25/10/2011 by Dave.

Most families try to have at least one holiday a year together. The family
holiday is looked forward to with great excitement. So how can you make sure
your family has a memorable and fun holiday?
The first and most important thing to think about is the age of your family
members and what you like doing as a family. If your children are young then you
will probably be looking for a holiday near a beach. If the children are older
then you need to make sure there are activities they can do such as sailing,
canoeing or rock climbing. If you have a family where there is a mixed range of
ages make sure there is something for everyone to do.

If you have a number of competing interests then try allocating a day to each
member of the family and letting them choose what to do on that day. That way
each member of the family will have had the opportunity to do the thing they
most wanted to on holiday.

Think carefully about accommodation. There is always a wide range of choices
from self catering cottages through to camping. Self catering, whether it is in
a holiday villa or camping can be a wonderful opportunity to spend some quality
time together as a family without the distractions to be found at home. However
you need to make sure that one person is not spending all their time cooking and
cleaning up after everyone and it is a shared experience. For other families
hotels are the best choice of accommodation, especially resort hotels where all
meals are included. The location of your holiday accommodation can also help
make a holiday memorable. A good view and plenty of facilities nearby are key
when it comes to choosing memorable holiday accommodation.

Researching the area you are going on holiday to and have some suggested ideas
of things to do is also a good idea. Sometimes you feel you are getting to know
an area only as you leave it, whereas with a little bit of forward planning you
can have plenty of things to suggest as family outings or activities.

Hiring a car on holiday gives you flexibility and means you can go on day trips
to places which are slightly further afield. There are ways of making sure your
hire car costs are kept to a minimum. A holiday car doesn`t need to be very big
but make sure there is enough space to accommodate all the family plus car seats
if you have young children. Cramming the family into a very small car if you are
planning to do lots of travelling is sure to lead to arguments. Booking online
and in advance is one of the best ways of getting budget hire cars.

Posted in Holiday Tips | Print | No Comments »

25/10/2011 by Dave.

Seeing the world by cruise is the essential way to visit far flung lands.
Arriving by boat to these lands as early travellers would have done is
ultimately more satisfying than arriving on an air strip. It`s pretty hard to
pin down the best cruise destinations of the world, but here are the top five
worldwide cruise destinations which include feats of human engineering, journeys
of scientific discovery, breath-taking natural wonders and uninhabited lands.

1. Norway
Norway offers cruise passengers jaw dropping scenery that is best seen from the
deck of a ship. The Fjords of Norway were created in the ice ages and are one of
the most spectacular wonders of the world. In the summer the long days of this
part of the world means that the views can be experienced for most of the 24
hour period.

2. Galapagos Islands
Follow in the footsteps (or the winds) of Darwin when he travelled to the
Galapagos Islands in the HMS Beagle and made the discoveries leading to his
theory of evolution. The Galapagos are one of the most diverse places on earth
and home to a large and intriguing collection of species of flora and fauna.

3. Panama Canal
A cruise trip through the Panama Canal takes you through the middle of the world
as you have North America to one side and South America to the other. This feat
of human engineering radicalised global shipping and is a strong talking point
for your return. A Panama Canal cruise can also include a variety of other stops
such as the Caribbean, North America and South America.

4. New Zealand and the South pacific
The two islands of New Zealand offer visitors no end of the beautiful landscapes
made famous by the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The country is also home to
Victorian towns, traditional Maori villages and excellent wines. New Zealand
cruises can include stops in the South Pacific, following the trails of the last
humans to reach out across the globe to paradise style islands.

5. Antarctica
People often overlook Antarctica as a holiday spot. It`s obviously not somewhere
to sit at a luxury hotel resort in a bikini. But Antarctic cruises show visitors
this still partly undiscovered part of globe. As a continent virtually untouched
by humans, it`s amazing to find somewhere with an untainted landscape. You can
expect to see incredible wildlife including whales, penguins and sea lions.

The world is so full of fascinating places to discover, it`s hard to decide
where to go next. The great thing about cruise holidays is that they can let you
see things you can`t see on a regular holiday. Cruising doesn`t have to cost a
lot of money and as a great choice cheap cruise holidays are available to take 
you to the fabulous outer reaches of our amazing planet.

Posted in Cruising | Print | No Comments »

25/10/2011 by Dave.

The Canary Islands are a well known and loved holiday destination for many. The
weather is pleasant year round and the Islanders are happy to welcome tourists
as this is the main economy of the area. The best known destinations offer the
liveliest holidays but if you look beyond the sunbathing and bars there is a lot
more to be discovered on these Islands.

Tenerife is possibly the best known of the Islands and has a great reputation
for beach holidays and partying. What is maybe less well known is that it is
also home to the architectural symbol of the Islands, The Auditorio de Tenerife.
The auditorium was completed in 2003 and designed by Santiago Calatrava Valls;
it is regarded as one of the most emblematic Spanish buildings. If you look
beyond the tourist resorts in the south you can find spectacular mountainous
scenery with stunning valleys and ravines.

La Gomera is a walker`s paradise with a network of paths all through the island,
which is home to the Garjonay National Park. Although accessible from Tenerife
this Island has escaped the trappings of mass tourism and offers a really
fantastic get away.

Gran Canaria is the second biggest of the Islands and is a popular destination.
The most built up tourist areas are on the southern coast. Less well known but
well worth discovering are the interior and west coasts of the islands which
offer spectacular scenery.

