tlm - the travel & leisure magazine summer 2012

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tlm summer 2012

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the travel & leisure magazine

WONDERFUL

WORLD Nature’s awesome marvels

IN FROM THE COLD Hot and happening Berlin

SANGRIA ISLANDS Spain’s Balearics

HIGH AND MIGHTY Britain’s castles

ASIAN BEAUTY Vietnam opens up

SAFARIS IN STYLE Svelte on the veldt

ONE IN, ALL IN The rise of all-inclusive holidays

CLEAR WATER, SOFT SAND Florida's Gulf Coast twins PLUS South Wales golf The Chilterns Olympic London Autumn getaways

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Natural wonder Uluru in Australia. See page 58

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contents

Intrepid Travel

in the frame picture perfect

WIN – a £300 Olympus camera in our summer photo competition

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getting to know Balearics escape to Berlin uk uncovered Britain’s castles competition

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hit the road Highlands of Scotland events focus Festival No 6 resort report St Petersburg/Clearwater competitions

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travel fare a taste of Spain – Seville favourite, tapas seasonal focus autumn getaways a touch of class luxury safaris in your flightbag what to take on the flight

WIN – a £1,200 three-night break in Ibiza with British Airways

WIN – a £740 Cornish rail getaway and a £400 three-night Shropshire stay

WIN – one of two YUU bags worth £43 each

56 in your suitcase what to pack for your holiday WIN – a £265 Adam suitcase and one of three Ingenue dresses worth £93 each

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10 of the best natural wonders let’s try all-inclusives off the beaten track Vietnam pack your clubs South Wales + golf news WIN – a Druh golf belt worth £79

83 travel update travel news 86 on your doorstep Chilterns 92 travel tech gizmos and gadgets to take away WIN – a £495 pair of Swarovski binoculars and BRAVEN speakers worth £130

94 checking out focus on airport hotels, self-catering, news + reviews WIN – an airport hotel stay, eight days’ parking and airport lounge access worth £250

102 london life Olympic London + London news 106 out & about what’s on outside London 110 coming next what’s in store in the next issue subscribe to tlm – and get an Insight Step by Step guide FREE EDITORIAL: Editor Peter Ellegard Editorial assistant Julie Thompson Writers Writers Peter Ellegard, Julie Thompson, Dave Richardson, John Butler, Jeannine Williamson, Rob Gill, Debbie Ward and Amy Watkins Design Nick Blaxill Production June Barnard Publisher Terry Stafford Advertising sales Elaine Smith Digital Publisher Peter Lewsey Published quarterly by TLM Media Limited, Langdale House, 11 Marshalsea Road, London SE1 1EN Tel: 020 3176 2570 Fax: 020 3176 2572 Email: info@tlm-magazine.co.uk Printed by Acorn Web Offset Limited ©TLM Media Limited Front cover photo: Spectacular Northern Lights display over Finland © Visit Finland The publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions. Whilst every care is taken, all material submitted to TLM Media Limited is done so at its owner’s risk and neither TLM Media Limited nor its agents can accept any liability for loss or damage.

TLM Media Limited is a completely independent company and can hold no responsibility for the actions of outside agents.

Summer 2012

from the

editor Peter Ellegard

I

s it really summer? Recent weather might have persuaded us otherwise, with floods, record rainfall and chill winds, but we hope our jampacked summer issue will bring a little sunshine into your life.

Florida is often known as the Sunshine State and our Resort Report heads to the twin resorts of St Petersburg and Clearwater to check out some of America’s best beaches. We also take a look at the growing trend of all-inclusive holidays in our popular Let’s Try feature, while one of South-East Asia’s fastest-growing tourism hotspots, Vietnam, is the focus for our Off the Beaten Track pages.

Fancy taking off on safari in style? Our Touch of Class feature gives the lowdown on luxury safaris. And if you think you may need a little tonic for those post-summer blues, our seasonal focus looks at some great autumn getaways.

Also in this issue, be aweinspired by 10 of the world’s best natural wonders, peek inside Britain’s castles or take to the road in the Highlands of Scotland.

We tee off on the fairways of South Wales, scene of Europe’s 2010 Ryder Cup victory, plus we highlight the lasting legacy this summer’s Olympic Games will leave for London.

With over £4,000 worth of prizes to be won too, including a three-night break in Ibiza with British Airways and a Cornish rail getaway, get out that sunlounger and soak it all up, whatever the weather...

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in the frame n summer photo competition

Travellers’

n Inuit mother and baby in Arctic Nunavut, Canada

joy

Peter Ellegard

Snap your travels and you can WIN a fabulous Olympus SZ-31MR camera worth £300 in our great new summer photo competition

art of the Traveller range of cameras from renowned manufacturer Olympus designed with travel in mind, the SZ-31MR is a compact digital camera that boasts an amazing 24x super-resolution zoom to get you up close and personal with your subjects with minimal loss of image quality.

Other features of this mini marvel include: l New Olympus iHS technologies for capturing exactly the shots you want irrespective of shooting conditions. l Three-inch touch-sensitive colour LCD viewer with Touch Shutter and Touch AF. l Multi Recording with Dual Engine TruePic V image processor for recording movies and photos simultaneously, or two movies in different modes or from different angles. l Multi-motion Movie IS for recording full HD movies with reduced blur while walking.

The SZ-31MR has an RRP of £299.99 and now you have a chance to win one for yourself in our summer photo competition, courtesy of Olympus.

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The theme for entries is travel, and all you have to do is send us up to two pictures that fit the theme. They could be pictures you have taken on a trip of a lifetime to some exotic destination, a Spanish sojourn, a weekend away in Paris, a camping trip in Wales or a day trip to the seaside. We’ll leave it to you.

how to enter For details of how to enter the competition, go to www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on Competitions.

Entries will consist of a portfolio of a maximum two photographs. You must be a UK resident. Only one entry is allowed per person and professional photographers are excluded. Closing date is midnight on September 22, 2012, whereupon the final 12 photos will be selected for a vote on the tlm website. See the tlm website for more terms and conditions.

For more information on the range of Olympus cameras, go to www.olympus.co.uk.

Summer 2012

getting to know n balearics

Sunshine

quartet

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Summer 2012

getting to know n balearics

Spain’s Balearic Islands have been the favourite stamping ground of tourists since composer Frederic Chopin. But, as long-time convert Dave Richardson points out, there is far more to this popular archipelago than high-rise resorts, bustling beaches and foam-party nightclubs

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n Binibeca, Menorca

island, Menorca, has largely avoided the mass market hen I ask Martin Xamena how his despite having some large hotels, and is a favourite of hotel guests have changed over the families. As for tiny Formentera, the fourth Balearic last half century, he raises his eyebrows. “When I stay at a hotel I like to island, mass tourism has virtually passed it by.

The islands have been favourite holiday destinations be served, I like a pleasant ambience since long before the package holiday age. Polish and I like to meet civilised fellow composer Frederic Chopin was a notable visitor to guests,” he says. “That’s what I try to achieve, but to Majorca in 1838 and King Juan Carlos of Spain considfind civilised people these days isn’t easy. Just look at ers Majorca attractive enough for his summer holiday how even famous people behave.” retreat. But with cheap flights from all over Britain Civilised people? In Majorca? The Spanish island, taking just two hours and extensive development along largest of the Balearics group, is synonymous with mass the coast, you have to pick your spot to enjoy the tranmarket package holidays. Like neighbouring Ibiza, it’s also very popular with young clubbers, but Martin’s Bon quillity of the Balearics. This summer could be especially busy, with the pound gaining strength against Sol hotel in Illetas, Majorca, offers a rather different the euro and uncertainty hanging over other popular experience. The family home became a guest house in holiday spots.

1953 and has since been transformed with facilities including a major spa. The Bon Sol is a haven of tranquillity, excellent family-friendly food and, yes, civilisation. No wonder Despite being the most developed some guests have been coming island, Majorca has been able to every year for 50 years, and a withstand the annual influx of over dozen of the waiting staff have around two million tourists simply been there since the 1980s. because of its size – over 2,500 Mass market, high-rise resorts square kilometres (1,000 square such as Magalluf and Palma Nova miles). Mass market development is in Majorca, and San Antonio in Ibiza, concentrated around the Bay of Palma are still going strong, and both islands in the south, with the north and east n Market shopping suffer unfairly from the image these coasts having many smaller and more in Formentera resorts project. The second largest Balearic family-friendly resorts, such as Alcudia, Puerto

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n Font de Sa Cala, Majorca

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Summer 2012

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getting to know n balearics

n Palma's towering Gothic cathedral

10 things to do in the balearics l See Palma’s cathedral and old town. l Take a taxi to admire the view from Bellver Castle in Palma, then

former capital.

l Take the antiquated electric train from Palma to Soller, then ride a tram to Puerto Soller through the orange groves.

l Children will enjoy Palma Aquarium, near the airport. l The Caves of Drach, on Majorca’s east coast, are highly impressive.

Pollensa and Cala d’Or. The west coast is little-developed, courtesy of the Sierra Tramuntana mountains, and picturesque coastal towns such as Banyalbufar and Deia perch on the cliffs. The north-west coast is flatter; here you’ll find perhaps the prettiest coastal resort, and the one with most “local” character, Puerto Soller.

Away from the mountains in the west, inland Majorca is less interesting, being mainly a plain, but with highlights including Manacor where Majorca’s famous cultivated pearls are produced. A “must” away from the resorts is the city of Palma, a city break in its own right

n The streets of Palma

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restaurant such as El Olivo.

l See the island’s wetlands, Ses Salines. l Walk or cycle around Formentera.

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especially off-season, when it is cooler and considerably less crowded.

Palma is a bustling seaside city with the long Paseo Maritimo boulevard running beside the sea, past a marina brimming with luxurious yachts and a busy cruise terminal. The nearest beaches are a few miles away either on the west side, where Palma Nova and Magalluf are favoured by the British; or on the east side, near the airport, where C’an Pastilla and Arenal are distant outposts of Berlin and Frankfurt. But it’s the old city of Palma which is most worthy of attention, and that is just behind the huge Gothic cathedral which towers over the eastern end of the Paseo Maritimo.

The cathedral was built between the 14th and 16th centuries, but the rose windows were created by the Catalan architect Gaudi, best known for his lavish modernist architecture in Barcelona. The maze of narrow streets behind the cathedral is a delight to wander in, and still home to thousands of people as well as bars, restaurants, boutiques and historical attractions. Don’t miss the Arab Baths, Convent of St Francis and art museum, housed in an ancient building once used by merchants.

Almudaina Palace, by the cathedral, was the seat of Moorish and Catholic kings.

