to visit, and the history and diversity of the Amalfi Coast is second to none. A yachting holiday may just be the best way to discover everything that Italy has to offer!

Moor your yacht at one of the many local harbours and take in the superb restaurants serving the finest food. There are always plenty of shops nearby for sailing supplies, making it an ideal base for families. Bays and moorings can get crowded in busy periods.

Italy is one of the most popular sailing destinations with all seasons offering great weather conditions. More than 5000 miles of coastline border the country and most of it stays sunny for the majority of the year. July and August are the hottest months with the lightest winds.

Both experienced sailors and beginners will find a yachting holiday in Italy an experience to treasure forever.

Where to visit – Capri, Almalfi Coast, the Pontine Islands, Procida.

What Now?

If you are an experienced sailor you can charter your own yacht. Remember an up to date competency certificate is usually required. Or why not arrange for a skipper to do all the hard work for you? Either way, a yachting holiday is a fantastic adventure and a wonderful alternative to the standard summer holiday. Make sure you plan your trip with care, do lots of research before you travel and always ensure you are covered by your insurance policy!

Outstanding Holidays: Sardinia Doesn?t Disappoint

Are you in need of one of those terrific holidays? Sardinia may just be your answer. This island is one of the most popular destination sites found in the Mediterranean and you can be certain it will quickly become yours as well.

No matter what you are looking for, you are sure to find it on the isle of Sardinia. Beautiful white beaches, perfect holiday villas, wonderful activities all await you here. Take a few minutes to think about this paradise and book your holidays to Sardinia today.

Enjoy Diving Holidays in Sardinia

Diving is undoubtedly among the most popular activities in Sardinia. There are over twenty caverns and caves that draw thousands of divers to this island every year. The famous Neptun cave, which is located here is a huge magnet for divers from across the world.

Choice of Accommodation during your Holidays in Sardinia

For accommodations on your holidays, Sardinia has a lot to offer. For those that want the utmost in comfort and pampering on their holidays, Sardinia doesn’t disappoint. Five star accommodations, as well as bed and breakfast, holiday houses, and great seaside villas are all available for holidays. Sardinia has some of the best beaches in the world, and as one of Europe’s most popular vacation destinations, you’re sure to enjoy fun in the sun.

Depending upon whether you want an ocean view, you will find that many hotels offer discounts for extended holidays. Sardinia also has a ton of private villas for rent and sale. If you plan to have several holidays, Sardinia may be just the place for you to purchase one of these villas. There are several of these properties that are close to the beaches, but you will also find many that sit in the foothills of the mountains. Depending upon how you wish to spend you holidays, Sardinia has properties to suit just about anyone’s wants and needs.

Relaxing on your Holidays in Sardinia

If you are looking to spend a relaxing time on one of your holidays, Sardinia has just the ticket. The cultures and traditions of this island are somewhat different from other hot vacation spots. Everything moves at a somewhat slower pace, with one of the favorite pastimes being the evening meal. There are a number of fine dining establishments here and the Sardinians love nothing more than to linger over dinner with friends for hours. While it is a great place for relaxing, if you are looking for a wild exciting time on one of your holidays, Sardinia may not be your best bet.

For nightlife, Sardinia is probably not what you would expect. While there are a few clubs around the island, most of the locals are rather “laid back.” They appreciate a good meal, with great conversation, and a terrific bottle of wine. The cuisine here is hearty and somewhat rustic, with a definite Italian flair. For most people, dinner is the most important meal of the day, meant to be lingered over and enjoyed.

There are other attractions for vacation holidays. Sardinia has many archaeological sites, including Roman ruins. You will find shopping too, is one of the favored pastimes. While it might not compare to Milan, you are sure to find something to tickle your fancy.

When you get to Sardinia, you will be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to fall in love with this island destination. Sardinia is not your run-of-the-mill holiday. This island caters to many of Europe’s elite but will also fit perfectly into a family’s holiday plans. If you want a beautiful, tropical vacation, get started with making plans for holidays in Sardinia.

