Lanzarote Summer Holidays – The Cool Canary Island

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Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 07-08-2009

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It may lie just seventy miles off the coast of West Africa. But the small Canary Island of Lanzarote is Spanish owned. And has long been a hot favourite with British and Irish tourists – who accounted for over one million visitors last year,attracted by a delightful year round climate, good quality holiday accommodation and the island´s unique volcanic scenery.

There is a wide choice of Lanzarote apartments but if you prefer a more luxurious holiday then you can grab yourself a bargain Lanzarote holiday villa this summer as lower than expected visitor number means there are some good deals to be had.

At just four hours flying time Lanzarote is one of the closest winter sun holiday destinations to the UK. And is serviced by a number of the biggest low cost flight operators – such as easy Jet and Fly Monarch. Which means it is usually possible to pick up cheap flights to Lanzarote for as little as £200 return from all major UK airports.

The sole airport on the island is called Arrecife and is located around 3km outside of the island capital of the same name. Thanks to Lanzarote´s relatively small size (it measures just 58km by 34.5km) transfer times from the airport to the island’s three main resorts are mercifully quick. With Puerto del Carmen just ten minutes from the airport, Costa Teguise fifteen and Playa Blanca around thirty five minutes away.

The bulk of visitors to the island arrive on package holidays so will find themselves travelling to their resort on coaches organised by their tour operator. But for the growing band of independent travellers there is no shuttle bus service to the resorts. Which means they need to rely on either taxis – which are available just outside the main arrivals terminal. Or hire cars – which are also readily available at the airport.

Car hire in Lanzarote is very good value in relation to many other holiday destinations. With prices starting from as little as €20 per day. Petrol is also much cheaper than in the UK or Eire, costing around 80 centimos for a litre of unleaded fuel.

Around 40% of all visitors book hotels in Lanzarote. Which are of a high standard, particularly in the island’s newest resort of Playa Blanca in the south of the island. Where all establishments built over the last ten years are of a four star standard and above.

Whilst the bulk of the best villas in Lanzarote are located in and around the resort of Puerto del Carmen. Which was once known as a small fishing village called La Tiñosa before package tourism first really took off on the island. Transforming it into the most popular resort on Lanzarote.

The island is also blessed with a raw volcanic scenery and plenty of natural beauty. Making it an ideal holiday location for sightseeing. Elements of the landscape have been united with the artistic aesthetic of the island born artist Cesar Manrique. Who created a series of seven unique tourist attractions during the 1970´s – such as the Cactus Garden and the Jameos del Agua – which still delight tourists to this day.

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Top family beaches

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Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 28-07-2009

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When you’re ready for a beach vacation, it can be tough to pick from among travel destinations.  There are so many great places you can go, whether its the Caribbean, or the beaches of Hawaii, or a spot closer to home.This top 10 list below, can help you choose where to go for your vacation.

1.  Hawaii    If you live on the mainland, you can choose to put your frequent flier miles to good use and take a beach vacation on the island of Hawaii.Get a vacation deals package and you can relax on the beach, swim, play golf or scuba dive. The islands are a great place to spend a honeymoon vacation. Hawaii has some of the best weather.What a wonderful choice for your beach vacation.

2. Cape Cod    Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket are all surrounded by beautiful scenic beaches. There are beaches on the bay and ocean sides of the islands. Bayside beaches are typically much calmer than oceanside, making them perfect destinations for families with children. There are plenty of Cape Cod Hotels to choose from.

3.  Wildwood     Wildwood Crest is a small shore resort community located at the southern end of New Jersey.Wildwood NJ has great beaches that are among the nicest in the US.S. The towns offers thousands of hotel rooms for your accommodation. There is a boardwalk and amusement piers with rides. There are many other interesting attractions in southern New Jersey.

4. Myrtle Beach     Myrtle Beach is one of the top domestic tourist destinations in the continental United States. With millions of visitors a year. It has 60 miles of warm, sandy beaches, and is a popular vacation destinations for millions of Americans. North Myrtle Beach will not disappoint you. Myrtle Beach has some great hotels. 

5. Florida Keys     The Florida Keys is the perfect tropical retreat with balmy weather and beautiful beaches. It is an archipelago with many tiny islands. The Florida Keys stretch 100 miles away from the mainland and Florida Keys hotels offer new experiences for both old and young alike. Many travelers begin their Florida Keys vacation in Key West. The natural surroundings are very tropical feeling.