Lanzarote is known for its lunar landscape and its environment is highly
protected with strict limits imposed on developments. This island has ten
protected nature spots making it a place truly worth exploring.

La Palma is the greenest and most lush of the Islands and offers a more relaxed
holiday away from the highlife on the bigger Islands. It is known for being a
place to discover the traditional Spanish hospitality and a place you can truly
get away from it all.

El Heirro is the smallest of the Canary Islands and like La Gomera is accessible
from Tenerife. Its small population are very friendly and welcome tourists. It
is popular for snorkelling and diving and has many lush little pools and lagoons
to be discovered. Although not a busy place there are some lovely restaurants
and bars to be discovered in the capital Valverde.

So while as well as enjoying a break in a Sykes Cottages it may be time to 
consider a holiday in a land further afield. The hidden gems of the Canary 
Island could offer you an adventure previosly unconsidered. 

Posted in Canary Islands | Print | No Comments »

25/10/2011 by Dave.

One of the best types of holiday has to be the winter getaway. Whether a trip to
somewhere hot and sunny to forget about those dark winter days, or somewhere
that we can get our skis on and really enjoy the cold, then the winter getaway
is the must do. Shorter holidays are often what we choose as many of us have
taken those longer breaks over summer. That means that European holidays are
perhaps the best choice as the flights are not particularly long and there are
so many places to choose from.

Countries in southern Europe including Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy and Turkey
all offer good weather in the winter months and sometimes you may prefer to
visit these countries in winter as the temperatures can be extremely high in the
summer months. The Balearic Islands, located off the southern coast of Spain are
made up of Minorca, Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera and these are all very popular
destinations throughout the year, particularly as all of them cater for tourists
very well.

Also for sun seekers, the Canary Islands, which are near the north west coast of
mainland Africa, have plenty of sunny spots to choose from, including Gran
Canaria, Tenerife and Lanzarote. With average temperatures of 19 degrees and
very little rainfall in December, the Canary Islands offer a real winter
getaway. Each island has its own personality and whether you are looking for a
family getaway, a sport and activity holiday, plenty of nightlife or just
somewhere with lots of quiet beaches, then the Canaries have it all on offer.

As with the Canary Islands, the Greek Islands offer something for everyone.
Rhodes has 300 days of sunshine a year and there is plenty of nightlife
available. Corfu, Kos and Zante are also popular destinations. For those looking
for something a little quieter then Naxos retains a strong Greek identity and
has easy access to other Greek Islands and Ithaca is a very quiet island
offering lots of beautiful landscapes and a glimpse of rural life.

For those of us who prefer the colder winter breaks, then there are plenty of
options on offer for skiing and winter sports. France, Italy, Austria and
Switzerland are just some of the countries offering ideal breaks for winter
sports.

Whether you want sun, sea and sand on your winter getaway, or whether you prefer
to be out on the ski slopes then First Choice have plenty of options available to make
sure you choose the best deals for your winter getaway.

Posted in Holiday Tips | Print | No Comments »

25/10/2011 by Dave.

The reputation of the Greek Islands as a holiday destination has waxed and waned
over the years. Originally billed as peaceful, near deserted oases of sea, sun
and sand, some of the islands have in recent times been seen as too busy, almost
rowdy places where the number of tourists has overwhelmed the capacity of the
resort. Although this is true to some extent of a small minority of island
resorts, it is by no means true of most of them. Even within one island you can
find quiet, idyllic beaches with charming and comfortable hotels and other
facilities just a few miles away from the more overcrowded places. The key to
having a fantastic holiday is to choose an island and a particular resort on
that island, that best suits your needs.

The fact that there are hundreds of islands all around can make it difficult to
decide which one to visit. The variety is such, however, that you can be sure to
find the perfect island, whether it is peace and quiet you are looking for or a
busy and exciting nightlife. In fact, many resorts can offer the best of both
worlds.

Crete
The largest of the Greek Islands, Crete is a great example of this mixture of
busy resorts and smaller, more peaceful ones, all within a short distance of
each other. The east of the island is the place to go for bars, nightclubs and
restaurants. In contrast, the western side of Crete is full of unspoilt villages
with perfect beaches, ideal for holidaymakers searching for undisturbed
relaxation.

Lesbos
Another large island, Lesbos also has both mass tourist destinations and quieter
spots. Much of this beautiful island is covered in olive groves set around
picturesque villages that give a taste of authentic Greek life. There are also
many unblemished beaches for sun worshippers to enjoy.

Lipsi
For those looking for a small, undisturbed island with few tourists, Lipsi is an
ideal choice. Although it has a town with some bars and tavernas geared towards
visitors, it is not a place that is dominated by tourism and offers a pleasant
and relaxed atmosphere.

Skyros
If you really want to get away from it all, then Skyros might be the answer. One
of the most isolated of the Greek Islands, it gets very few visitors, perhaps
because it has fewer sandy beaches than other islands. It is, however, a place
that is well worth exploring if you like to get off the beaten track and enjoy
the tranquillity of its many remote coves and inlets. It is also notable as the
burial place of the poet Rupert Brooke.

This is just a small selection of the many Greek Islands you could visit. The
one thing that all of the islands share is a fantastic climate. You are almost
guaranteed warm, sunny weather from early spring, through the summer months and
into the autumn. Prices for holidays do vary throughout the year, however, so be
sure to check  for any Groupon deals before booking your holiday

Posted in Greek Islands | Print | No Comments »