Cyprus Holidays the Ones you Won’t Forget

With so many exotic locations around the world to take your holidays why choose Cyprus? For the thousands of couples and families that return there year on year the answer is simple. Cyprus really does feel like home from home because it offers everything anyone could ever want from a holiday including a glorious Mediterannean climate whilst also being so British. The Cypriots speak excellent English and it’s even taught as a second language in the schools as early as primary level. The signs including road signs are in English as well as Greek and they drive on the left too. Until you have visited this beautiful Island paradise you will have to take my word for it that the Cypriots are probably the friendliest people you will ever meet.

This quintessential Englishness is the result of the British occupation of Cyprus up until the early 60′s after which time the island gained it’s own sovereignty whilst retaining the British legal system along with a modern infrastructure and many other strong western European influences. When you take your holidays in Cyprus though you will also be struck by the countries own unique culture which has flourished despite all those years of British rule. On the whole Cyprus has most of her roots in a strong Greek culture and the majority of Cypriots are in fact Greek by decent. This mix of cultural influences is undoubtably the key to the uniqueness of Cyprus and the Cypriot people has a whole.

With some of the most glorious weather in the whole of the Mediterranean Cyprus holidays are sure to satisfy the most ardent of sun worshipers. They will find more than enough sandy beaches and secluded bays at which to indulge their tanning rituals to their hearts content. The Mediterannean Ocean is warm from May to October making it perfect for bathing or water sports of all kinds and there is no shortage of facilities on all the resorts. Paracending, wind surfing and powerboat hire are just a few of the great pastimes you could try during your Cyprus holidays. Then again maybe you prefer to get out and about to see what this beautiful Island has to offer in terms of culture and history.

Culture vultures will love Cyprus holidays not least for her rich cultural history that stretches back thousands of years. Not all the visitors to this beautiful Island paradise have come in search of the best sun bathing spots or to take a dip in her clear blue waters. Over the centuries many invaders have claimed Cyprus for themselves and tried to force their customs and cultures onto her people. If you love history and places of historical interest why not use part of your Cyprus holidays to see more of the Island by booking on some of the many organized tours. In fact if you want to reach some of the more remote areas that are inaccessible by coach there are several jeep safaris that operate from most of the major holiday resorts too.

However you choose to spend your Cyprus holidays there is a good chance that once you have visited this beautiful Island she will lure you back to her sunny shores time and again. In fact many people have so fallen in love with her (us included) that they have purchased apartments or villas in Cyprus to share with their families and friends. Perhaps once you have discovered the joys of Cyprus for yourself you will begin to understand why they want to own a home on the Island. A Cyprus holiday home will give them and their families years of carefree holidays in the sun and makes great investment for the future too. Maybe we will see you on the Island some time soon enjoying your own Cyprus holidays.

Flying Start For 2008 Holidays

As regular as Santa coming down the chimney at Christmas, the travel industry gives a dire warning of hard times for the year ahead, prices rising, and bookings looking poor.

But 2008 has been an exception with what could be record numbers booking for not just winter holidays but putting deposits down for a summer holiday.

Nearly all traditional travel agents and on-line travel sites report a surge of interest with many translating into bookings around the Christmas period.

ABTA, The British Association of Travel Agents, who safeguard consumer interests for the travelling public in the UK, put the rise in holiday bookings down to the awful weather in the country last summer.

The weather ABTA refer to were floods that affected large parts of England, claimed four lives, and left a hundred thousand homes without water for two weeks in parts of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Insurance companies have warned that the floods will ultimately cost small businesses millions, and insurers have processed tens of millions in claims from homeowners. The British government has given emergency aid to the worst affected areas to help with the cost of the clear-up. Yorkshire in the north of England saw some of the heaviest flooding, with thousands of homes left without power and three people dying.

Included in the holiday areas that have benefitted from the booking surge are Malta, Tenerife, Menorca, Majorca and Lanzarote – some of the favourites from previous years.

Early reports from Malta suggest that the holiday island had a best ever year for tourism in 2007, and is now considering how she can broaden her appeal to entice more tourists to the Mediterranean sunshine isle. Malta Airport saw a record number of passenger flights arriving in 2007 thanks to the low cost airlines bringing in extra visitors, and 2008 looks set to be busier still as more competition arrives.

