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Camping in the South West

Ryan — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:56:35 +0000

Last summer, as a bit of a recession busting holiday, we decided to pack the tent in the car and head down south. We had decided on a hiking holiday and to be base ourselves around the coast of Devon. We found a quiet campsite based just outside Ilfracombe, in a little village called Hele Bay. The village consisted of a hotel/bar and a garage, with just one road running through it. In the height of August, the weather was practically tropical and numerous walks along the cliffs meant there was plenty to do.
Maybe the biggest draw though was the amount of ‘real-ale’ pubs available to sample local brews. On the weekend we ventured down into Ilfracombe which seemed to come alive with vast numbers of day-trippers. Also a nice touch, was the French market with traders who had come over and set up their stalls for the day with all manner of different products.
All in all, a nice relaxing short break, with weather to boot !!

Spain – Arenal Den Castell

Ryan — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:00:59 +0000

If you have a young child and still want a relaxing beach holiday, I would advise going to Arenal Den Castell, Spain. A friend recently stayed in the Club Agua Marina hotel which was a half an hour taxi ride from the Mahon Airport and gave it rave reviews. She has a 4 year old son and was impressed by the range of children’s activities to amuse him, leaving her to relax in the sun. There is a tennis court, gym, 3 swimming pools, in fact everything you could want on holiday really. The hotel is close to the beach which means you are able to explore the local area, and it is recommended to try out the local seafood restaurants which all do incredible Mediterranean food. Also, if you go, take a boat trip around the coast to see some gorgeous scenery. You probably wouldn’t need to leave the hotel unless you like to explore however, because all of life’s essentials are readily available, including the hotel food which ranges from seafood to Italian to basic English grub such as chips!

Mum’s gone to Iceland

Ryan — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:09:45 +0000

Well maybe not Mum, but I recently went out to Iceland to discover more about what is a really interesting island, just a couple of hours north of Scotland. One of the first things you come across upon arrival at the airport in Keflavik is the vast amounts of alcohol in the arrivals lounge. Now you may think this is normal, but up until 1989 Iceland was still in prohibition, with the population celebrating ‘Beer Day’ every year on the 1st March. So it is seen as custom if you are staying or visiting Icelanders to bring alcohol.
The country as a whole is relatively small, but has scenery that will blow your mind. Many films have been filmed in the ‘space-like’ landscape and NASA do some of their training here.
In terms of things to do and see, you can go on one of many arranged guided tours, or alternatively hire a 4×4 and go out into the Golden-Circle yourself. Many different sizes of waterfalls including the magnificent Gullfoss which at 20m wide and 2.5km in length should definitely be top of the list to see.
Finally on your way back to the airport, you can get a bus that incorporates a trip to the Blue Lagoon, your chance to relax in the geo-thermal water, renound for its benefits to the skin.
All in all, a holiday you will remember for life and possibly choose to return, as there is so much to do.

Prague is best when cold!

Ryan — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:59:01 +0000

I’m sat here in a stuffy office and the weather outside is beautiful. It’s cold, the sky is bright blue and the sun is shining. Perfect in my eyes and the perfect place, again in my eyes, is Prague. Prague is a fabulous city. A walk along the river and through the oldy worldy streets is a must.

Last time I was there was just before Christmas and the weather really helped to make it. The view from the Castle was amazing as you could see for miles. Tthe bridge which stretches over the river, are artists displaying all their work. The street entertainers and the muscians give the bohemian ambience which makes the trip so worth while!

Organisation

Ryan — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:06:23 +0000

I went to Dublin a couple of years ago with two friends from University. As we were students at the time we went just for the weekend and we flew on a budget airline, I think it was Ryanair. Anyone who has flown budget knows that it’s pretty much like a stampede, where you can do whatever you want and as long as you get to the right plane at around the time of departure, you’re going to make your flight! We had to walk out on to the runway in a blizzard and climb the stairs up to the plane, rather than walking through the tunnel and boarding the plane in a civilised manner! The main thing to ensure you do before you go on a budget flight is to organise your documents so you can easily reach them. When I went to Dublin I had a clear pencil case with my passport, flight print-outs and tickets in. I kept this in the front of my bag. My two friends were not quite so organised and we ended up being stuck at check in for 20 minutes whilst one of them searched her bag for her passport, only to find it in her pocket. We then almost missed the plane because the other friend left her belt at the metal detector and had to run back to get it. The moral of the story would be to put all your documents in one place and to not wear metal!

