Advice and Information for the World Traveller on Many Destinations

Archive for the ‘Worldwide Travel’ Category

The rugged terrain of New Zealand is a great place for Southern Hemisphere skiing. The volcanic, mountainous countryside of Tongariro National Park on the North Island is the largest ski holiday area in the country. Central to the snow covered landscape is the dramatic peak of Mount Ruapehu, a still active volcano, where the powdery snow provides the perfect skiing surface.

The largest resort area at the base of the volcanic plateau of Tongariro is the town of Ohakune. Providing a base for both summer hikers and winter skiers the town is an excellent all year round location. This heritage site is a culturally diverse area of outdoor action and traditional crafts, providing swimming, fishing and kayaking in the summer as a complement to its winter pursuits.

The ski resort areas here are Turoa and Whakapapa, with its 11 ski lifts and three beginners slopes. The landscape around Whakapapa is well maintained for ski tourists and there are over thirty cross-country trails, a well-constructed snowboarding park and the safe learning environment of Happy Valley. The rocky, forested countryside around is also an excellent place to go off-piste and explore the area by yourself.

Turoa is famous as the highest single drop and highest altitude resort in Australasia. This resort is constructed with all in mind; challenging for the professionals, entertaining for freestyle skiers and snowboarding and with easy slopes for those learning and less confident. The area is serviced by six ski lifts to the upper levels and a further two for the beginner’s slopes.

This month there are plenty of cheap flights available from London Heathrow to Cairo, with some flights taking just over four hours. Some others will take considerably longer if you opt for a service with a stopover.

Generally speaking the stopover flights do tend to be the cheapest option but British Airways’ prices are certainly worth checking out at the moment.  A return flight can be purchased for as little as £370.  Ideal for a long weekend break, definitely a bargain flight to a city filled with many ancient and modern wonders.

Fly BMI is another carrier that offers direct flights from London Heathrow to Cairo and their tickets are priced at around £302 for a return flight.  The other carrier to offer direct flights, EgyptAir has prices starting from around £390.

A direct flight takes between 4-5 hours but if you are more concerned about economics rather than time, a flight with Alitalia costs only £295.  The flight does go via Rome however and the duration is 7 hours 55 minutes outbound, and 8 hours 30 minutes for the inbound flight. 

The next cheapest flight is via Zurich with Swissair, costing just over £300.  The outbound flight is 16 hours 40 minutes and the inbound flight 7 hours 15 minutes.

Picking a flight with a stopover is a good idea if you want to visit two cities in one holiday, otherwise, at the moment, British Airways is looking very good value for money.

Taking a villa rental on South Africa’s Garden Route is the ideal way to see some of the country’s most spectacular coastline and experience the wild bush first hand. Visitors to this area have a combination of the vastness of the Indian Ocean, coupled with the excitement of the African veld, set in a Mediterranean climate.

Villas for rent in the area are either game lodges, set in private reserves, old colonial farmsteads or holiday villas in towns like Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Mossel Bay or George. These locations all offer tourists the excellent opportunity to see the big five game: lions, leopards, elephants, rhino and buffalo in a number of reserves around or take a cruise to see whales and dolphins swimming alongside the boats.

Apart from the big game photo hunts and shopping trips to the quaint colonial market towns there are some wonderful natural sights to take in. The Outeniqua Mountain range forms the northern border of the Garden Route and you want see the breathtaking panoramas from the Outeniqua Pass, Cango Show Caves and the semi arid scrubland of the Little Karoo.

The area offers a whole host of activities for visitors from diving and snorkelling in the Indian Ocean, to hiking and rock climbing in the Outeniqua Mountains. Plettenberg Bay is a cosmopolitan town with a rich history, Knysna offers wonderful cultural experiences and Mossel Bay is idea for surfing and going beneath the waves. Renting a villa on the Garden Route gives you peace and tranquillity while still being close enough to the cities of Cape Town and Port Elizabeth if you crave action.

Think of the Caribbean and you envisage the perfect tropical holiday with endless white sand beaches, coconut palms and turquoise seas. The whole of the Caribbean enjoys warm temperatures all year round, with a refreshing breeze. Although the style of each island is different, you will always find water sport activities, beach restaurants and wonderful scenery.