Turismo de Mallorca

“You have to pick your spot to enjoy the tranquillity of the Balearics”

l Spend a day in Ibiza Town’s old quarter, including lunch at a top

british links Palma can easily be reached for a day trip from most Majorcan resorts, but consider staying longer if you’re into history, culture, shopping, gastronomy and nightlife. It has a lovely old Plaza Major or main square,

Summer 2012

Turismo de Mallorca

walk down.

l Discover the prehistoric stone tombs of Menorca. l Stroll the character-filled streets of Ciudadela, Menorca's

getting to know n balearics

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n Copia de San-Luis Benibequer, , Menorca

n No high-rise blocks at Majorca's Cala Truent

n Local fare, Majorca

walking in the balearics

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n Formentera culture

with historic buildings on every side and cafes and shops dotted around, although anything bought here comes at a premium. Oliver market is well worth a browse to stock up on typical Majorcan snacks or simply admire the displays of fruit, vegetables and fish, while the main areas for fashion shopping are Paseo de Born and Avenida Jaime III. The city has lots of bars and restaurants and plenty of clubs too, mainly in the small streets near Paseo Maritimo.

You might think the many large resort hotels, and big city hotels in Palma, are the only accommodation choices. But that is not so, as there are many historic, boutique and character hotels scattered around the island plus a few in Palma old town, including the Dalt Murada, closer to the cathedral. Over 20 of these belong to

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Turismo de Mallorca

Strolling along a coastal track near Banyalbufar, on the west coast of Majorca, was a heavenly experience even as early in the season as March. The sun shone strongly, the calm sea glistened and the pine woods were fragrant, yet I was less than an hour away from the big resorts near Palma.

Winding up an easy two-hour walk in a village tapas bar, I took my time before taking a different route back to the welcoming Hotel Mar I Vent, run by the same family for generations.

Much stiffer walks are on offer in Majorca’s mountains, with the book Walk and Eat in Mallorca (www.sunflowerbooks.co.uk) offering 10 itineraries of varying levels from Palma to Soller. All the other islands have walking tracks too, with guided walks operating in Ibiza, where the emphasis is mainly on coastal routes.

the Reis de Mallorca marketing group.

Menorca is the least visited of the three main Balearic islands by British visitors, yet we have a long history here. Britain ruled Menorca three times between 1708 and 1802, with periods of French and Spanish rule in between. An unlikely link between Menorca and a foodstuff used throughout the Western world is mayonnaise, named after the main town of Mahon by the French, after they wrested control of it from Britain in 1756.

The island has some excellent sandy beaches that have seen plenty of development, but nothing on the scale of the Bay of Palma in Majorca. Resorts are mainly on the south coast and include Santo Tomas, Son Bou, Cala Blanca and Cala Galdana, plus Arenal d’en Castell on the north coast. Many of the beaches are on small, fairly secluded bays, popular with families. There are plenty of villas here, too, for large families or groups of friends.

palaces and churches Menorca is essentially a place to chill out, but a trip to Mahon or the other main town, Ciudadela, may be

Summer 2012

getting to know n balearics

This being Spain, it’s no surprise that eating out is high on the list of priorities, with excellent but pricey seafood throughout the islands. If you choose self-catering, don’t be afraid to cook it yourself, buying from Oliver or Santa Catalina markets in Palma, or the main markets in Ibiza Town, Mahon and Ciudadela.

Majorca has really developed its foodie reputation, with many renowned restaurants not only in Palma, but throughout the island. Other specialities include roast suckling pig, sobrasada (sausage flavoured with paprika) and ensaimada, a wheel-shaped sweet pastry which many visitors take home in cardboard boxes.

Food trails in Majorca introduce you to local produce including olive oil and cheese.

Also look out for fish, meat and vegetable stews in Ibiza, and specialities of Menorca including partridge and cheese.

Majorca has a developing wine industry, while Menorca is famous for gin.

Summer 2012

Antonio is a huge clubbing resort and you’re ill-advised to go there if you’re over 30 – or even over 25.

Fortunately, however, Ibiza has never attracted the worst and cheapest end of the clubbing market as in Greece and Cyprus. The reason is simple – it’s expensive.

But the foam party image has put off the older visitor, despite the existence of much quieter resorts appealing to couples and families, such as Santa Eulalia, Es Cana and Playa d’en Bossa, which has the island’s longest beach. Some older people return to Ibiza year after year and see nothing of its lurid image, but as the island is fairly small – about 570 sq km (220 square miles) – it’s important to choose your resort carefully.

n Ibiza Town

isolated beaches

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rewarding. Mahon, on the east coast, is less interesting, although it’s good for shopping and has a colourful port.

Ciudadela, on the west coast, has more of a historic feel as befits the island’s former capital. In the old town, you can enjoy 17th and 18th century palaces and churches, while the harbour is a delight and close to most of the nightlife. Some of Menorca’s finest and least-developed beaches are nearby, including Son Saura and Macarella, but access can be difficult.

Inland Menorca is mainly farmland with plenty of cattle, the highest point reaching only 350 metres (1,150ft).

If you are keen on ancient history, the interior is worth exploring in depth as it has over 1,000 megalithic monuments, mainly ancient T-shaped tombs called taulas. There are also some signs of Roman settlement.

If Menorca’s image is one of peace and relaxation, the opposite could be said of Ibiza, due to its long-established clubbing scene. Huge pleasure palaces of insistent beat (and the infamous foam parties), such as Privilege and Pacha, can be found in the resort of San Antonio, capital Ibiza Town, and along the road in between. San

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n Terrace bar in the Port of Ibiza

Ibiza is worth exploring, with a large Phoenician archaeological site at Puig des Molins and the wetlands of Ses Salines, but most of the sightseeing is in Ibiza Town. By day – before the nightlife cranks up – it’s a charming place, with a fortified old town surrounded by

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n Formentera's harbour

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n Dalt Vila Cathedral, Ibiza

balearics facts

Medieval walls dating from Phoenician times but rebuilt in the 16th century. There are many character restaurants here, but it can also be very crowded in peak season.

And what of Formentera, smallest of the Balearic islands? It can only be reached by boat from Ibiza, and has similar wetlands. Isolated beaches and a handful of villages dot the island, the main one being the port of La Savina. It is one of the best “away from it all” experiences in Spain despite having a few large hotels, and is good for walking and cycling. The arty Spanish film, Sex and Lucia, is set here, with Formentera portrayed as having magical qualities.

I must find out why one day, as my only visit so far was a day trip from Ibiza. But it will take a lot to wrench me away from my very “civilised” special places in Majorca, such as the sun terrace at the Bon Sol, walking along the west coast, or Palma’s old town.

When you consider how many “new” holiday destinations have sprung up over the last 20 years but how many people still regard these islands as their favourites, the Balearics really are the great holiday survivors.

Dave Richardson discovered Majorca as a young man in the 1970s, and first came to Ibiza before the clubbing craze started. He moved on to sedate Menorca and, being young at heart, he now regularly re-visits Majorca as it appeals to all tastes.

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n Soller tram, Majorca

getting there You can fly to Majorca from all major airports in Britain, with Ibiza also having good coverage and Menorca less so. Main airlines include easyJet (www.easyjet.com), Ryanair (www.ryanair.com), Monarch (www.monarch.co.uk), Thomson (www.thomson.co.uk), Thomas Cook (www.thomascook.com) and Jet2 (www.jet2.com).

getting around Car hire and buses are the way to go, with Majorca having some motorways and rail routes. Inter-island ferries are available.

tour operators These include Thomson, Thomas Cook and Cosmos (www.cosmos.co.uk). Classic Collection (www.classiccollection.co.uk) also offers many boutique hotels. Mallorca Farmhouses (www.mallorca.com) offers what it says on the tin. n Hotel complex, Formentera

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The tourist season in Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera is strictly from May to October, with only Majorca being open year-round. Spring and autumn are ideal times to visit as high summer can be very hot, with cool temperatures and rain in winter, and occasional snow in Majorca’s mountains. Palma hotels are open year-round but many Majorcan resort hotels close in winter.

Turismo de Mallorca

when to go

accommodation The Bon Sol in Illetas, Dalt Murada in Palma and Mar I Sol in Banyalbufar all belong to the Reis de Mallorca marketing group (www.reisdemallorca.com). The islands have many other accommodation options, from self-catering apartments up to five-star hotels.

tourist information Spanish Tourist Office: www.spain.info/en; 020 7317 2011

Summer 2012

Summer 2012

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escape to n berlin

Wall’s come

tumbling down

Berlin’s stern façade and grim history can be daunting to visitors, but Germany’s reborn capital has a soft centre that belies its Teutonic appearance. John Butler finds this once-divided city a forward-looking cultural gem with a lively nightlife and restaurant scene where even style councillors can find solace in unsung boutiques nce, having landed in Berlin for the first time late on a Friday night, a friend cabbed her way from the airport straight to Berghain (http://berghain.de), an infamous industrial nightclub, to meet up with friends.

Still in work clothes, she had a wheelie suitcase with her and, emerging from the taxi, she was dismayed to see grim bouncers massed at the Friedricshain exterior. No chance. She was about to call it a night when a bouncer called her over, lifting the velvet rope and pointing at her weekend bag.

“DJ! All DJs must come this way.”

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Brooking no argument, the enormous bouncer led her through a labyrinthine tunnel and into a service elevator which rose and opened directly onto a raised DJ booth above the heaving dance floor. Terrified, my friend turned to him, ready to be thrown out.

“Okay, okay, I’m really sorry. Thing is, I’m not really a DJ.” After the briefest of pauses, the huge bouncer began to chuckle. “Yes, we know that. It’s okay. We are just being stupid with you.”

First impressions of Berlin can be intimidating; the name alone carrying with it the weight of terrible history; the terror of the Nazi regime, the 40-odd-year

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escape to n berlin

n Unter den Linden street festival

very heart of the old East, in Alexanderplatz.

From here, the galleries of Mitte are five minutes away, not to mention the boutiques – although shopping is not considered a past-time in this proudly anticonsumerist city (shops are even closed on Sunday).

n Organgrinder at the Brandenburg Gate

n Neptune fountain in front of The Red Town Hall on Alexanderplatz

division of it through the construction of a wall which came to embody the Cold War. But cities are a living breathing organism, constantly regenerating, and through its art, public buildings, the people and the eclectic culture, at every turn Berlin offers a chance to look forward as well as back.

It is best experienced as a whole, as one walks or cycles through it, or by bus; hop-on, hop-off tours cost 15 euros (about £12.50) with City Sightseeing (www.city-sightseeing.com/tours/germany/berlin.htm).

Orient yourself by starting under the huge needle-like TV tower – you can rent bikes here with Fat Tire Bike Tours (http://fattirebiketours.com/berlin), at the

Summer 2012

All photos: GNTB

berlin wall In the opposite direction, a stroll down the historic main drag of Unter Den Linden brings you past St Hedwig’s Cathedral, the Zeughaus (German Historical Museum: www.dhm.de), and the Altes Palais, the Berlin palace of Kaiser Wilhelm I. Do not miss the beautiful and freeto-view Neue Wache, originally a guard house and now the “Memorial to the Victims of Fascism and Militarism”.

