All Travel World

Why Visit … New Mexico

Posted on 15. Feb, 2012 by blogger.

New Mexico is somewhere you can visit at any time of the year. You can ski, snowboard and ride snowmobiles in the winter, or camp, hike, play golf, raft and cycle during the rest of the year. They like their festivals down in New Mexico, so try to time your arrival with at least one of them to get a real flavour of the local area – like the International Balloon Fiesta, the State Fair (both in Autumn) or the Whole Enchilada Festival(!).

The climate in New Mexico is semi-arid, subtropical – a little rain, a lot of sun and not very humid. But depending on the time of year you might get a lot of rain (from August onwards) and snow in the mountains during the Winter. Temperatures can range from below freezing in Winter to 80-90F in the height of Summer.

Aside from all the skiing and hiking you might like to do, there are plenty of beautiful things and places to see that are unique to New Mexico. There are three subcultures in New Mexico – the Native Indians, the Spanish and the Anglos, and each have historically brought their own touches to the region. For example, there are amazing Anasazi houses, built around 1200AD around the Mesa Verde National Park (just over the border, in Colorado), but also check out Chaco Culture National Historic Park for pueblos built by the Native Indians. Further back from history, don’t miss the Aztec Ruins National Monument.

The Spanish brought their knowledge of fabulous churches and built several in New Mexico, perhaps the most famous being Ranchos de Taos, just north of Santa Fe. The Anglos built houses and hotels and other such things that can be seen throughout New Mexico, but as they’re not much different from what we’re already used to back home you won’t be blown away!
There are natural sites of beauty in New Mexico, too, from the snow-capped mountains, plains, forests filled with pine trees and aspens, and great, vast canyons.

There are plenty of things to do in New Mexico, and plenty of unique landscapes and areas of historical interest, so why not visit this year?

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Reasons To Visit Greenland

Posted on 07. Feb, 2012 by blogger.

Greenland. Perhaps the least green-land in the world, covered mainly in ice and snow, it is home to just 56,000 people.
But with ever-improving infrastructure and domestic flights, good quality hotels and other sorts of accommodation, it is becoming a place where people want to visit more and more. It is a disappearing land, and as much of its landscape melts and disappears forever, now is the time to visit.

There’s a huge range of things for you to do in Greenland, mainly due to its geographical location and particular climate and natural attractions. Make the most of the seascape and take boat trips around the icebergs and watch for whales, polar bears or seals; take a trip across the snow on a sledge pulled by huskies; take a safari to see the local wildlife including reindeer and musk oxen. Or if you’re feeling energetic you can go for some serious treks across this spectacular terrain, do some climbing up glaciers and kayak down icy rivers. And of course, the skiing is fantastic.

There are plenty of museums to learn more about the native Innuits, Viking invaders, or to see local art and crafts through the ages, such as can be found in the Old Town Museum in Upernavik. The National Museum contains mummified bodies of people dating back to a boating accident in the 1400s.

Time your visit to coincide with the annual Snow Sculpture festival in Nuuk (the capital city).

Being so close to the Artic, though, you might want to take an excursion to the North Pole, or simply watch the icebergs off the coast as the sun reaches them in the morning – simply breathtaking.

Dining in Greenland tends to be mostly meat- and fish-based, since there is little by way of agriculture on the island.

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Why Visit Tangier?

Posted on 31. Jan, 2012 by blogger.

Tangier is a very colourful and vibrant city in Morocco and is worth looking at in some detail for those who may be considering visiting Morocco on their next holiday.

It has an interesting history, which can be learned about in any one of the excellent museums in the city. For example in the 1920s it was designated an International Zone, which meant that it basically had no laws of its own. Many great writers of the 20th Century took it upon themselves to live in this unique place, including Tennessee Williams. Tangier was made part of Morocco again after the end of the Second World War, but is still a great hub of multiculturalism, being the place where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic, where Europe meets Africa.

It has a population of 700,000 and is the hub of corporate and economic Morocco. But it is also geared up for tourism and you can have a truly great holiday here, enjoying all the local produce and entertainments.