Barbados is a popular Caribbean holiday destination and has a wide choice of villas and apartment near gorgeous beaches. Although the more glamorous resorts in Barbados are expensive, there are affordable villas and apartments in secluded hideaways. All of the Caribbean islands have strong European influences as a result of their colonial histories, and cater very well for European visitors, having a wide choice of villas and apartments to rent. St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada have volcanic and mountainous terrain, with picturesque beaches.  Trinidad and Tobago offer a quiet version of paradise, with lush rainforests, remote coves and eco projects. St Vincent and the Grenadines are unspoilt and focus mainly on sailing activities.

Antigua is beautiful but fairly busy, being a popular stop for cruise ships, whereas Barbuda is comparatively quiet. Known as the spice island, Grenada has natural beauty and is relatively unspoilt. If you are looking for total immersion in nature, then Dominica is your island with its untouched forests, abundant wildlife and hot geysers. Jamaica, on the other hand, is big and bustling, full of life and packed with great holiday villas and hotels.

When you arrive at each port of call on your cruise and stay holiday, you will be given the option to either join the designated cruise tour or go off on your own. However, it will not be possible to make up your mind on the day, as cruise operators require you to book tours in advance, for each destination. These tours are often arranged in cooperation with local guides and although you will be able to book your place while on the ship, in order to guarantee your place, it is highly recommended that you make your reservations before the cruise departs.

Of course, if you feel confident of your good sense of direction, there is nothing like exploring on your own. Many people choose to go it alone, as it can work out cheaper to find your own tour guide. For anyone looking to discover a more authentic side to a destination, you will see far more than you will on the cruise tours. However, unlike the guided tours provided by the ship, you are solely responsible for getting back to the ship before it is due to sail.

Whether you decide to follow the sponsored tour or go your own way will largely depend on the destination. A good way to find out if a tour would be worthwhile is to read reviews posted by other travellers, online. Booking your own tour may well be cheaper, but if you are unsure about the destination it is probably best to stick close to the main group.

Moscow and St Petersburg may be the most popular tourist destinations in Russia, but the city of Omsk is fast becoming a more widely recognised attraction. Omsk is located in south-western Siberia and is the administrative and industrial centre of the region. Despite its development, the city has preserved its fascinating history and culture.

Visitors to Omsk are spoilt for choice as far as sights are concerned. Lyubinsky Avenue (also known as Lenin Street) is one of the city’s main thoroughfares and provides an interesting mix of architectural styles. The old buildings of the Merchants Row (the Gostiny Dvor), the Drama Theatre and the lavish Dormition Cathedral are all to be found in and around this area.

The Omsk Museum of Fine Arts and the Pushkin Library are two more cultural highlights, as is the traditional and spectacular Omsk Circus. On warm summer days, the sandy banks of the Irtysh River become a prime spot for people watching. The opportunity to sunbathe on a beach in Siberia is one that shouldn’t be missed.

The area around Omsk also provides more adventurous outdoor activities. The forests and tundra are ideal for trekking and cross-country skiing, both of which can easily be arranged in the smaller towns outside Omsk or within the city itself.

Omsk can be reached by air from most of Russia’s major cities. Both branches of the Trans-Siberian railway pass through the city, making Omsk an ideal stop-off point for travellers on Russia’s most famous train line.

Saudi Arabia has long been seen as a closed country where westerners did not go. It is still to a certain extent viewed as something of a forbidden place that does not take kindly to foreigners. Things have started to change slightly during recent years and for those who do venture into the country there are some amazing yet not widely known sites to visit.

Madain Saleh is a place where many ancient peoples came together via trading caravans, pilgrim routes, armies and explorers. Its Temples of the Nabataeans are carved from stone. These were carved by the same craftsmen that built the temples at Petra in Jordan, although they are nowhere near as spectacular.