You also pass the Berlin State Opera (www.staatsoperberlin.de), where the acoustics are considered to have achieved such fragile perfection that the chandeliers remain un-dusted. Shows cost from 16 euros (around £13), although it is closed throughout most of July and all of August.

En route, you pass along the River Spree. If you fancy a riverside stroll, be sure to take in the Pergamon Museum (www.smb.museum) which houses the reconstructed Ishtar Gate – one of the gates to the ancient city of Babylon – or take a river cruise. A one-hour cruise costs from 11 euros (about £9) per person with Berlin City Tours (www.berlincitytours.com).

Continue on Unter Den Linden to reach the Brandenburg Gate, beyond which lies the stunning Tiergarden, Berlin’s largest and oldest public park. Directly beyond, behind the famous Berlin Victory column immortalised

by Wim Wenders in the film, Wings of Desire, lies the affluent borough of Charlottenberg, and the heart of old West Berlin.

Adjacent to the Brandenburg Gate, a few minutes away, lies the Peter Eisenmann-designed Holocaust Memorial. It’s not without its critics, but walking amidst the undulating slabs of concrete is a very unsettling

“Shopping is not considered a past-time in this proudly anticonsumerist city”

n Ishtar Gate in the Pergamon Museum

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experience. Obliquely and ingeniously, it calls to mind the unfathomable horror of the Holocaust.

Nearby, too, are Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War, the Jewish Museum (www.jmberlin.de) and the Topography of Terror (www.topographie.de), where the Gestapo, SS and Reich security offices were located, and where the longest untouched stretch of the old Berlin Wall remains. Incidentally, stretches of the wall do remain and are preserved, but it’s best encountered as you move through the city.

terrific food

n The Berlin Wall's East Side gallery mural

getting arty in berlin Pre-book a visit to two rather special galleries in the Mitte district. Since 1997, guided tours through a converted sewing factory housing the Zammlung Hoffman Collection (www.sammlung-hoffmann.de), on Sophienstrasse, have taken place every Saturday from 11am-4pm and admission is 10 euros (about £7.80). See works by the Gruppe Zero, Bruce Nauman, Basquiat, Nan Goldin and Andy Warhol.

Also book in advance, online only, for a visit to the Boros Bunker (www.sammlung-boros.de). This excellent collection of contemporary art is situated in a converted bunker in Mitte; and the story of the space is at least as interesting as the work. Initially built as a shelter for civilians in World War II, the Boros Bunker has since been used as a prison, fetish club and nightclub, and now houses work by artists including Olafur Eliasson.

Admission to the Mies van der Rohe-designed Neue National Galerie (www.neue-nationalgalerie.de), on Potsdamer Strasse, is 10 euros. The permanent collection includes works by Paul Klee, Francis Bacon and Picasso. Also nearby is the ornate Martin-Gropius-Bau building, a former museum across on Niederkirchner Strasse, now an exhibition hall.

beyond berlin

Germany is not renowned for its food, but Berlin is not Germany, as they say, and there’s a dizzying array of terrific food options. Schwarzwald Stuben (www.schwarzwaldstuben-berlin.com) is a great traditional German restaurant in Mitte. Try the Flammkuchen; a savoury tarte flambé.

House speciality is the schnitzel – and believe me, it is divine. A bottle of Riesling should help it along, or a large tankard of the Berliner pils. Ambience is low-light and casual.

Did you know that doner kebabs are a German invention? The first kebab was made by a genius called Mahmut Aygun in Hasir in Kreuzberg (www.hasir.de/eng/index.html), in 1971. And you can forget about the post-pub connotations. These kebabs are perfectly flavoured and served with homemade bread.

There are a few Hasir restaurants across Berlin now; each and every one of them leaves the English kebab shop in the shade.

There’s also a profound Vietnamese influence in Berlin. Back in the Cold war, Communist East Germany was one of the few destinations to which a North Vietnamese family could emigrate, and the Vietnamese food at Hoai Nam (www.hoainam.de), on Skalitzer Strasse, is wonderful.

Torstrasse, in Mitte, is emerging as Berlin’s restaurant mile. Book ahead for any of the following; Noto n Pavement café by the Brandenburg Gate

Bleak, dark Berlin winters tumble headlong into a glorious summer that you can bank on. If you’re lucky enough to be here during the summer, and you fancy some exploration, these day trips are easy. l Grunewald – a massive expanse of beautiful parkland, a 30-minute train ride from the city (S-Bahn S7). Take your bike on the train and explore, or bring a picnic and enjoy the sylvan quiet. l Wannsee – 40 minutes by train from Berlin (S-Bahn S1), the lake here is great for swimming or boating, and a few little restaurants are dotted around its banks. Berlin comes here to sunbathe, or jog/cycle the perimeter. l Potsdam – a short 45-minute train ride away (S-7), and home to Sanssouci (www.spsg.de), Frederick the Great’s summer palace. Inside, a series of rooms take the over-stuffed and gilded style to its furthest extremes. A guided tour costs 12 euros (about £9.60) from April to October and 8 euros (£6.40) from November to March. After visiting, one comes to understand why the marriage of this flamboyant, rococo-loving prince-with-Daddy-issues might have failed to produce an heir.

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(http://noto-berlin.com), Tartane (www.tartane.de), Alpenstueck (www.alpenstueck.de), and Themroc (http://themroc-berlin.de). 3 minutes sur mer, in Torstrasse, is an off-shoot of Bandol-sur-mer next door, both of which serve excellent French cuisine to the Mitte/Prenzlauer Berg gentry. This place is too hip for a web site, but the telephone number is +49 (0) 30 6730 2053. You’ll need a booking to rub shoulders with the hip and trendy clientele, but the food is terrific, as is the wine list.

berlin facts when to go Each season has something to recommend it. A winter walk through the snowy Tiergarden brings the sight of ice-skaters, and couples drinking gluhwein under blankets at the frozen canal side. In summer, the same park offers rollerbladers, kite fliers, and chilled wine.

What’s your preference?

bars and clubs After all that, you’ll be ready for a nightcap. Ping pong is big in Berlin – tables are to be found in most parks, and the ping-pong-themed Prenzlauer Berg dive bar Dr Pong (www.drpong.net), on Eberswalder Strasse, is a fun place to meet younger, hip locals. Tell the owner, Oliver, that John sent you over, and demand a free drink. Good luck!

If you’re near West Berlin, Diener (www.diener-tattersall.de), on Grolmanstrasse, was a Cold War haunt of Ian Fleming’s and is worth a visit.

Lastly, Samuel Beckett is honoured by Becketts Kopf (www.becketts-kopf.de), in Pappelallee.

And where to lay your head at the end of a long day?

Hotel options abound at all price ranges, but I’m an evangelist for www.airbnb.com, a secure and easy-touse website where you can rent apartments in all locations, securely, and with no fuss. Best of all, it means you can stay in some residential neighbourhoods that tend not to have hotels.

Pick a place in Prenzlauer Berg, a 10-minute walk north from the centre and a haven for brunch, with many parks and great restaurants.

If you’re looking for a buzz, Kreuzberg and Neukölln, to the south-east, boast a hip, younger crowd drawn by a high concentration of great bars and clubs.

Quieter, but equally interesting, is Schoeneberg, where historic Tempelhof Airport has now been converted into a huge, dramatic park.

n Berlin Cathedral

getting there Berlin’s a two-hour flight from London’s airports. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from Heathrow, easyJet (www.easyjet.com) from Luton and Gatwick, and Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Stansted. There are two main airports in Berlin, Tegel and Schonefeld, both connected to the city via train. Brandenburg Airport is under construction and was due to have opened by now, but the opening has been delayed until March 2013.

getting around Berlin has an excellent transport system. Taxis are all beige Mercedes, all drivers speak English, and fares are reasonable (cheaper than a London cab). U-Bahn and S-Bahn tickets cost from 1.30 euros (about £1) and can be bought on the platform. Transport maps are clearly laid out. Get a 72-hour WelcomeCard for unlimited use on tram, U-Bahn and S-Bahn networks. It costs 23.90 euros, just over £19, for adults and covers the A-B zones, while the ABC-zone version which includes Potsdam costs 25.90 euros (about £20.75) but up to three children under 15 travel free so it is ideal for families. Shorter and longer duration cards are available. Buy from train stations, newsagents, or online at www.visitberlin.de/en/welcomecard.

tours Berlin Tours offered by Sandeman’s New Europe (www.newberlintours.com) include a Third Reich Tour, a bike tour, an alternative city tour and many more variations. Tours start at 12 euros, around the £10 mark, but they even offer a free guided tour.

Those are very popular, so book in advance.

n DB Tower at Potsdamer Platz

tour operators Packaged stays in Berlin are offered by companies including Cresta Holidays (www.crestaholidays.co.uk), DERtour (www.dertravel.co.uk), Kirker (www.kirkerholidays.com) and German Travel Centre (www.germantravelcentre.co.uk). Book hotels with companies including Superbreak (www.superbreak.com).

tourist information n Taking in Berlin’s sights

Visit Berlin: www.visitberlin.de German National Tourist Office: www.germany.travel

Author John Butler has been eating and drinking his way around Berlin on weekend breaks for 10 years and has yet to tire of the place. Having had his debut novel, The Tenderloin, published by Picador, he is currently writing his second novel and loafing around Europe.

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uk uncovered n britain’s castles

The great

survivors

n Bamburgh Castle VisitBritain

y definition a castle is a private fortified residence; as well as providing a home for their owners and families, castles were built as defensive structures. While most fortifications that we acknowledge as proper castles were built in the 500 years after the Norman Conquest, many pre-date this.

The first fortifications appeared in Britain from the 5th century BC; Maiden Castle (www.maidencastle.com) in Dorchester is one of the finest examples of an Iron Age hill-fort. However, these earthworks were easily overcome by the Romans, who replaced them with structures made of wood, brick or stone.

Fine examples of these Roman structures still exist today including Portchester Castle and Pevensey Castle (see www.english-heritage.org.uk for both), twothirds of the towered walls of which still stand.

Pevensey was the landing place of William the Conqueror’s army in 1066 and his first defensive structure was built within the walls of the old Roman fort.

He continued to build castles across Britain to defend his line of retreat and within two weeks of landing, had

B

n The Tower of London

VisitBritain

Summer 2012

built castles at Hastings and Dover.

On his ascendency to king, he gave his most loyal knights grants of land and permission to build castles; by the time of his death in 1087 there were 86 Norman castles in England.

