Posts Tagged ‘Holidays’

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.

Don’t Miss these Hotel Beauties during Your Cheap Holidays in Dubai

The larger than life emirate of Dubai has earned well deserved epithets like ‘Venice of the East’ and ‘City of Merchants’. Unsurprisingly, people flock to Dubai in hordes and the country makes sure that its guests receive unparalleled service. Dubai is as famous for its hotels as for its other tourist magnets. In fact, some of the hotels in themselves have become the biggest crowd pullers. Let us take a look at three of the biggest charmers.

Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai

This is the latest addition to Dubai’s treasure kitty. This hotel is like a gigantic ocean based theme park complete with heady water rides and submerged old ruins. One can get up close to creatures like sharks and dolphins. Sitting in the world’s largest artificial island, Atlantis offers you amazing aquatic attractions spread across more than 15 million gallons of fresh and sea water attractions. The Aquaventure water playground is packed with a plethora of heart pumping delights. Imagine, being flung thirty feet into the air and dashed through lagoons teeming with sharks. The different rides through simulated tidal waves and rapids are just hair rising.

The Royal Towers offers over 1,500 guest accommodations with more than 16 restaurants, lounges, bars, and cafes. The stunning Palm Terrace and Royal Palm ballroom are just two of the conferencing facilities. For shopping, there is a mind boggling array of designer brands to choose besides local goodies. The overall awesome luxury makes the word cheap belong to some other dimension among those who celebrate their holidays in Dubai at the Atlantis

Burj Al Arab

No discussion on hotels or for that matter on holidays in Dubai can be complete without an allusion to the Burj Al Arab. Being the tallest hotel in the world, its appearance reflects its reputation. Stretching way up into the clouds from its own small Island, the Burj looks like a giant ship from some science fiction flick. During dark, the effect is astounding, when the hotel explodes into thousands of gleaming lights. Guests are treated like royalty with a Rolls Royce limousine pick up service from the airport. Every floor has a private reception, while every suite has butler service. There are as many as six restaurants and lounges. Burj al Arab is highly renowned for its al Mahara and al Muntaha restaurants. The al Mahara is an underwater restaurant reached by a submarine ride, while the al Muntaha is a suspension restaurant nestling among the clouds.

Shangri-La Hotel Dubai

Housed within the Al Jaber multipurpose complex, Shangri-La is not only conveniently located in the heart of the city, but also commands one of the best sea views. One may choose from one bedroom to four bedroom suites. The hotel boasts some of the roomiest accommodation facilities. There are nine restaurants and bars dishing out a wide array of exotic cuisines, including Cantonese, Moroccan, Vietnamese, and seafood delicacies. The Business Centre offers well trained professional staff along with state of the art technology catering to the requirements of executives on the move. The Horizon Club rooms give a host of extra services like complimentary breakfast and beverages during the day and cocktails during evenings. Shangri-La is definitely one of the best places for spending a holidays in Dubai.

Although, these three hotels are among the most well-known ones, but by no means are they the exclusive options. Dubai is just crawling with accommodation facilities of all types, be they big and small or expensive and cheap.

Wonders of cheap holidays to Egypt

A thousand scholars, philosophers and writers have been waxing lyrical over Egypt for the last five thousand years, little has remained unsaid and what can anyone possibly add that has not been written, sung or mythologized? From the awe inspiring, jaw dropping wonder of the Pyramids of Cairo and the archeologically rich Luxor down to the jewel coloured blue of the paradoxically named Red Sea, every type of person from the wannabe Egyptologist to the diver and snorkel wearing enthusiast can have a holiday of a life time. There are such a significant multi combinational types of holiday for you to enjoy in Egypt; The Egyptologist can enjoy seven night Nile River cruises that stop off everywhere you need to be, leaving Luxor and encompassing the Ancient Sites of the Pharaohs including, The Valley of the Kings and Queens, Island of Philae, Aswan High Dam and of course the awe inspiring Abu Simbel. Luxor with an impressive world renown glorious history spanning almost 7000 years, is still one of the ‘living Ancient Cities’ of the world, and even if the river cruises down the Nile are not really your thing you’ll find you can enjoy all the sites you would see with a Nile Cruise by just hopping on some felucca sailing boats and as the number and preservation of the sites in the Luxor area are unparalleled anywhere else in the world every day is discovery day. Luxor is actually split into three different areas, consisting of the City of Luxor on the East side of the Nile, the town of Karnak just north of Luxor and Thebes is on the west side of the Nile across from Luxor and if you are staying around the Nile corniche then it is easy to bump into most ancient sites by just taking a walk. Cairo although several hundred kilometres away, is reached by air the cost of a return trip is little more that £120 return, but well worth it, it’s not on every holiday that you get to see something you have been probably reading about and hearing about since you were a kid, The Pyramids of Giza have long held fascination and it has been said that way way back in the day of days, thousands of years before Greenwich in London that Giza used to be zero meridian, so if you are in the area do fork out that extra bit of money and go and see them. Yes it is dusty and loud and if you do not concentrate on the cars milling around you, you could almost be back all those thousands of years ago walking the same streets and smelling the same multi-scented mix of cooking meats to the fragrant and not quite so fragranced air of Cairo that is so distinct from others that quite frankly it should be bottled.