6. Cocoa Beach     Cocoa Beach is an hour drive east of Orlando. It sits on the beautiful Space Coast. It has loads of recreation and leisure. A beach vacation, a weekend getaway, or just a day at the beach, you’ll find everything you need in Cocoa Beach. An affordable vacation spot is exactly what you’ll find in Cocoa Beach. Besides offering the best of a beach vacation, you can go deep sea fishing or parasailing. You may also like to try a casino cruise ship.

7. Costa Rica     This can be the ideal tropical paradise for your Costa Rica vacations. You can enjoy the pristine beaches and see whales and dolphins at play. The rainforest covers the mountains. It is home to a huge variety of plants and animals. A fun vacation means you can surf, hike, go rafting, canopying, diving, deepwater fishing and snorkeling. You can find exclusive resorts for a costa rica vacation.

8. Bahamas    The Bahamas is a caribbean vacation choice many take each year. Kids will love the white sandy beaches. Snorkelers may choose the calmer waters of beaches facing the Caribbean. There are many ways to enjoy the warm waters off the shores of this beautiful island. The tough part would be choosing from the  bahamas vacation packages available.

9. Punta Cana    Punta Cana is on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic. It has 25 miles of white sand and more than 35 resorts. Tourists long ago discovered Punta Cana and Americans are now catching on. At this affordable getaway, many guests stay in all-inclusive resorts. You can find Punta Cana vacation packages perfect.

10. Cozumel     Cozumel has beautiful beaches and an exotic location. A vacation packages there would be an ideal honeymoon vacation. You can share breathtaking sunsets, moonlit walks on deserted beaches, swim in crystal clear waters and enjoy romantic candlelight dinners. There are plenty of water sports such as diving, deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, kayaking and more. Cozumel Mexico is endowed with a Caribbean flair. Be sure to book your Cozumel vacation packages early to avoid disappointment.

The New Forest National Park –Walks With The Wildlife

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Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 04-07-2009

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A beautiful day out and unmissable for adults and kids alike if you are visiting the Forest is a trip to Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary and the Ornamental Drive. A day can easily slip by in this beautiful woodland area with plenty to do for any member of the family.

In case you didn’t know the New Forest National park was once the hunting grounds of the former kings of England, and some of the ancient traditions are still practiced today by the commoners.

The car park at Bolderwood gets really busy, so on a really lovely sunny day, plan your trip early to avoid disappointment. Adjacent to the car park and the woodland there is an open green which is great for having your picnic and a family/friendly game of rounders. You can get a delicious forest ice cream from the resident ice cream van here.

In the woody area at the entrance to Bolderwood you will find picnic tables, portable barbeque facilities and toilets. Here you will also find an information centre, often manned by a friendly forest ranger who can help with questions about the forest. Children and adults can have some fun seeing how many questions they can answer from the quiz!

From the Woodland area of Bolderwood you can choose from a selection of walks. One of the walks is the Bolderwood Deer Watch Trail. Throughout the walk you might spot the odd deer in the forest among the trees if you are quiet but if you miss them then you are sure to see some deer in the nearby sanctuary. Here there is a viewing platform and the deer here are a little more used to human prescence so you are bound to catch a glimpse of some deer grazing.

If you decide to take the Jubilee Walk, this is a about half a mile and will take you through the Bolderwood Arboretum. This is a fabulous display of a range of trees which began as far back as the 1800’s. Unfortunately, because of the high winds we had here in 1987 and further more in 1991, many of the great trees were destroyed. A project of ongoing planting has since been put in place to return this area to its original beauty.

An alternative stroll through this beautiful ancient woodland area will show you many more varieties of trees such as Chestnut, Beech, Oak and Norway Spruce. This walk is called the Radnor Trail and will also bring you about to the marvellous Deer Sanctuary and the viewing platform, if you haven’t spotted any Deer already during your walk.

The New Forest Cycling network which takes you through the many finest parts of the forest and links many of the major villages includes Bolderwood. Cycling through Bolderwood which includes the Ornamental drive is beautiful and can take about 3 and one half hours.

Bolderwood Ornamental drive must be visited either on the way in to Bolderwood or on the way out. The ornamental drive takes you though this marvellous picturesque route around Bolderwood and during the summer it is at its most beautiful. This is a busy fairly narrow windy road however and many hikers and cyclists as well as the wildlife use it too, so take care !

If you are looking for friendly local accommodation visit New Forest cottages for local self catering holiday cottages or New Forest hotels for luxury and hotel accommodation.