Its location between those great oceans mean that it has a great variety of fresh fish and seafood dishes on offer in any of its fantastic restaurants. But it also offers some amazing spicy dishes (normally served with fragrant couscous) that you would no doubt expect from Moroccan cuisine.

It is generally safe to visit Tangiers, with low crime rates against tourists, although beware the many touts seeking business from you – they can be alarming in their persistence.

There are plenty of historical sites to visit if you choose. The most famous, perhaps, is the Kasbah, which is built on the highest point of the city and offers amazing, panoramic views across the Strait of Gibraltar and over to Spain. Or check out the Grand Souk and Petit Souk, the two markets at the Old Medina.

If you’re not exhausted after all that, there is plenty of night life to keep you entertained throughout the night, with pubs and clubs offering cheap alcohol and free tapas.

With two major coastlines, on the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, you won’t be short of beaches to choose from: miles and miles of sandy, clean beaches with calm water. Partake in any of the usual water sports, or take a camel for a trek inland! There’s even a renowned golf course to enjoy if you like – the Royal Tangier Golf Course covers five-and-a-half kilometres of well-maintained, greenery.

Plenty for everyone!

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Ideas For Unique Holiday Destinations

Posted on 24. Jan, 2012 by blogger.

Fancy somewhere different for your next holiday?  Tired of booking the same types of holidays year after year?  Check out our list of unique holiday destinations…

1. Siberia

Yes, you’ll probably need your woollies.  But what an experience!  Check out Siberian villages like Khatanga, where you can meet reindeer herders, stand on the actual North Pole (!) and visit the Polar Museum (located in St Petersburg). 

2. Antarctica

Do this and Siberia and you might have experienced standing at both ends of the earth!  Many people take cruises here to take advantage of experts who travel on the cruise ships to give tours and talks about all the wonders that can be seen on this continent, from penguins and whales to great ice structures that will take your breath away.

3. Tibet

There are obviously plenty of cultural difficulties faced by the people of Tibet, whom are still under the oppression of China.  But their unique culture is what attracts many visitors each year, who want to see the home of Tibetan Buddhism  and of the Dalai Lama.

4. South Korea

Stay in Seoul to see the demilitarised zone (commonly referred to as the DMZ), the no-mans’ land between North and South Korea for an idea of how tense relations between the neighbouring countries are (if you’re feeling brave).  A different and educational holiday destination for the adventurous.

5. Transylvania

A good place for vampire fans!  Beautiful scenery, fabulously gothic castles and full of ancient buildings await those who will brave the legends of the vampires…!

6. The Amazon

Take a guided cruise down the river to see creatures unique to this area such as the Amazon turtle, not to mention the rainforest and all its native inhabitants. 

7. Mongolia

This contrasting land of mountains and desert is filled with nomads.  Follow in their footsteps by taking a horseback or camel trek across the steppes of the mountains or through the desert. Totally unspoilt by man, this really is the height of wilderness and is not to be missed by someone seeking a truly unique holiday.   Perhaps not a good choice for agoraphobics.

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Where Can You Go On Holiday Without Going Broke?

Posted on 17. Jan, 2012 by blogger.

If you didn’t manage to get away from it all over Christmas and are now thoroughly fed up of cold weather or have the back-to-work blues, what better time is there to book a holiday?  But so soon after Christmas, it’s hard to find something affordable.  Or is it?

Here are our suggestions for affordable destinations.  Some cost very little to get to, whilst others are very cheap when you get there. 

1.  Tunisia

This was wiped off many people’s holiday-destination wish-lists last year when the country went through a major revolution.  The previous regime is now toppled and the country is getting back to normal, and is rather desperate for tourist money.  A cynical person who doesn’t mind taking advantage of these circumstances can therefore get a real bargain. 

It takes three hours to get there and at this time of year it’s nice and warm (not too hot).   When you’re there, the exchange rate is favouring the pound so you can get a lot for your money including cheap accommodation, food and drink. 