I remember going all misty eyed over Egypt in one of my earlier articles about Sharm, and I still stand by it and I am way beyond been mocked over my feelings on Egypt, it is magical and special and one of my regular clients and I spent a good hour on the phone once both misty eyed, trying to surmise why we both felt this way about this patch of land, because sadly not everyone feels this way about Egypt, which is alien to me and others who have a truly fevered passion for all things Egypt. So I am putting it down to lack of education on the area and the people that go there, I have had a selection of grumblings from clients once they are there mostly stemming that ‘it’s not like back home’, which of course its not! Seriously now, Egypt was an empire thousands of years before us Brits and a little respect is in order.

Although the face of Britain has changed drastically in the last thousand years alone, the core of Egyptians and their way of life in the last five thousand years has not really changed that much, bartering is not just customary but I am convinced it is part of Egypt’s DNA part of their genome and will never change, you want to shop in Egypt you’d better accept that bartering is part of the deal and it is pointless fighting against it. Egypt is also a tipping culture, has been forever, and whilst tipping is actually not a very British custom it is something that all travelers and guests need to accept without question, as it makes up to 60% of the annual wage of all the local workers, and if you consider that approximately ten Egyptian pounds equal to one British pound, even 20 pence a pop is not going to leave that much of a hole in your pocket. So remember, barter and tip the two key words for a happy holiday in Egypt!

Moving down to the biblical mention of the Red Sea (Moses, Naughty Pharaoh, and need I say more?) the incredible development of what once was a sleepy and exclusive haunt for divers; The Red Sea has been developed into three main resorts Sharm El Sheikh which has become the most popular summer and winter destination for holidaymakers around the world. Taba & Taba Heights, the original of Egypt’s red sea resorts, and Hurghada, unlike Sharm El Sheikh which is a purpose built resort, Hurghada has always been a busy little town with gorgeous bays and beaches and with plenty of activities to keep you occupied throughout your stay. Then fringing Sharm and Taba you have Dahab & Nuweiba for a complete get away from it all holiday with golden beaches and sparkling seas where dolphins frolic in the horizon, yup there is frolicking dolphins. And past the Hurghada area with all its bays and neighbouring areas that are now been sold as stand alone resorts in their own right, Marsa Alum or Marsalam as is known by some, is the young and newest addition to the Red Sea crown of resorts, this is the spot where the Red Sea starts to descend downstream and into the Indian Ocean, so you will have an increased flora and fauna under the water, we are talking 50 km of sandy beaches between Marsa Alam airport and the resort by the same name so crowded beaches are unheard off. It is the nirvana of all scuba divers with its virgin reef, but keep in mind that snorkelling can be tough due to the open sea, unless you choose a hotel located inside a bay. The area also offers a good spot for kite and windsurfers and some pleasant Bedouin camps where local wares can be purchased with the obligatory wild hand gesticulations of the time honoured traditions of bartering!

Holidays in May and June

Everywhere across the globe, May and June are major vacation seasons where one can enjoy time with kids and family. So why not plan a vacation to a place where all can find something that suit their personal tastes?

Let’s start our exploring trip from North America. Places like California, Midwestern United States and Canada possess the lion’s share of tourism. California is known for its beautiful sunsets, whale-watching adventures and wonderful camping and hiking facilities. The mid-west boasts of its scenic fall foliage drives along Mississippi River. There are casinos and water-parks in Indiana. You can also visit the Boyne falls in Michigan and the Vista fleets in Minnesota.

Try not to select places famous for water-parks since it’s children’s holidays all across the globe. Rather than enjoying the trip, you would most likely get frustrated seeing so many people.

Moving to Asian subcontinent, places like Malaysia, which is blessed with Petronas, and other huge towers like Times Square in KL are worth a visit. The Genting Highlands nearby (which is called the Las-Vegas of Malaysia) and the beautiful Langkawi Islands (which boast of the highest cable-car service) are big attractions in Malaysia. The liquor-free duty ports there earn lots of tourist dollars during this season.

The Southern hemisphere is famous for reversal of seasons. So if you wish to enjoy snow-covered beauty and the most amazing landscapes, New Zealand is the right place for you. From colorful geysers to dormant volcanoes, exploring an ancient tribe to admiring the Southern Islands, you’ve got everything here. You ought to visit the places with beauty that will fascinate even Peter Jackson, the director of Lord Of the Rings.

Indian subcontinent also attracts millions during this season to admire the beauty of Himalayas. The gateway to Himalayas is opened from Rohtang in Himachal. You will not find any freely available accommodation in this part of country in this season.

France is another wonderful destination. Saint-Martin is a paradise for people who leave islands. The fusion of Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean makes Sailing the prime attraction in this place. So once at the sea, you simply listen to the call of the beautiful ocean depths.