Where to go on holiday

Ryan — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:43:48 +0000

Money is generally a lot harder to come by and the pound has slipped against both the Euro and the Dollar in the last 12 months so we are now faced with a limited amount of options. For people that want to get away from the UK and soak up some diverse traditions and different cultures I think a good starting point is South East Asia. At the moment Air Asia have some excellent prices on flying from London to Malaysia and once you’ve reached Malaysia you have a gateway to the rest of Asia for the price of a train fair. The price of living is very cheap and there are plenty of places to see and visit.

Drop in Pound affecting the foreign property market

Ryan — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:22:34 +0000

The rollercoaster ride of Sterling over the last 12 months has hugely affected the foreign property market with a lot of Mortgages in Sterling and not Euro’s and people finding it difficult to get new loans.
It is also effecting the retiring population who bought property in Spain but still living off of the Pension paid in Sterling. This is not predicted to get better any time soon with the national debt to remain high for the foreseeable future.
That is not to say that there an not deals still to be had, but now people with their main source of income being in Sterling will have to look further than the EuroZone.

Taking a year out

Ryan — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:54:07 +0000

There has been a lot of negative press of recent about taking gap years and taking a couple of months off to travel. The threat of global warming and stories of some charities doing more harm than good when it comes to taking on students completing gap years have created a wave of guilt for young people. I would actively encourage people to take gap years and see this beautiful world we live in. There is so much to see and literally so little time to see it. The vast majority of us normal working folk will work just about solidly from finishing education to retirement so why not take a year or 2 out

Try Sarajevo for a winter break

Ryan — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:11:05 +0000

Sarajevo is a city steeped in history, culture, traditions and unfortunately a recent past which is still very fresh in the memories of its residents and of its visitors. In the winter the city is walled by snow capped mountains and hosted the winter Olympic games in 1984 and should be a city visited by the rich and famous. But unfortunately because of the 1992 – 1996 siege of the city during the Bosnian War people are still reluctant to visit its beauty.
Although there is still a feeling a tension in the City the mood is of calm and peace and is still supported by the European Union Force (EUFOR). I would recommend everyone to visit this city. The skiing facilities still require investment and are basic in comparison to the resorts in the Alps, but you pay a fraction of the price. The locals are some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet and will make you feel welcome. There is no need to compromise on hotels, food or drink as all are of the highest quality.

Forget The Beach – Try A River Nile Cruise

Ryan — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:14:07 +0000

I must say that I’m a massive beach holiday fan. I have been lucky enough to travel pretty far and wide throughout my life to different places all over the world, both for summer holdiays and winter skiing breaks. However despite a beach holiday being my next vacation (4 days and counting to be precise!!!) I have to say that one of my favourite holidays ever was a River Nile Cruise.

I first sampled Egypt when I was about 11 when I went to Cyprus with my parents on holiday and we took a short cruise to visit Egypt and Israel. There I got to see the Pyramids of Giza – one of the ancient wonders of the world, as well as the Sphinx. It blew me away as I’ve always been intrigued by Tutankhamun and other Egpytian pharaohs.

We then went on a Nile Cruise a couple of years later where we were on a big ship on the River Nile for a whole week. It was paradise – just like being in a hotel – it was smooth, silent, no big waves or turbulance that you would normally expect from travelling on a ship as you’re not on the sea, you’re on a river. And it was just mad opening the curtains every morning and sailing down the River Nile seeing daily Egyptian life go by as normal. We stopped off to see Luxor, Karnak and many other historic settlements. The temples and sites I saw will live with me forever.

If you are thinking of a holiday that’s a bit different – try a River Nile Cruise – it will be one of the best you ever have. There’s always next year to get back to beach holiday normality!

Go on a River Nile Cruise for a Holiday to Remember