The early motte and bailey castles – primarily an earthen mound and wooden tower – were later rebuilt in stone, the focus of which was usually a large stone tower, such as the White Tower at the Tower of London and that of Colchester Castle.

As society changed and the nobility wanted n Lincoln Castle more comfortable

tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk

VisitBritain

They were built as a show of power and strength or to defend against the enemy beyond. Today, the remains of some 800 castles and fortresses dot the British countryside, more than 300 still standing tall and proud and defining many of our towns and landscapes. Julie Thompson delves into their fascinating past

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uk uncovered n britain’s castles

dwellings, the functions fulfilled by castles became better served by other buildings. The fate of many castles was sealed during the Civil War when they were attacked and either refortified by the opposing forces or left in ruins. Some simply fell into disrepair, their stones recycled in churches or grand buildings.

Today, many of Britain’s remaining castles offer an entertaining insight into our history through historical re-enactments and family-themed events.

n Rochester Castle

n Deal Castle was built

by King Henry VIII

English Heritage

n Windsor is the world's oldest inhabited castle

VisitBritain

n Leeds Castle was home to six queens

VisitBritain

The home of British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years, Windsor Castle (www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/windsorcastle) is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. Built

by William the Conqueror to secure the western approach to London, its easy access to the city and proximity to a royal hunting forest quickly identified it as a popular royal residence.

The original Norman keep was rebuilt as the Round Tower in 1170; today you can take the Conquer the Tower tour to the top of one of the nation’s most iconic landmarks.

One of the capital's most iconic landmarks, the Tower of London (www.hrp.org.uk/TowerofLondon) was also built by William I, not primarily as a royal residence but as a fortress-stronghold, with the White Tower proclaiming the physical power and prowess of the new Norman monarch.

It was latterly used as a prison as well as the infamous place of execution of no less than three English queens – Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey – and, today, houses the Crown Jewels as well as offering a fascinating insight into royal history.

Royal connections abound in the south’s castles.

Hadleigh Castle, overlooking the Thames Estuary in Essex (see www.english-heritage.org.uk), was a favourite residence of Edward III following the Hundred Years War and was the subject of a painting by Constable. Little of it remains save for one tower; a sight that will become familiar to TV viewers watching the Olympic mountain biking finals on the adjacent circuit.

The stunningly-beautiful Leeds Castle (www.leeds-castle.com) in Kent was inhabited by six of England’s Medieval queens as well as by Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Kent’s equally-alluring Hever Castle (www.hevercastle.co.uk) was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, passing in ownership to Henry VIII’s fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, and later America-born Viscount Astor and his socialite wife, Lady Astor.

A trip to the Medway towns should include the imposing fortress of Rochester Castle as well as the Elizabethan artillery fort at Upnor Castle (see www.english-heritage.org.uk for both).

One of the finest Tudor artillery castles in England, built by the order of Henry VIII, Deal Castle can be combined with a visit to Dover Castle (both www.english-heritage.org.uk), spectacularly-located above the White Cliffs of Dover. Its secret wartime tunnels and vivid recreation of the Dunkirk evacuation

VisitBritain

london and the south

n Bodiam Castle

make for a great family day out.

Set on the Kent/Sussex border, Bodiam Castle (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodiam-castle) is the perfect example of a 14th century Medieval moated castle, with its impressive towers providing wonderful views of the Rother Valley.

VisitBritain

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www.tlm-magazine.co.uk

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uk uncovered n britain’s castles

David Ho.

south west

n Stay in 13th century Dalhousie Castle

Hever

castles with accommodation As well as serving as defensive structures, castles were built to provide accommodation for their owners.These days, there are a number of castles where you can stay.

George III set the tradition of allowing loyal servants to live at Hampton Court (www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace) by grace and favour and, nowadays, self-catering apartments are available to stay in; Fish Court, situated in the service wing of the old Tudor palace, sleeps up to six people while the Georgian House, originally a kitchen, sleeps up to eight.

At the foot of the South Downs, privately owned 900-year-old Amberley Castle (www.amberleycastle.co.uk), is enclosed by a 60-foot (18m) curtain wall and working portcullis behind which is a luxurious country house hotel, while the 64 individually-designed bedrooms at Bovey Castle (www.boveycastle.com), now a golf resort on Dartmoor National Park, are located in the original manor house and private mews.

Sudeley Castle (www.sudeleycastle.co.uk), in Cheltenham, has country cottages midway between the castle and the historic town of Winchcombe, while Kent’s lovely Hever Castle (www.hevercastle.co.uk) offers luxury bed and breakfast within its Astor Wing.

Ruthin Castle (www.ruthincastle.co.uk), in North n Live like royalty in Hever Castle Wales and just 20 miles from Chester, is a romantic hotel steeped in history, with notable owners of the castle including monarchs Edward I, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Scotland’s Dalhousie Castle Hotel (www.dalhousiecastle.co.uk) is a magnificent 13th century fortress set within acres of wooded parkland on the banks of the River Esk. Madonna famously married Guy Ritchie in 2000 in exclusive Skibo Castle (www.carnegieclub.co.uk), which is only open to members of the Carnegie Club and their guests. The club is currently considering applications for new members for acceptance in 2012. Buying your own castle might be easier.... n Dartmouth Castle

In the gatehouse is the original wooden portcullis, probably England’s oldest and a rare example of its kind.

Arundel Castle (www.arundelcastle.org) overlooks the River Arun in West Sussex and features an original motte, an artificial mound, over 100 feet (30 metres) high from the dry moat.

The sweeping south west coastline is the perfect setting for striking fortresses, and Dartmouth Castle (see www.english-heritage.org.uk) occupies one of the most stunning settings in England. For more than 600 years, the castle has guarded the narrow mouth of the River Dart; it was designed to protect Dartmouth harbour from attack by foreign vessels.

Portland Castle, (see www.english-heritage.org.uk) one of Henry VIII’s finest coastal forts, offers spectacular sea views from its vantage point overlooking Portland Harbour in Dorset. The castle reopens on weekdays after August 12.

Corfe Castle (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/corfe-castle), partially demolished in 1646 by the Parliamentarians, is one of England’s most evocative survivors of the English Civil War. Explore the ruins and visit the pretty village, with its Medieval church tower.

A ferry to the Isle of Wight takes you to Carisbrooke Castle, where King Charles I was imprisoned, and Yarmouth Castle (both www.english-heritage.org.uk), the last and most sophisticated addition to Henry VIII’s coastal defences, with the first arrowhead artillery bastion built in England.

Separated from the mainland by a causeway covered by the sea at high water, St Michael’s Mount (www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk) has religious and historical significance. An apparition of the Archangel St Michael is said to have been witnessed by fishermen in 495BC while, in 1588, it was on St Michael’s Mount that the first beacon was lit to warn of the arrival of the Spanish Armada.

Other fine Cornish castles include St Mawes (see www.english-heritage.org.uk), one of the bestpreserved of Henry VIII’s coast artillery fortresses where you can still see the Latin inscriptions in praise of Henry and his son Edward VI on its walls, and the magical Tintagel Castle (also www.english-heritage.org.uk), said to be the birthplace of King Arthur and where you can visit the nearby Merlin’s Cave.

midlands and central/eastern england One of Suffolk’s finest bastions, Framlingham Castle (see www.english-heritage.org.uk), was once the refuge of Mary Tudor before she became queen in 1553.

The magnificent wall walk offers splendid views over the mere.

Warwick Castle (www.warwick-castle.com) is one of England’s most famous tourist attractions, with a history going back almost 11 centuries. A walled building in Warwick can be traced back to Saxon days, although William the Conqueror constructed a wooden motte and bailey here in 1068.

Today the owners, Merlin Entertainments Group, offer an array of entertaining activities which recall the castle’s historic roots.

Its quieter neighbour, Kenilworth Castle (see www.english-heritage.org.uk), is best known as the home of Robert Dudley, the great love of Queen Elizabeth 1. As well as the ornate palace he created, Dudley developed the famous gardens to impress his queen and you can follow in her footsteps today in the

English Heritage

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uk uncovered n britain’s castles

n Young knights at Carisbrooke Castle

l No two castles are the same. This is due to topography, taste, available materials, and the ability of the designer. l The spiral stairs in castle towers were designed to ascend clockwise so as to make the attackers expose more of their body and allow the defenders to use the sword in their right hand. l The keep at Bridgnorth Castle in Shropshire leans at 15 degrees, three times further than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, following an attempt to blow it up during the Civil War. l For a Christmas feast in 1206 at Winchester Castle, King John’s orders to the sheriff included 1,500 chickens, 5,000 eggs, 20 oxen, 100 pigs, and 100 sheep. l The world’s oldest surviving football was discovered at Stirling Castle; it was found

lodged in the rafters of the Palace. Made around 1540, from a pig’s bladder and a leather skin, it is now held by Stirling’s Smith Art Gallery and Museum.

n Jousting

Hever

at Hever Castle

English Heritage

did you know?

l A knight’s wages were 8d per day and he was expected to serve for 40 days. l 166 houses were pulled down in order to build Lincoln Castle.

(www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunstanburgh-castle); its rocky approach from Embleton beach makes it a striking walking destination.

Bamburgh Castle (www.bamburghcastle.com) has one of the most gorgeous settings, spanning nine acres of land atop an outcrop of volcanic dolerite and sitting almost 150ft (45m) above sea level. It is also one of the world's most important Anglo Saxon archaeological sites.

Further south, Prudhoe Castle (see www.english-heritage.org.uk) was the only castle in Northumberland to resist the Scots, and its towered walls enclose a fine Georgian mansion.

Romantically-situated Lindisfarne Castle (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lindisfarne-castle), on Holy Island, is only accessible via a three-mile causeway and its dramatic perch on a rocky crag has spectacular views. Originally a Tudor fort, it was converted into a private house in 1903 by Edwin Lutyens and it also has well-preserved 19th century lime kilns which are among the largest in the country.

You can walk the entire circuit of the impressive remains of Berwick-upon-Tweed Castle and Ramparts (see www.english-heritage.org.uk), once one of the most important of all the border castles; over the centuries that England and Scotland were in conflict, the castle was a key objective for the armies of both nations.

authentically-recreated Elizabethan Garden.

The impressive Lincoln Castle (www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/visiting/historic-buildings/lincoln-castle) is home to the Lincoln Magna Carta, dating back to 1215, as well as the Charter of the Forest, while Stokesay Castle (see www.english-heritage.org.uk), set in peaceful countryside near the Welsh border, is the oldest fortified manor house in England. The timber-framed gatehouse, stone tower and parish church are some of the best-preserved examples of Medieval building in the UK.

northern england Heading north, Conisbrough Castle (www.conisbroughcastle.org.uk), boasts the finest circular Norman keep tower still surviving in England, while the splendid Richmond Castle (see www.english-heritage.org.uk), originally built to subdue the unruly north of England, is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in North Yorkshire.