The north of Saudi Arabia has a number of pre-Islamic sites including those at Al-Ula and the standing stones of Rajajil 25 kilometres from Sakaka, which tourists rarely get permission to visit.  Relics of the Hejaz railway and various forts stand as a reminder of times gone by when trade caravans and groups of pilgrims passed through here every day. The area around Hejaz, which means ‘barrier’ and refers to the escarpment that separates the area from the rest of the country, is the most cosmopolitan in all Saudi Arabia.  This is because of the variety of traders and travellers who have come through the area and have left their mark.

The Hejaz area is an excellent place to spend some time exploring as it is bordered by the Red Sea in the north, and mountains to the south. It also contains the old town of Jeddah which has secrets of its own to reveal and with an abundance of cheap flights available to Saudi Arabia now has never been a better time to visit.

Costa Cruises is a trusted provider of cruise holidays to a plethora of destinations worldwide. Choose from a number of itineraries based around such destinations as the Atlantic Ocean and Canary Islands, Canada and United States, Eastern Caribbean, Eastern Mediterranean, Far East, the Grand Orient, Indian Ocean and Mauritius, Middle East, Northern Capitals, Norwegian Fjords and Highlands, South America, Transatlantic, Western Caribbean and Western Mediterranean.

Costa Cruises offers a variety of cruises and cruise and stay holidays tailored to suit the needs of every traveller, on a fantastic fleet of well equipped and luxurious liners.

Families can enjoy a relaxing cruise holiday together safe in the knowledge that the needs of both parents and children will be well catered to.  The Costa Kids programme is open to children aged between three and 17 and offers a programme of activity and entertainment to keep youngsters occupied at sea, including arts and crafts, sports, games and parties. Run by qualified staff, the Costa Kids programme allows parents to enjoy a bit of well earned alone time safe in the knowledge that their children are well taken care of.

Costa Cruises are also a great option for couples, offering an exciting opportunity to share a wealth of experiences. As well as discovering new and interesting cruise destinations, couples will be able to bond while enjoying a variety of activities from fine dining to relaxing on deck – the stress free cruising travel style will free up time for couples to simply spend some quality time together.

London Heathrow airport is the biggest in the United Kingdom.  It is located just 15 miles from central London and is easily reached via the M4 and M25 motorways.  The airport now has five terminals and offers flights to and from all four corners of the world.  It is linked to the London Underground and overland rail services so is an ideal starting point for tourists.

Tourists have a vast number of hotels to choose from at Heathrow and there are several major tourist attractions within easy travelling distance. Legoland is situated at Windsor and makes a fun day out for all the family.  There are rides, shows and Lego interactive building challenges to stretch the imagination.

Ascot Racecourse has several race meetings each year and in June each year Royal Ascot offers several days of racing, royalty and celebrity spotting.  For those who enjoy rubbing shoulders with the upper classes, Windsor Castle is another popular destination for tourists.  The castle is one of the Queen’s official residences and dates back over a thousand years.  It is home to St George’s Chapel, where a number of royal weddings have taken place. Visitors can also view the Castle’s State Apartments.

For sports enthusiasts, Sunningdale and Wentworth golf clubs are close to the airport.  There is also The Guards Polo club which is one of the largest in Europe.  A large number of members are actually non-players and matches take place most weekends during the summer months in Windsor Great Park.

If you are taking your first cruise, it is important to be aware of what will need to be organised for your trip. Cruise holidays involve a little more than simply turning up at the ship and being whisked away on your voyage; there are several arrangements that will need to be made before you set sail.

Booking flights to the departure destination is, of course, the first thing you should look at. Many cruise deals offer packages, which include the cost of return flights in the price, but if you opted to fly separately, it will be well worth your while looking for the best deals, especially if you are going on a long-haul flight. It is also vital that you give yourself plenty of time between the flight arrival and the cruise departure. You should also allow for any potential delays.

Some cruise companies provide transport from the airport to the pier, but the majority will require that you book at least 14 days in advance. They can also look after your baggage, taking it right from the airport to the ship, but it will be your responsibility to ensure that this is done. If arranging your own transport to the pier, porters are nearly always on hand to take your luggage.

Another area that requires attention is the documentation for the trip. As well as tickets it is essential that you have a valid passport that will be accepted at each port of your cruise and stay holiday. Depending on the countries being visited, you may also need to obtain one or more visas.