The Canary Islands are hosting a winter festival of classical music and hopes to boost its visitors before the summer begins. The fourth largest island of Lanzarote, named for its red mountains, will host several of the festival’s upcoming concerts. Lanzarote is well known for its picturesque volcanic landscapes. It is perhaps also just as well known for its futuristic appearance and controlled development of wildlife and plant life.

Another of the Canary Islands, Tenerife, is known for its great winter climate and attracts nearly three and a half million tourists a year to its scenic 2,034 square kilometers. Most of Tenerife’s tourism comes from the United Kingdom, followed by Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Italy and France, among many others. The island is home to many beautiful resorts, including the Playas de las Americas and Los Cristianos. In fact, recent legislation was passed to ensure that any future resort construction must either be of five-star status or offer resort luxuries like golf courses or banquet facilities.

It is likely that both Tenerife and Lanzarote will see their first quarter tourism numbers up for 2008, and if bookings continue as they have been can look forward to a good 2008.

2008 Holidays Not Hit By Economy – Yet

Early in 2008 the travel industry gives a dire warning of hard times for the year ahead, prices rising, and bookings looking poor.

But 2008 has so far been a good year, with the Easter holidays period showing no signs of a slow down, and summer bookings for traditional favourite holiday areas looking healthy.

Nearly all traditional travel agents and on-line travel sites report a surge of interest with many translating into bookings around the Christmas period, but this was before the real extent of the credit crunch was headline news on almost every news bulletin.

ABTA, The British Association of Travel Agents, who safeguard consumer interests for the travelling public in the UK, put the rise in holiday bookings for 2008 from British tourits who frequent the Mediterranean down to the awful weather in the country last summer.

The weather ABTA refer to were floods that affected large parts of England, claimed four lives, and left a hundred thousand homes without water for two weeks in parts of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Insurance companies have warned that the floods will ultimately cost small businesses millions, and insurers have processed tens of millions in claims from homeowners. The British government has given emergency aid to the worst affected areas to help with the cost of the clear-up. Yorkshire in the north of England saw some of the heaviest flooding, with thousands of homes left without power and three people dying.

Included in the holiday areas that have benefitted from good 2008 bookings are Malta, Tenerife, Menorca, Majorca and Lanzarote – some of the favourites from previous years.

Early reports from Malta suggest that the holiday island had a best ever year for tourism in 2007, and is now considering how she can broaden her appeal to entice more tourists to the Mediterranean sunshine isle. Malta Airport saw a record number of passenger flights arriving in 2007 thanks to the low cost airlines bringing in extra visitors, and 2008 looks set to be busier still as more competition arrives.

The Canary Islands have hosted a winter festival of classical music which boosted visitor numbers and hopes for a good summer too.

The fourth largest island of the Canary Islands Lanzarote, famed for its red mountains, hosted several of the festival’s concerts. Lanzarote is well known for its picturesque volcanic landscapes. It is perhaps also just as well known for its futuristic appearance and controlled development of wildlife and plant life.

Another of the Canary Islands, Tenerife, is known for its great winter climate and attracts nearly three and a half million tourists a year. Most of Tenerife’s tourism comes from the United Kingdom, followed by Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Italy and France, among others.

The island is home to many excellent holiday resorts, including the Playas de las Americas and Los Cristianos. In fact, recent legislation was passed to ensure that any future resort construction must either be of five-star status or offer resort luxuries like golf courses or banquet facilities.

It is likely that both Tenerife and Lanzarote will see their overall tourism numbers up for 2008 based on the first few months, and if bookings continue as they have been can look forward to a good surprisingly good year – it could be the 2009 holidays trade which will suffer more from poor economies if people don’t book for next summer in January or so.

Things To See On Your Holidays In Belize

Bounties of treasures await the visitors of Belize. It is well said by those who have gone there that Belize is an adventurer’s paradise. It is on the Caribbean coast and just two hours away from 3 major U.S. gateways. It has rich wildlife, majestic mountains, mysterious Maya temples, and diving and fishing experiences.