Northumberland offers more than its fair share of splendid castles, from Alnwick Castle (www.alnwickcastle.com), home of Hogwarts in the first two films in the Harry Potter series and one of the largest inhabited castles in the UK, to the ruins of one of England’s less famous castles, Dunstanburgh Castle

n Framlingham Castle: refuge of Mary Tudor

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English Heritage

scotland and northern ireland Scotland’s most famous and instantly recognisable castle, Edinburgh Castle (www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk) is perched on an extinct volcano and has been a stronghold for over 3,000 years. In 1995, the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh were inscribed as a World Heritage Site, and the castle remains the city’s most important building.

Stirling Castle (www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk) is a great symbol of Scottish independence and the castle’s

Summer 2012

uk uncovered n britain’s castles

castle facts n King's bedroom Many of the castles featured are owned or at Dover Castle operated by English Heritage (www.english-heritage.org.uk) and annual membership – £47 per adult with student, couple and senior discounts available – gives free access to all the castles and properties mentioned. For details of individual castles mentioned, see the listings detailed on the English Heritage website: www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties. The National Trust (www.nationaltrust.org.uk) also looks after a number of key castles; annual membership is £53 but family and child discounts are available.

English Heritage

organisations

castle holidays

wales The castles of Wales vary in style, age and tradition and Cardiff Castle (www.cardiffcastle.com) evokes its history in many ways. In its 2,000 years, the castle has been a Roman garrison, a Norman stronghold and, in Victorian times, was transformed into a Gothic fairytale fantasy.

Caernarfon Castle (www.caernarfon.com) is

www.tlm-magazine.co.uk

interesting information VisitBritain

long, turbulent history is associated with great figures from Scotland’s past such as William Wallace & Mary Queen of Scots.

Balvenie Castle (www.historic-scotland.gov.uk) has a vast, impressive curtain wall and the iron yett, the two-barred iron crossed-gate behind the main entrance, is unique in Scotland.

Spectacular locations for castles are a given in Scotland; the dramatic cliff-top position of Dunnottar Castle (www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk) is one of the most stunning locations of any castle, while Eilean Donan Castle (www.eileandonancastle.com) is situated on an island at the point where three great sea lochs meet, surrounded by amazing scenery. It also featured in the James Bond film, The World is Not Enough.

Glamis Castle (www.glamis-castle.co.uk), the ancestral home of the Earls of Strathmore for over 600 years and the setting for Shakespeare’s Macbeth, makes a magnificent wedding venue and was the childhood home of the Queen Mother.

Carrickfergus Castle (www.doeni.gov.uk/niea) has been an imposing monument on the Northern Ireland landscape for more than 800 years; don’t miss its 17th century cannons. Situated beside County Fermanagh's River Erne, Enniskillen Castle (www.enniskillencastle.co.uk), was built almost 600 years ago to guard one of the few passes into Ulster, while Dunluce Castle (www.northantrim.com/dunlucecastle.html), sitting on the north coast along the causeway coastal route, is rumoured to house a castle ghost.

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As well as booking directly with individual properties offering accommodation, several companies can put together castle stays. Stately Escapes (www.statelyescapes.co.uk) organises group stays in luxury castles, as well as castle weddings. The Landmark Trust (www.landmarktrust.org.uk) has a vast range of castles and forts, as well as towers and follies for short breaks or special occasions. Scotts Castle Holidays (www.scottscastles.com) is a holiday lettings agency which offers the chance to rent castles throughout Scotland as part of its inventory, as does Cottages and Castles (http://cottages-and-castles.co.uk).

VisitBritain

n Dunnottar Castle's spectacular setting

n Caerphilly Castle

“Many castles offer an entertaining insight into our history through reenactments and familythemed events”

If you are a true castle buff and want to know more about the castles mentioned and many that we haven’t, check out Castle Xplorer (www.castlexplorer.co.uk), which has castle listings for England, Scotland and Wales with history and general information.

possibly Wales’s most famous castle, built in 1283 by Edward I as not only a military stronghold but also as a seat of government and royal palace.

The dark-stoned fortress that is Conwy Castle (www.conwy.com) has a commanding position above the Conwy estuary in the pretty, walled town of Conwy.

Constructed by Edward I between 1283 and 1289 as a key fortress in his iron ring of castles to contain the Welsh, the intimidating presence of this magnificent structure is undimmed by time.

Other Welsh Edwardian castles include: Harlech Castle (www.harlech.com), which almost appears as if keeping a watchful eye over Snowdonia; Pembroke Castle (http://pembroke-castle.co.uk), noteworthy as the only castle in Britain to be built over a natural cavern and also the birthplace of Henry VII in 1457; and Denbigh Castle (www.denbigh.com/castle.html), with its striking, triple-towered Great Gatehouse.

Beaumaris Castle (www.beaumaris.com), on the island of Anglesey, is the great unfinished masterpiece of the iron ring; money and supplies ran out before the fortifications reached their full height.

Summer 2012

Summer 2012

tlm â– the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk

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competition n british airways ibiza break

Hotel Ocean Drive

n Hotel Ocean Drive exterior

British Airways

n British Airways Embraer 170 at London City Airport

WIN a three-night Ibiza break

B

n Prawns at Cafe Sidney, Ibiza Town British Airways

26 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine

www.tlm-magazine.co.uk

n Mellow bedroom

how to enter For a chance to WIN this fabulous three-night break to Ibiza for two people worth £1,200, simply answer the following question: Question: Ibiza is part of which group of islands? a) The Canary Islands b) The Balearic Islands c) The Shetland Islands To enter, go to www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on Competitions. Closing date is September 30, 2012.

Terms & conditions apply; see website for details.

For more information on British Airways, go to www.ba.com, and for further details on Hotel Ocean Drive, go to www.oceandrive.es.

n Ibiza Town marina

Summer 2012

British Airways

ritish Airways is extending its popular London City to Ibiza flights and will now be operating all year round. To celebrate, tlm has teamed up with British Airways to give you the opportunity to win a short break to Spain’s beautiful White Island, Ibiza, to escape those winter blues in this fabulous and easy-to-enter competition.

You can WIN a three-night break for two people flying from London City Airport with British Airways and staying at the retro-styled Hotel Ocean Drive, located in Ibiza Town’s trendy marina.

A member of Design Hotels, Hotel Ocean Drive is unlike most hotels, with breakfast served until 4pm – perfect for those lazy mornings. Each of the 40 elegant guest rooms is fitted out in mellow tones of lavender and chocolate, with views of either the sparkling Mediterranean Sea or Ibiza’s mountain vistas.

During your stay, you can take advantage of the world-famous Pacha nightclub located just a short walk away from the hotel or take it easy with lunch at one of the marina’s restaurant before working it off with a leisurely cycle along the marina.

The prize is a short break (Thursday to Sunday) to Ibiza, flying with British Airways from London City Airport with three nights’ accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis at Hotel Ocean Drive. It is worth approximately £1,200. The short break must be taken between November 1, 2012, and March 31, 2013, and is subject to availability. A minimum 21 days’ notice is required to book the prize trip.

Hotel Ocean Drive

with British Airways and the retro Hotel Ocean Drive – worth £1,200

hit the road n highlands of scotland

Take the

high road n Driving on the Isle of Skye VisitBritain/ Rod Edwards

With its stirring scenery of rugged mountains, deep lochs, forests and islands, not to mention its many historic castles, the Highlands of Scotland make an evocative touring route. Join us for the ride… ith so much to see and do in the Scottish Highlands, you don’t want to rush a tour.

It is possible to take in the main sights in a week-long circuit, but our suggested tour is a more leisurely 12 days.

Beginning and ending in Edinburgh, you can either fly there and rent a car for the trip or take your own car, adding a day or two for the drive each way.

W day 1

edinburgh

VisitBritain/Britain on View

Distance: 0 miles Explore: Spend a day visiting Edinburgh’s sights.

n Colourful Tobermory

Summer 2012

Towering over the city is its world-famous icon, Edinburgh Castle (www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk), and it makes a great city tour starting point with its wonderful rampart views, atmospheric dungeons and Great Hall among highlights.

The nearby Camera Obscura (www.camera-obscura.co.uk) is worth a visit, particularly for children, as is the National Museum of Scotland (www.nms.ac.uk). Stroll along the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace (www.royalcollection.org.uk) – or the Palace of Holyroodhouse, to give the official name.

Take in the sweeping vistas of the city from Arthur’s Seat.

Overnight: Stay in a city-centre hotel and leave the car

there to explore Edinburgh on foot.

day 2

edinburgh-pitlochry

Distance: 70 miles Driving time: 1 hour 30 minutes plus stops The drive: A short drive today takes you via Perth to Pitlochry, perhaps stopping off en route to visit historic Dunkeld. The Highland Perthshire area around Pitlochry is beautiful, with lochs, rivers, waterfalls, glens and rugged hills.

Pitlochry has many walks starting and ending in the town centre, including one to the dam on Loch Faskally to see the salmon ladder and hydro station. Go in autumn and you can catch the Enchanted Forest (www.enchantedforest.org.uk) sound and light show in Faskally Wood, which runs from October 5-27 this year.

North of Pitlochry is Blair Castle (www.blair-castle.co.uk), Scotland’s most-visited historic house. You can also tour Edradour Distillery (www.edradour.co.uk) – Scotland’s smallest.

Highlight: Close to Dunkeld, Loch of the Lowes (http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk) offers the chance to watch nesting ospreys from the visitor centre hide and see cute red squirrels.

Overnight: Pitlochry has several hotels, guest houses and B&Bs.

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hit the road n highlands of scotland

day 3

pitlochry-aviemore

n Braemar Highland Games

“The Aviemore area offers lots of adventure activities”

VisitBritain/ Andy Sewell

Distance: 100 miles Driving time: 3 hours plus stops The drive: Head north-west through Deeside via Braemar and past Scotland’s largest ski centre, Glenshee, through the Cairngorms National Park. This mountainous area was chosen by Queen Victoria as her holiday hang-out north of the border, and the Queen and other members of the Royal Family still spend several weeks of the year at Balmoral Castle. You can tour both Balmoral (www.balmoralcastle.com) and Braemar (www.braemarcastle.co.uk) castles, which are on Scotland’s Castle Trail.

Visit the Braemar Highland Heritage Centre for a taste of the Highlands and stop off at the village of Tomintoul, one of Britain’s highest, to visit its fascinating museum about life on the edge of the Cairngorm Mountains.

Highlight: Visit Braemar on the first Saturday in September to see the annual Braemar Gathering and Highland Games (www.braemargathering.org), featuring pipe bands, Highland dancers and sports including caber tossing.