Visit the souks (markets), thalassotherapy spas, historical Carthage and even some Roman ruins.  Or just laze on the beach, it’s your call.

1. Fuerteventura

The low Airline Passenger Duty fares (for destinations of 2,000 miles or fewer) make it possible to get genuinely cheap flights to this fantastic winter sun destination (you’ll pay just £13 tax per ticket, compared with, say £65 per ticket on flights a bit further to Egypt and beyond).   You can’t go wrong with Fuerteventura for sandy beaches, water sports (like surfing and diving) and despite being a popular destination for Brits it has held onto its local dishes which are worth tucking into.

1. Budapest

There are loads of great offers on accommodation here at the moment, with many hotels offering ‘buy three nights get a fourth free’ and similar.  Many even offer promotional deals such as free or reduced-cost entry to a local thermal spa, and offer good deals on the ‘Budapest Card’ which offers free rides on public transport, and reduced costs for guided tours and various tourist attractions. 

1. Skiing in Bulgaria

One of the cheapest places to enjoy a skiing holiday is at Bansko in Bulgaria.  At around £100 for a night in a hotel, a one-day ski pass, hiring of skis, dinner and a beer, it works out as the most affordable ski break around just now. 

1. Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is a beautiful city, right by the sea, and is a fabulously cheap destination.  Loads of markets and museums to enjoy and beaches aplenty. 

Shop around for your bargain holiday this year.  And remember, there’s nothing more depressing than paying for a holiday you’ve already had, so don’t go into debt to get away, just choose somewhere you can afford now.

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Amazing Alaska

Posted on 13. Jan, 2012 by blogger.

Alaska is a land of extraordinary beauty you just won’t see elsewhere.   Many people choose to visit it by taking a cruise, whilst others dare to get a bit closer to nature and take a road trip from Anchorage, camping out or staying in hotels and maybe taking a day-cruise or two.  The latter is certainly the cheaper option, but many prefer it more because of the freedom it gives to explore and visit this state at your own pace. 

The best time to visit Alaska is between mid-June and late-August, when it has the most light it ever gets (the sun stays up until past 10pm and rises well before what we would consider ‘dawn’ in the UK).   It’s also quite mild, temperature-wise, though rain is a distinct possibility.  Since their tourist season is so limited (few people want to visit in Winter when daylight is so restricted), prices can be high even if you opt for the road-trip.

As far as eating is concerned, if you’re on a cruise then you’ll be catered for.  If you want to eat locally then there is no better place to dine on smoked salmon and fresh halibut.  Of course, you’re in America, so there are also plenty of fast-food restaurants to turn to if you choose.

If you choose to visit Anchorage before you set off for exploration of the wilderness of Alaska, then you’ll find that it caters well for tourists.  There are plenty of museums, there’s a zoo and it’s possible to take a day-trip cruise to Portage glacier too.

From Anchorage, visit the Denali National Park, which is accessible by car to a certain point (13 miles in) and after that you have to take the shuttle bus – and you need to book seats for that at least three weeks in advance.  That’s one of the joys of independent travelling, though!  The shuttle bus can take you on round-trips to see the most spectacular scenery – for example, the Wonder Lake trip is 11 hours and there are enough mountains, lakes and wildlife to keep you riveted for the entire time; for instance, you’ll see moose, arctic foxes, caribou and bears.  Oh my!

If you opt for a cruise instead, you still get the pleasure of seeing all those animals, sun in the middle of the night,  glaciers, national parks and picturesque scenery.  Being at sea also gives you the opportunity to see killer whales, humpback whales, otters, eagles and seabirds, and sea lions.  There is normally a wildlife/ornithology expert on board to give you plenty of information about what you are seeing, which is a real bonus of choosing a cruise.   And if you’re not enthralled with the wildlife, the glaciers and icebergs will certainly hold your attention – sometimes great sheets of ice drop into the sea in a process called ‘calving’.

Many cruises offer excursions by helicopter to enable you to hike on the surface of the glacial ice beds, or to allow you to go kayaking around the icebergs. 