One of the many attractions of Belize includes the Cays. Cays are islands that are located between the mainland and the barrier reef perimeters of the offshore atolls. The mangrove cays serve as a shelter of the many birds, fish shellfish, and marine organisms. The island cays, on the other hand, have provided the foundation for the development of many fine resorts to cater for the water sports enthusiasts and the marine naturalists.

One of the popular cays includes the famous CAE Caulker, second-most popular to the Ambergris CAE- the La Isla Bonita from Madonna’s song. It is located on the Caribbean coast of Belize in Central America. It is considered as a magnet for mid range travellers looking to detach themselves from the world.

Belize is also a haven for those who love fishing. All kinds of fishing can be experienced there. The estuaries, inlets and mouths to the many rivers are known for their tarpon, snook and jack. The lagoons and flats are known for the bone fish, permit and barracuda.

The coral reefs support grouper, snapper, jack and barracuda while the deeper waters off the drop off are home to sailfish, marlin, bonito and pompano. Belize also has 20 major river systems and smaller streams that provide outdoor adventures for the kayak and canoe lovers. It is also an excellent way to bird watch and view wildlife.

There are also many caves in Belize. It is an ideal location for the formation of caves because caves are a common feature in the landscape of Belize. The caves include the Che Chem Ha Cave, Rio Frio Cave, St Herman Cave, Barton Creek Cave, Ben Loman Cave and the Actun Tunichi Muknal Cave.

Though there are thousands of caves in Belize for some reason, one of which includes the protection of the caves archaeological significance many of the caves are closed to public exploration.

Golf courses are also abundant in Belize. Not to mention the Cave Chapel Island Resort Golf Course, it is located just off shore from Belize City on a cave that was developed for the very purpose of golfing and relaxation.

The Maskall Golf course Lodge, located in the Belize District, has a nine-hole jungle setting.

As a country whose history is rooted from the Mayan civilization, Belize is also known from its place Cayo. It is a 1500 square mile district that encompasses a good portion of the Maya Mountains and has more than its fair share of ancient Maya sites.

Holidays – World’s Best Villa Destinations

If your idea of a holidays is the up most of luxury and seclusion then a villa holiday is likely to appeal. There are hundreds of thousands of villas across the globe, each with their own appeal from relaxing on private beaches to exploring the depths of the outback on your own personal safari.

The following outlines some of the worlds most popular destinations and what villas in these areas have to offer.

Africa

World renowned for its magnificent contrasting scenery, Africa is a majestic mixture of lush jungles, endless deserts and bustling cities filled with diverse races and religions each with their own way of life. One of the major pulls of African holidays is the opportunity visitors have to get close to the some of the world’s most wild animals in their natural habitat.

Indian Ocean

Boasting some of the worlds most beautiful coast lines, the islands situated within the Indian Ocean are often cited as the “picture perfect island castaway”. If the clear warm water that peacefully laps on the talcum powder soft white sands isn’t enough, many of the islands resorts are renowned for providing world class pampering.

Caribbean

Once reserved for the rich and famous, the 7,000 islands that make up the Caribbean have become a popular resort from travellers from all walks of life. From the laid back beauty of Anguilla to the busting island of Bermuda and Jamaica the Caribbean has something for everyone. Water sports and on-land sports such as Golf and Tennis are particularly popular on some of the islands.

Australasia

The term Australasia is used to describe New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea and the surrounding islands. Australia is a huge country, and its sheer size can be quite daunting, for this reason it is recommended that you choose to fly instead of driving if you wish to cover long distances. Either way, the country manages to combine the ultimate in luxury within its bustling cosmopolitan cities with nail biting adventures when you take to the outback.

Since the Lord of the Rings, interest in New Zealand has sawed, and it’s no surprise. The country is home to some of the worlds most outstanding natural wonders, from snowy peaks to golden beaches. The contrast in culture and environment between the north and south island also makes for a very interesting holiday.

Villa holidays are becoming considerably popular and finding villa rentals in the above resorts as well as anywhere else around globe is very easy. The amount you will pay will vary considerably depending on what kind of villa holidays you are looking for.