Overnight: Aviemore has a range of accommodation options.

day 4

aviemore

Distance: Local driving Explore: Spend the day exploring scenic Speyside.

Take a ride on the Strathspey Steam Railway (www.strathspeyrailway.co.uk) and visit area attractions such as the Highland Folk Museum (www.highlandfolk.com), the Loch Garten Osprey Centre (www.rspb.org.uk/lochgarten), for another chance to see these magnificent birds, and Glenmore Visitor Centre (www.forestry.gov.uk), set in a native pine forest at the foot of Cairn Gorm mountain. Close by is the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre (www.cairngormreindeer.co.uk), where visitors can stroke and feed the resident reindeer.

The Aviemore area offers lots of adventure activities, among them dog sledding trips on purpose-built dryland trails at the Cairngorm Sleddog Centre (www.sled-dogs.co.uk). There is also extensive walking terrain, including on Cairn Gorm. Take the Cairngorm Mountain Railway funicular (www.cairngormmountain.org) for a guided walk to the summit or down to the base station.

Overnight: Aviemore.

day 5

aviemore-inverness

Distance: 100 miles Driving time: 3 hours plus stops n Edradour Distillery

The drive: Follow the Malt Whiskey Trail and visit famous distilleries such as The Glenlivet Distillery (www.theglenlivet.com), which offers a free guided

tour and tasting. See whiskey barrels being made at Britain’s only cooperage with a visitor centre, Speyside Cooperage (www.speysidecooperage.co.uk).

Follow the tourist route skirting the Moray Firth to Inverness, capital of the Highlands, which passes by Cawdor Castle (www.cawdorcastle.com), of Macbeth fame, and the Culloden Battlefield (www.nts.org.uk/culloden), where there is a visitor centre and exhibition which details the bloody 1746 battle and how it led to the breakdown of the Highland clan system.

Highlight: If you reach Inverness early enough, take an afternoon dolphin cruise to spot the world’s most northerly group of bottlenose dolphins. Alternatively, drive on around to the Black Isle for a close-up view from the shore at Chanonry Point, the best time being just before high tide.

Overnight: Stay in the centre of Inverness. Hotels include the five-star Rocpool Reserve (http://rocpool.com).

day 6

inverness-ullapool

Distance: 200 miles Driving time: 5 hours 30 minutes plus stops The drive: Head south to Loch Ness after stopping off to visit the Scottish Kiltmaker Visitor Centre (www.highlandhouseoffraser.com) in Inverness, where you can see exhibitions, watch kiltmakers at work and even buy your own made-to-measure kilt.

Take a Loch Ness cruise to try and spot Nessie and to visit the impressive ruins of Urquart Castle (www.historic-scotland.gov.uk). If you want to take in the full majesty of the loch, do a circular drive, with views on high from the rugged southern side.

You can take the direct cross-country route to Ullapool, stopping off to visit the Highland Museum of Childhood (www.highlandmuseumofchildhood.org.uk) in the old Strathpeffer station building. Or you can take the Beauly-Dingwall-Moray Firth tourist route which loops round to Loch Fleet Nature Reserve, near Skibo Castle, before heading to west coast fishing community Ullapool – laid out by engineer Thomas Telford.

Highlight: The Falls of Shin (www.fallsofshin.co.uk) are spectacular waterfalls and one of the best places in Scotland to see salmon leaping. Late summer is prime time, although they can be seen between May and November.

Overnight: Stay in a hotel or B&B in Ullapool.

day 7

ullapool-skye

Distance: 190 miles Driving time: 5 hours 30 minutes plus stops The drive: Follow the coast south via Gairloch, where you can take a cruise for the chance to see resident killer whales and seals, otters and migrating humpback and minke whales. The stretch of road between Dundonnell and Poolewe is one of Scotland’s

VisitBritain/Gary Latham

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VisitBritain/Britain on View

hit the road n highlands of scotland

n The road through Glencoe

most spectacular coastal routes.

Carry on round to the Applecross Peninsula, driving the stunning Bealach na Ba mountain pass, for a pit stop or optional overnight in Applecross village with views over the sea to Skye. Book ahead if you want a meal at the award-winning Applecross Inn (www.applecross.uk.com/inn). Then tackle the pass again on your way to Skye via its road bridge.

Highlight: Bealach na Ba, or Bealach nam Bo as it is also known, is Britain’s only true alpine road. Zigzagging to over 2,050ft (625m) from sea level in five miles, it is all single track and is not for the fainthearted – as warning signs at the start point out.

Overnight: Stay in Portree on the Isle of Skye; otherwise stop for the night at the Applecross Inn, which has seven B&B rooms.

fort william-tobermory

Distance: 140 miles Driving time: 5 hours 30 minutes plus stops (including ferry to Mull)

skye-fort william

Distance: 150 miles Driving time: 4 hours plus stops The drive: Explore Skye’s Trotternish Peninsula first thing, then hit the road back to the mainland. On the way, stop off to take a guided tour of Eilean Donan Castle (www.eileandonancastle.com) – one of Scotland’s most iconic and beautiful castles, situated on an island in Loch Duich and reached via a causeway.

Fort William, at the southern end of the Great Glen, is a major tourist centre with plenty of things to do and see.

If you have the time, take the Jacobite Steam Train (www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/Jacobite_Steam_Train.html) on the spectacular six-hour round trip to Mallaig. The

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day 9

The drive: Instead of heading straight down the coast to Oban, take a detour at Loch Leven through Glencoe on the A82, looping back to the coast on the A85. Glencoe not only has some of the most dramatic scenery in Scotland, particularly if there are dark clouds above it, but it is also the scene of one of Scotland’s darkest moments – the infamous massacre of MacDonald clansmen by British soldiers in 1692.

Much of Glencoe is owned by the National Trust for Scotland (www.glencoe-nts.org.uk) and a visitor centre tells the story of the valley’s landscape and history. Take the chairlift up 2,200ft (670m) to the top of Glencoe Mountain Resort (www.glencoemountain.com) for stunning views of Glencoe and desolate Rannoch Moor.

VisitBritain/Rod Edwards

day 8

train will be familiar to Harry Potter fans, as it was used as the Hogwarts Express.

Highlight: Ben Nevis looms over Fort William and you can take the Nevis Range Mountain Resort gondola 2,130ft (650m) up for panoramic views and mountain walks or to dine on high in its restaurant. www.nevisrange.co.uk Overnight: Fort William has a wide range of hotels, including the luxury Inverlochy Castle Hotel (www.inverlochycastlehotel.com), as well as many B&Bs.

n Highland cow

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hit the road n highlands of scotland

nLoch Ness

You could head up the Loch Linnhe coast to visit the Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary (www.sealsanctuary.co.uk/oban1.html), which has an aquarium and rehabilitates seal pups, before taking the ferry from Oban to Mull.

Highlight: Mull’s main town, Tobermory, is the most picturesque on Scotland’s west coast, with its brightlycoloured houses lining the harbour. Mull is a wildlife haven and home to both golden eagles and white-tailed sea eagles.

Overnight: Tobermory: accommodation ranges from self-catering and B&Bs to hotels.

day 10

tobermory-loch lomond

Distance: 140 miles Driving time: 4 hours 30 minutes plus stops (including ferry from Mull) The drive: Explore some of Mull’s heritage and sights, then board the ferry at Craignure for the 45-minute crossing back to Oban. From there, follow the scenic coast tourist route south to Loch Fynne, Scotland’s longest sea loch, and the beautiful and historic town of Inveraray. Among its attractions are the fascinating Inveraray Jail & County Court (www.inverarayjail.co.uk) and the magnificent Inveraray Castle (www.inveraray-castle.com), home to the Duke of Argyll.

Head on to Loch Lomond, skirting the Argyll Forest.

Highlight: Take a cruise on Loch Lomond from several points. The largest lake in the UK, it measures 27 miles (43km) long by up to five miles (8km) wide and has nearly 40 islands.

Overnight: Balloch, at the southern end, is Loch Lomond’s main tourism centre and has most accommodation options.

day 11

loch lomond-stirling

Distance: 80 miles (including Trossachs loop) Driving time: 2 hours 30 minutes plus stops The drive: The landscape of the Trossachs and Lomond is among the most scenic and iconic in Scotland, recognised by the creation of the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park (www.lochlomond-trossachs.org) 10 years ago to

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driving distance The suggested circular driving route from Edinburgh through the Highlands totals around 1,250 miles (just over 2,000km), not including local driving. Getting to and from Edinburgh by car from London will add another 800 miles (about 1,290km) to the total. Or you can fly to Edinburgh and rent a car. driving tours Driving in the Highlands is generally on good quality roads but major routes can be busy. Several companies put together personalised self-drive Highland tours. They include Scotland Made Easy (www.scotlandmadeeasy.co.uk), Absolute Escapes (www.absoluteescapes.com) and Secret Scotland (www.secret-scotland.com).

Information Get more information from sites including Undiscovered Scotland (www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk) and Scotland in a Week (www.scotlandinaweek.com), who also provide guide services.

Tourism information sites include VisitScotland (www.visitscotland.com) and the official VisitScotland Highlands site (www.visithighlands.com).

n Eilean Donan Castle

conserve its 720 square miles (1,865 sq km). The heathercovered hills and mountains are as typically Scottish a scene as the Highland cattle you encounter here.

Take a leisurely exploration of the area, visiting places including the Trossachs Discovery Centre and Loch Katrine (www.lochkatrine.com), where you can cruise on the steamship Sir Walter Scott. It is named after the author who romanticised the region and turned a local 18th century outlaw, Rob Roy, into a global hero through his books. You can see Rob Roy’s grave in a churchyard at the village of Balquhidder and learn more about him in the Rob Roy & Trossachs Visitor Centre in Callander.

Head on to Stirling via Dunblane.

Highlight: An imposing edifice, Stirling Castle (www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk) is a must-visit and its position atop an extinct volcano even rivals mighty Edinburgh Castle.

Overnight: Take your pick from Stirling’s vast array of places to stay.

day 12

stirling-edinburgh

Distance: 40 miles Driving time: 1 hour plus stops The drive: Head back to Edinburgh on the A9 tourist route, passing the site of the Battle of Bannockburn, fought in 1314, en route.

Summer 2012

VisitBritain/ Rod Edwards

when to go Snow is possible in the Highlands right up until late spring and from autumn, but you can also get very settled periods of n Walking on the Isle weather outside the main summer of Skye tourist season.

VisitBritain/ Dennis Hardley

www.scottishviewpoint.com

scottish highlands driving facts

events focus n festival no 6

New Order for the village people What: Festival No 6 Where: Portmeirion, North Wales When: September 14-16, 2012

Summer 2012

including headlining acts such as New Order, Primal Scream and Spiritualized. They will be joined by, among others, British Sea Power, Richard Hawley, Everything Everything and Beth Jeans Houghton.