However you choose to see Alaska, you’ll be sure to have an amazing experience that you’ll remember for a lifetime.

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Love Lanzarote!

Posted on 05. Jan, 2012 by blogger.

Just about everyone you meet these days who is heading off to warmer shores this Winter is going to the same destination: Lanzarote. It’s easy to picture a small island positively heaving with sun-starved Brits staggering off planes and forming an orderly queue to the beach.

It’s a lovely temperature at this time of year, around 21C, and just four hours on a plane will get you there, so you don’t have to travel to the other side of the world to enjoy summery sun.

Once you’re there, there are some ninety-odd beaches to choose from around the island, and plenty of good hotels to stay in. Since it’s so popular with the UK tourist market, most people speak English and if you want egg and chips then you shall have it! There are ways and means of escaping the crowd and sampling a bit of local culture and food, though, so don’t write Lanzarote off as a Blackpool with sun. Try some of these tourist attractions:

1. Timanfaya Volcano Park
Easily the best tourist attraction on the island, this park was formed from an enormously-long volcanic eruption in the 1700s. Take a coach tour around the park to see all the bizarre terrain in all its glory.
2. The Cactus Garden
Located in Guatiza, this former quarry has been developed to house more than a thousand different types of cacti.
3. Mirador Del Rio
This is a simply amazing viewpoint, located on one of the highest points of the island and affording a spectacular vista across La Graciosa, Montana Clara and Alegranza.
4. Jameos Del Agua
This is a six kilometre-long lava tube, long-since collapsed, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year because it is now a subterranean auditorium. Inside are tropical gardens, a restaurant, a bar and an underground lagoon home to native blind albino crabs. There’s also a swimming pool (though it’s only for use by the King of Spain…) and an underground concert hall.
5. Cesar Manrique Foundation
This is a house built by the eponymous Cesar Manrique. What’s special about it is that it was built to be integrated into five volcanic bubbles. It really is a wonder of architecture.

Visit Lanzarote for warmth, and do your best to escape the rest of the UK who will be travelling with you by heading to these destinations away from the beaches – or just sit back and enjoy your egg and chips.

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Make 2011 The Best New Year’s Eve Ever!

Posted on 29. Dec, 2011 by blogger.

Where do you want to spend New Year?

It’s not too late to book a getaway if you want to see in the New Year in style, or simply escape the January blues that can bite you hard after your Christmas break.

Where should you choose? Here are some of our suggestions.

For parties, head to Espanola Way in Miami, where few tourists tread but where locals head for a night to remember. Or head to Prague for a cut-price deal on accommodation and entertainment and enjoy the fireworks at midnight before going on to hit the local club scene. Rio is the place to be if you want a beach party to remember, or to share the party with two million party-goers in Copacabana.

Closer to home, head to Scotland for Hogmanay! Nowhere takes New Year celebrations so seriously; watch the fireworks whilst enjoying a dram of whiskey on the banks of Loch Lomand.

If you want to retreat from all the gaiety and stress of Christmas and just want to get away from it all, head to the Isle of Mull. Rent a cottage with close friends and enjoy a quiet break away from the fast pace of civilisation.

Or take a relaxing cruise around the islands in Vietnam; have dinner on deck with a barbecue and cocktails and raise a glass to the New Year.

Closer to home, head to the Peak District for a quiet getaway in a private cottage with your closest friends or just your other half. Enjoy a bracing walk in the hills and good pub grub in the evening before cuddling up in front of the fire together.

If you want to try something a bit different than quaffing large amounts of booze and kissing strangers on the stroke of midnight, head off to Allendale to experience their Pagan traditions, or to Wales to watch the locals carry a Mari (horse skull) on a long pole from house to house, ending in the town square at midnight.

Whatever you decide to do in your New Year, make sure it’s somewhere that you’ll remember for the rest of the year. Make it different and make it representative of what you want to be doing for the rest of the year!

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Why You Should Visit Tanzania

Posted on 22. Dec, 2011 by blogger.