During this season, Morocco blooms with different cultures and races as thousands flock here to see the Atlas Mountains. Morocco is a base because of the presence of excellent hiking and trekking facilities. The Majorelle botanical garden in Marrakech is a popular tourist attraction.

If you plan to please both kith and kin, then Bermuda is waiting for you. The tourism facilities have increased drastically. The famous walk on the ocean floor and a travel back in time at the Maritime museum are two diversities of recreations. The place is blessed with beautiful stalactites, the photos of which you’ll find everywhere in Discovery Channel.

With so many options in hand, you cannot stay at home any longer. It’s time for you to pack your baggage and have the time of your life with your family. Enjoy.

Cayman Islands Holidays – Weddings

You’re looking for the ideal tropical location to get married. So this destination has to have the right weather and the wedding itself must be simple enough to manage while hundreds, or even thousands of miles away.

The Cayman Islands, which are a trio of small islands south of Cuba and to the North West of Jamaica is that location. They combine Caribbean paradise with USA efficiency.

Despite the time difference, the Cayman Islands are easy to communicate with by telephone, fax or email. Some companies may also have Skype. As English is the main language none of your wishes will get lost in translation. There are many professionals who can take all the stresses in planning your big day away from you, so that you can arrive in the knowledge that it will all go like clockwork.

The main choice for a wedding is Grand Cayman. This is the social and economical centre of the three islands. If you have a large group travelling with you, then this is the best location as there will be something for everyone to do before and after the big event.

Most of the hotels can plan a ceremony for you, whether on Seven Mile Beach or at the eastern end of the island. Or if you prefer an independent planner can handle it all for you and you can have the ceremony close to a top class restaurant. My wife and I used a planner when renewing our wedding vows. The service was on the beach close to the Wharf Restaurant. The service from the Wharf was outstanding, as was the food. We used a wedding planner from Celebrations to take care of everything. Although we did arrange the menu direct with the restaurant as we wanted vegan food.

If you want a more tranquil setting, then look at holding your wedding on Little Cayman. Its very peaceful, and afterwards the is not much to do except relax or go diving. It is not the ideal location for a long stay if you are have loads of children in your party, They will probably get very bored after a few days. As the island is only a short hop from Grand Cayman, your friends and relatives could always limit their stay to a few days, and then return to Grand Cayman.

Due to its proximately to the USA, you could even combine a tropical wedding followed by a shopping trip in New York!

Visit the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism for more information on the legal requirements for your wedding at www.caymanislands.co.uk.

For help in planning your Cayman Islands holiday or wedding, contact John Guinn at Holiday Hut. As a trained Cayman Specialist he will ensure that you get the most from your time there.

Bali Resorts Provide The Perfect Stop For Romantic Holidays

It only seems fitting that couples who select Bali for a romantic holiday would want to ensure that their entire stay involves adventure, luxury and sights that take the breath away. When Bali resorts are used as the backdrop for vacations, the splendour will be seamless whether a couple is indoors or out.

Whilst Bali resorts do run the gamut on features and pricing, couples can expect a number of similar attractions no matter the final destination. Some of the reasons why so many couples seek out Bali and its resorts for romantic getaways include:

* The outdoors – Bali has long been known as a place where dreams and reality come together. Once believed to be the home of the Gods, this Indonesian island offers some of the most breathtaking natural sights in the entire world. From its mist-covered mountaintops to its white sand beaches surrounded by turquoise waters, Bali is one of the most eye pleasing destinations couples can visit.
* The activities – Couples will find that romantic strolls along the beaches are not the only activities for those on Bali vacations. Whilst the strolls are hard to top – especially at sunset – couples will find plenty of other things to do together. Bali is also famous for its water sports, golfing, tennis, horseback riding, snorkeling and hiking adventures.
* The historic destinations – Bali resorts provide the perfect starting point for adventures that will take visitors back in time centuries. From ancient temples that have stood to honour the Hindu gods for more than a thousand years to the royal palace and beyond, Bali offers couples with a love of history a chance to take in some incredible destinations.
* The adventures – Bali tours can take couples to the edge of active volcanoes and into the heart of forests populated by monkeys. The adventures that await lovers here are virtually endless.
* The shopping, dining and culture – Bali might be known for its splendid natural sights and outdoor attractions, but the island and its residents do not slack on offering couples more to see and do. Here holidaymakers will find plenty of little shops to explore, museums to pursue and a culture that is famous for its handicrafts, dancing, artwork and cuisine.
* The service – Bali is noted the world over for its friendly people and resorts that make everyone feel welcome. Bali resorts offer couples topnotch service from the second they arrive on the island until they moment they depart to go back home.
* The rooms – Bali resorts make sure that the beauty of the island isn’t lost when couples retreat to their rooms for the night. Many of the island’s resorts go to great lengths to ensure that guests are given the royal treatment with richly and romantically appointed rooms that are surrounded by lush gardens and architectural marvels.

The beauty and serenity of Bali has long called to lovers. Those who stay in Bali resorts often discover these destinations provide the perfect launching point for the most romantic holidays of their lives.