This diverse boutique festival not only features an eclectic range of music to suit all tastes but also encompasses cinema screenings,

Peter Ellegard

Festival No 6

n Stunning setting for Festival No 6

Peter Ellegard

Festival No 6 is a unique event – a music, arts and cultural festival unlike any other and in an extraordinary setting.

It is situated in Portmeirion, an elaborate interpretation of a Mediterranean village in North Wales and the former home of Sixties cult TV series The Prisoner, starring Patrick McGoohan, from which the festival takes its name.

The festival is taking place over the weekend of September 14-16 with musical highlights

n Italian-style Portmeirion

street theatre, prose and poetry readings, midnight masquerades, cliff-top comedy stages, secret parties, impromptu interactive moments and even the opportunity to participate in cultural lectures and debates.

The wide range of accommodation covers everything from the palatial rooms within historic Castell Deudraeth to individual gatehouses, towers and cottages in the village, all with their own unique character, as well as luxury yurts, tipis and bell

tents. Or, if you prefer, you can simply bring your own tent. Wherever you sleep, you’ll wake to stunning views of Snowdonia and the River Dwyryd estuary.

This innovative event seeks to offer an alternative to the often cluttered and repetitive UK festival circuit by combining cutting edge and iconic musical acts with a range of unique alternative activities.

For more information and tickets go online to www.festivalnumber6.com.

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resort report n st petersburg/clearwater

Clearwater

revival

For those wanting to escape the high-octane thrill rides and razzmatazz of Orlando’s theme parks, Gulf of Mexico twin resorts St Petersburg and Clearwater will help recharge your batteries whether you want to kick back on some of America’s best beaches or soak up some culture.

Jeannine Williamson highlights some options n Caladesi Island’s white sand beach

Visit Florida

Visit Florida

n St Pete's Don CeSar – the pink palace

he thrill of Orlando’s theme parks is the main attraction for many of the 1.3 million UK visitors that flock to Florida annually. Yet there’s much more than Mickey Mouse in one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations. Just 90 minutes away from cartoon characters and white-knuckle rides, a very different corner of Florida is waiting to be explored. The neighbouring resorts of St Petersburg and Clearwater overlooking the Gulf of Mexico offer wonderful beaches for those in search of rest and relaxation and a surprisingly-diverse range of attractions that are the perfect antidote to the busy theme parks.

On the doorstep to the east is Tampa, one of the main airline gateways. Home to top sports teams, festivals and cultural charms, it’s another reason for visitors to warm to the west coast of Florida.

T

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on the beach The 35 miles of white sands are a playground for sun worshippers and water sports enthusiasts alike. Lively Clearwater beach, with its playground, free surf wheelchairs for the disabled and plenty of nearby restaurants, has something for everyone.

This year, St Pete Beach, one of the few surfing spots along the Gulf of Mexico, was voted TripAdvisor’s top American beach and number five in the world.

Nature lovers should head for Indian Shores, where sand grasses and sea grapes grow on the dunes and the free-admission Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary (www.seabirdsanctuary.com) is the world’s largest bird hospital.

Idyllic outlying barrier islands include Honeymoon, reached by a causeway, and Caladesi, accessible by an

Summer 2012

resort report n st petersburg/clearwater

hourly ferry service costing $14 for adults and $7 for children. Caladesi and Fort De Soto Park’s beach have both been named in the annual America’s Top 10 Beaches list produced by coastal expert Dr Stephen Leatherman, aka Dr Beach.

Youngsters will love meeting Winter the dolphin, star of last year’s film Dolphin Tale, at Clearwater Marine Aquarium (www.seewinter.com), along with rays, sea turtles n Sail on a pirate cruise and otters. There are more face to face encounters with marine life on the 90-minute Sea Life Safari nature cruise (www.sealifesafaricruise.com) from Clearwater Beach Marina. And for a swashbuckling adventure, Captain Memo’s Original Pirate Cruise (www.captainmemo.com) includes treasure hunts, storytelling and water-gun battles.

Back on dry land, Clearwater’s Pier 60 is a popular destination with its giant inflatable slides and each night there’s a fantastic atmosphere at the free family-friendly sunset celebration (www.sunsetsatpier60.com) with street entertainers and colourful craft stalls.

Great Explorations: The Children’s Museum (www.greatexplorations.org) is packed with fun-filled experiences including a giant tree house and robot-making workshop, while science comes to life through more than 450 engaging hands-on exhibits at MOSI (www.mosi.org), the largest science centre in the southeastern United States with a planetarium, ropes course and Florida’s only IMAX Dome theatre.

Visit St. Petersburg+Clearwater

family fun

n Waterfront dining in Tampae

Summer 2012

Visit Florida

St Petersburg/Clearwater has plenty of interest for culture vultures. The flagship Dali Museum (www.thedali.org), with its striking architectural features, houses America’s largest collection of the n Dali Museum Spanish artist’s work.

Meanwhile, art from around the world is showcased at the Museum of Fine Arts (www.fine-arts.org), including paintings by Monet, Renoir and Cezanne.

Uncover fascinating local history at Fort De Soto Park (www.fortdesoto.com), with its Quartermaster Museum and last surviving cannons dating back to the 1898 Spanish-American War. Largo’s open-air Heritage Village (www.pinellascounty.org/heritage) provides a glimpse into the past with a collection of restored buildings, including a school, church and homes, and car enthusiasts will want to make tracks to Tampa Bay Automobile Museum (www.tbauto.org), with its fine vintage cars and a replica of the world’s first selfpropelled vehicle.

tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk

Visit St Petersburg/Clearwater

culture

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resort report n st petersburg/clearwater

speciality of the area is grouper – succulent white fish, most commonly grilled, blackened or fried. Try it beachside in a sandwich at Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill (http://frenchysonline.com) or head to the Salt Rock Grill (www.saltrockgrill.com) overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway at Indian Shores for the best in all seafood as well as wood-fired steaks.

Elsewhere, Latin and Spanish influences abound and nowhere more so than at the Columbia restaurants (www.columbiarestaurant.com) – family owned and operated for over 100 years – with their old-world charm and award-winning Spanish/Cuban cuisine. Located at the Pier in St Petersburg and on the Intracoastal Waterway in Sand Key, Clearwater Beach. The original location is in Ybor City, Tampa.

n St Petersburg Pier

“Caladesi and Fort De Soto Park’s beach have both been named in the annual America’s Top 10 Beaches list”

shopping There’s nothing like a little retail therapy to help you unwind, and Florida’s Gulf Coast has shopping options to suit everyone from ardent shopaholics to window shoppers; there are many craft shops if you want to take back local art or a memento of your visit.

Serious shoppers are spoilt for choice, with something like a dozen shopping malls in the area. They include Westfield Countryside Mall in Clearwater (www.westfield.com/countryside) plus several in and around Tampa, among them Westfield Citrus Park (www.westfield.com/citruspark), International Plaza and Bay Street (www.shopinternationalplaza.com), which combines a covered mall with an open-air village of restaurants and boutiques, WestShore Plaza (www.westshoreplaza.com) and discount shopping in the 130 outlet stores at Ellenton Premium Outlets (www.premiumoutlets.com).

And if it’s curios or something arty you are looking for, downtown St Petersburg has a collection of boutique shops and galleries to browse while Dunedin offers fashion, jewellery, antique and speciality stores as well as art galleries.

Visit St Petersburg/Clearwater

nightlife and dining

n Downtown St Petersburg

Clearwater’s nightlife scene offers everything from outdoor patio bars to New York-style nightclubs while St Petersburg has appeal for the younger, trendier crowd with options from tapas bars to upscale wine bars and lounges and nightclubs.

Chic venue Vintage Ultra Lounge (http://vintageultralounge.com) in downtown St Petersburg is a combination of nightclub, lounge, bar and concert venue, with the best DJs and local live bands while the newly-reopened V Tampa Bay (http://thevtampabay.com) in Clearwater offers themed disco nights alongside the best of today’s music scene.

A variety of restaurants for all tastes can be found, and, unsurprisingly, great seafood is top of the list. The

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n A paddler's paradise

You don’t need to travel far to explore St Petersburg and Clearwater’s 26 enchanting neighbourhood communities, all located within Pinellas County. A wee corner of Scotland, albeit much sunnier, five miles north of Clearwater is the quaint town of Dunedin, the Gaelic name for Edinburgh; it is packed with small galleries, pubs and attractive individual shops.

Home to the largest number of Greek settlers outside Greece, riverside Tarpon Springs is lined with sponge diving boats and baklava shops and has a Byzantinestyle cathedral. Historic Largo boasts traditional Florida shops while pretty Gulfport, on St Petersburg/Clearwater’s southern tip, has a vibrant art and crafts community.

For outdoor enthusiasts, all these destinations, and more, can be reached on the Pinellas Trail, a tranquil 40-mile cycle and walking path.

Alternatively, for a more adventurous outing in a completely natural setting you can paddle your own canoe or go on a guided expedition with Canoe Escape (www.canoeescape.com) along the Hillsborough River, which winds its way through to Tampa Bay. Excursions last from two hours to a full day, and you can expect to see a host of wildlife, including ibis, herons, egrets and alligators – just 15 miles from downtown Tampa!

Tampa has plenty of other attractions to keep visitors happy on full-day or half-day outings. Busch Gardens (http://seaworldparks.com/en/buschgardens-tampa) combines thrill rides – the newest one being Cheetah Hunt – and shows with animals at attractions such as Edge of Africa and experiences including Serengeti Safari. There are more animals at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo (www.lowryparkzoo.com) and marine creatures galore at the Florida Aquarium (www.flaquarium.org) with exhibits including a coral reef, wetlands and a beach. The aquarium operates dolphin-spotting cruises into Tampa Bay. Spanish-flavoured heritage is on offer in Tampa’s historic Ybor City neighbourhood.

Several of Florida’s crystal clear inland springs are also an easy day trip away. Among them are Weeki

Summer 2012

Visit St Petersburg/Clearwater

Visit Florida

days out

resort report n st petersburg/clearwater

st petersburg/clearwater facts when to go n Watching over bathers

Visit Florida

Visit St Petersburg/Clearwater

n Jumping for joy

This part of Florida’s Gulf Coast holds the Guinness World Record for the longest run of consecutive sunny days – 768 – and enjoys an annual average of 361 days of sunshine. With temperatures reaching 32°C in July and August and hovering around 15°C in winter, it’s a year-round destination.

getting there Wachi Springs State Park (http://weekiwachee.com), with a “mermaid show”, boat tours, swimming, snorkelling and diving, and Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, where you can see manatees.

British Airways (www.ba.com) flies direct to Tampa from Gatwick. BA and Virgin Atlantic (www.virgin-atlantic.com) fly direct from Gatwick to Orlando and Virgin also flies non-stop from Manchester and Glasgow.