If you’re thinking of visiting Africa, consider Tanzania as your first port of call. It has the world’s largest free-standing mountain, and has an incredible range of wildlife to observe and even interact with.

Here are some reasons why you might want to choose to visit Tanzania:

1.Wildlife and nature safaris:

Visit the country’s national park or any of the game reserves to see wildlife in its natural state. Lions, African Hunting Dogs, wildebeest, zebras and chimpanzees. If it’s chimpanzees that you really want to see, you can take a trekking safari to the Mahale mountains in the south-west.

2. Climb Kilimanjaro:

This is the big one, the mountain that most serious mountaineers want to conquer. There are several routes, and even beginners can make some sort of ascent if they choose a route suited to their level of ability. Professional guides are available to hire if you want to get all the way to the top, but that’s not recommended unless you’re an experienced climber.

3. Enjoy a Beach Holiday

Tanzania’s geography includes several islands in the Indian Ocean, giving you the opportunity to have a few lazy days on a glorious, sun-soaked beach. Fewer than one million tourists arrive in Tanzania each year, which means that you are usually sure of a bit of privacy when you want to relax. Snorkelling and diving will give you the opportunity to explore the beauty of the reefs.

4. Have a go at Eco-Tourism

If you want to experience Africa as a country rather than just as a holiday destination, then you can seek out accommodation built by locals who use the income from your stay to support their local community to become self-sufficient. For example, there are Maasi tribes that offer these experiences, and there are also eco-holidays available on Chumbe island (with actual mud-huts).

5. Experience history

Tanzania was once a great undiscovered wonder to the likes of Livingstone and other explorers. Imagine yourself back in those times, or learn more about the slave trade and its effects.

Explore more of this beautiful, underrated country for yourself, it will prove to be the holiday of a lifetime.

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Posted on 14. Dec, 2011 by blogger.

Cape Verde is a cluster of tiny islands off the coast of Africa, which are becoming known as the ‘new Canary Islands’ to sun-seeking travellers. The islands have lots to offer tourists, from mountainous greenery, watersports and amazing white, sandy beaches, and are an ideal destination for those of us trying to find warmth in these dark, winger months. So, for the ultimate in beach holidays, why not head out there this year?

 Here is a summary of what each island has to offer, so you can choose where you want to stay or visit.

1. Sal This is the island on which most tourists arrive, since it is where the international airport is located. You can choose to stay right where you are, since the island has plenty to offer in terms of crystal-clear water, amazingly soft, white, sandy beaches and easy access to any of the other islands if you want a change of scenery for the day.

2. Boa Vista This island is the closest of the Cape Verde islands to the African continent. It is quieter than Sal and less developed because fewer tourists tend to stay here than they do at their point of arrival in Sal. However, if you want somewhere a bit more quiet and peaceful then this is the island for you. It offers 55km of beautiful sandy beaches, perfect for sunbathing and reading those books you never have time for at home. You could even get lucky and catch sight of whales (December to February) or turtles (June to September), too. It has little by way of night-life, and only a few places to eat, but if you want quiet relaxation then you can’t beat it. Watersports, particularly windsurfing, are very popular here.

3. Santiago This is the largest of the islands, mountainous and green, and holds the Cape Verde capital, Praia. It’s the best place to go if you want live music, festivals and markets, and a real taste of Africa. There are still plenty of sandy beaches here, and hiking is also popular up the mountains that are volcanic (though dormant) as is birdwatching.

4. Sao Vicente This is the cultural hub of the islands, where many writers, musicians and artists choose to reside. It has a vibrant social scene and its capital, Mindelo, has fabulous night-life on offer. Its architecture owes much to early British colonialism. There are plenty of beaches here, too – the best for sand and clear waters being Foya Branca, and the best for swimming being Baia das Gatas (which has a natural lagoon).

Choose any of the islands and you’ll be certain of a relaxing, warm beach holiday. You can take day-trips to some of the smaller islands like Santa Antao or Fogo if you like. Discover for yourselves why so many people are turning to Cape Verde for their winter sun!

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