St Petersburg/Clearwater is 25 miles and around a 30-minute drive from Tampa and 107 miles from Orlando, a journey time of about 90 minutes.

sporting chance

getting around There is an airport to hotel shuttle service and, for visitors who don’t want to hire a car, it’s easy to get around on local transport including the Suncoast Beach Trolley and St Petersburg Trolley that stop at all the main attractions. Airport car hire, pre-bookable through Alamo, Budget, Hertz, Dollar and other companies, is best for those who want to explore further afield and the interstate highway 1-275 connects St Petersburg/Clearwater with the 1-75 running the length of Florida’s west coast. n Sand Key Visit St. Petersburg+Clearwater

There’s plenty of opportunity to catch a slice of the sporting action as this corner of Florida is home to three national teams that are all in the major US leagues.

American football team the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (www.buccaneers.com), or “Bucs” as they are known, play their home games at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, where a pirate ship “fires” cannons when they score a touchdown.

The Tampa Bay Rays (http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com) baseball team play at Tropicana Field, St Petersburg, unique as being the world’s only professional sports venue with a tank of rays that fans can touch and feed. If a player hits a home run into the 10,000 gallon tank, the club donates $5,000 to charity.

Completing the trio is the ice hockey team Tampa Bay Lightning (http://lightning.nhl.com) at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Visitors will find it easy to buy tickets for all three venues, although if the Rays are playing high-profile teams such as the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox, they should be booked well in advance.

Away from spectator sports, there are excellent golf facilities with more than 40 courses ranging from rolling hills to waterside views. Among the historic clubs are the scenic Belleview Biltmore (www.belleviewbiltmoregolf.com) and Dunedin (www.dunedingolfclub.com), both designed by Scotsman Donald Ross, who laid the foundations of American golfing. Innisbrook (www.innisbrookgolfresort.com) boasts four championship courses and a school and hosts the PGA Tour’s Transitions Championship.

Park beach

prices Eating out is cheaper than the UK with many fixed-price “all you can eat” buffets that are great for families. You can pick up a take-away burger for a couple of dollars and pay around $10-15 for a sitdown burger meal and drink. Main courses cost $20 upwards in gourmet restaurants.

tour operators Holidays are offered by companies including British Airways Holidays (www.britishairways.com/holidays), Virgin Holidays (www.virginholidays.co.uk), Cosmos (www.cosmos.co.uk), Travel City Direct (www.travelcitydirect.com), Thomson Holidays (www.thomson.co.uk) and Jetsave (www.jetsave.com).

tourist information Visit Florida: www.visitflorida.com Visit St Petersburg/Clearwater: www.visitstpeteclearwater.com

stay Accommodation ranges from self-catering apartments and cosy B&Bs to luxurious resort-style properties. One of the most historic properties is the landmark Don CeSar Beach Resort (www.loewshotels.com) that opened in 1928 a few miles west of St Petersburg; it is dubbed the “pink palace”. Ideal for families is Clearwater’s Sandpearl Resort (www.sandpearl.com), where the Camp Ridley children’s activity programme is themed around Florida’s animals and ecosystems.

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Pier Hotel (www.thepierhotel.com), dating back to 1921, is an atmospheric boutique property and St Petersburg’s oldest continuously-operating hotel. A good choice for a romantic escape for couples is Hotel Isis (www.isisbeachhotel.com), in a quiet beachside spot midway between St Petersburg’s and Clearwater’s beaches. Rooms are only a few steps from the sand, where there are hammocks and beachside tables for sunset dining.

Freelance travel writer Jeannine Williamson first discovered the “other side” of Florida when she completed the Walt Disney World Marathon in Orlando and then moved down a gear to relax by the Gulf Coast.

Summer 2012

competitions n luxury cornish break + shropshire cottage stay

WIN a luxury Cornish rail and stay getaway, worth up to £740 ancy getting away from it all to savour a pampered stay in one of the most beautiful bays in the world after a relaxing, first-class train journey?

Win our fantastic competition and you could be doing just that, as tlm has teamed up with Cornwall’s Carbis Bay Hotel and train company First Great Western to offer one lucky reader a two-night break for two in the stunning surroundings of Carbis Bay, near St Ives.

The Carbis Bay Hotel is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy the best that Cornwall has to offer, with its individually-furnished hotel rooms and sea-view holiday apartments, finedining restaurant and outdoor heated swimming pool. It is also the only hotel in the UK to boast its own private Blue Flag beach, with direct access to 25 acres of golden sand.

Paradise is closer than you think with one of Cornwall’s finest beach destinations just a relaxing train journey away from London. You can travel in comfort and avoid the traffic jams with First Great Western’s direct service to Cornwall,

F

n The Carbis Bay Hotel has its own beach

Pictures: Carbis Bay Hotel

how to enter

which includes power points in all coaches and Pullman silver service dining on selected departures for a luxurious treat to start your break.

The prize includes two nights’ dinner, bed and breakfast for two people, sharing a double or twin room, and a pair of first-class return rail tickets from London Paddington to Carbis Bay. It is worth up to £740. The break can be taken any time between November 1, 2012 and March 23, 2013, subject to availability.

For more information on The Carbis Bay Hotel, go to www.carbisbayhotel.co.uk.

To WIN a two-night stay for two at the Carbis Bay Hotel, including return first-class rail tickets from London, simply answer this question: Question: What has Carbis Bay Beach been awarded? a) Green Flag b) Blue Flag c) Red Flag

Summer 2012

Pictures: Combermere Abbey

nCombermere's converted stable block

n Callander Cottage sleeps four

how to enter To WIN a three-night, midweek stay in a cottage at Combermere Abbey, simply answer this question:

include tranquil walks through the woods and parkland, swimming in the lake, tennis, cycling and exploring the walled garden, with its glasshouse, pavilion and fruit tree maze.

Stays are even more relaxing with extras such as dinner on arrival, wine in the fridge, organic spa treatments, local food

designed rooms

To enter, go to www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on the Competitions button. Closing date is September 25, 2012. See website for terms & conditions.

WIN a £400 three-night, midweek stay in a five-star cottage set in a private Shropshire estate

Surrounded by natural beauty with stunning gardens and grounds, the 12th century Combermere Abbey estate in Shropshire includes formal walled gardens, woodlands, parkland and an expansive lake.

At its heart are Combermere’s award-winning, five-star cottages, converted into stylish selfcatering accommodation from the Abbey’s stables, coach house and Gothic stone gatehouse. The 10 cottages sleep between four and 10 guests and were designed and decorated by Abbey owner Sarah Callander Beckett.

The cottages are popular with couples, families and groups of friends; dogs are welcome, too.

Activities guests can enjoy

n Individually-

Question: How many cottages does Combermere Abbey have?

To enter, go to www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on the Competitions button. Closing date is September 25, 2012. See website for terms & conditions.

hampers and frozen meals, using locally-sourced produce from the local farm shop.

A new flat-rate pricing structure means that guests pay the same for a three-night, midweek stay all year, other than over the festive period, with rates from £360 (sleeping up to four) to £900 (cottages sleeping 10).

You can win a three-night, midweek stay in a cottage sleeping up to four guests in this great competition. Your stay will also include a welcome tea tray and a hamper crammed full of breakfast goodies including farmfresh bacon, eggs and juices, with preserves made from the Abbey’s own fruits.

The prize is worth £400, is subject to availability and must be taken by the end of March, 2013, subject to availability, arriving Monday and departing Thursday.

For more information on Combermere’s cottages, visit www.combermereabbey.co.uk.

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travel fare n tapas & seville, spain

n Salmorejo

The latest in our series on famous dishes and their origin focuses on Spain’s ubiquitous tapas and Seville, regarded as its heartland oasting more than 4,000 tapas bars, Spain’s fourth-largest city and the capital of southern province Andalucia is the epicentre for the country’s traditional sharing snack food. You’ll find them cheek by jowl throughout the city, and locals often hop from one bar to the next to graze appetisers before lunch or dinner.

Friends sometimes make a complete meal of them, trying a few dishes in each bar with one person paying for the meal at each stop.

B

n Tortilla

n Patatas bravas

origins Tapas literally means lid, and the term is said to have derived from the practice of putting chunks of bread or slices of salty ham over glasses of sherry to deter fruit flies. Over time the bread became embellished with other local ingredients and became more elaborate side dishes of appetising snacks to eat with the drinks. Bars and restaurants will generally offer a selection of tapas, served in small dishes.

the dish The appetisers encompassed by the term tapas come from all over Spain with each region having its own specialities. Popular tapas snacks include olives, calamari, patatas bravas and tortilla (Spanish omelette), while Seville specials include cured ham, tortillitas de camarones (shrimp fritters) and cold soups such as gazpacho, ajo blanco and salmorejo.

Wash them down with a local fino sherry or a beer.

seville facts getting there: easyJet (www.easyjet.com) and Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) fly direct from Gatwick and Stansted; other n Seville Cathedral airlines fly via Madrid and Barcelona. when to go: Enjoy tapas any time of year but, for a week during the annual Feria de Abril (Spring Fair), the city’s Los Remedios area is a huge party of flamenco dancing, drinking, bullfights and tapas eating.

It takes place from April 16-21 in 2013.

where to eat tapas in seville l El Rinconcillo (+34 954 223 183): Seville’s oldest bar dates back to 1670 and, while a tourist magnet, is a must visit with its great atmosphere and cheap tapas. l Las Columnas (+34 954 388 106): Goodvalue tapas bar near the cathedral with great food (try the ensaladilla potato salad), but seats are at a premium and it gets crowded. l Bar Eslava (+34 954 906 568): Often standing room only in this favourite in San Lorenzo, the tapas is worth it; solomillo al whisky (sirloin in whisky sauce) anyone?

where to eat tapas in london gourmet trip: A seven-day gourmet holiday with Tasting Places (www.tastingplaces.com) costs from £1,795 per person staying in a historic city-centre hotel and includes cookery classes, a market trip, visits to local wine, ham and olive oil producers with tastings, plus some meals.

the city With influences from occupiers including the Romans, Moors, Phoenicians and Carthaginians as well as the New World (Christopher

Columbus is buried in its ornate cathedral) Seville is an intoxicating blend of elegant history, Andalucian tradition (bullfighting, flamenco and sherry all originate from the area) and modern (Seville hosted Expo ’92 and several of the futuristic buildings remain).

Spanish National Tourist Office

Light bites

n Gazpacho

information: Spanish National Tourist Office www.spain.info

l Barrafina in Soho (www.barrafina.co.uk): Sourcing not saucing is the motto of this always-busy Spanish tapas restaurant, where seafood is a speciality. l Barcelona Tapas Bar & Restaurant (www.barcelona-tapas.com): Styling itself the “authentic taste of Spain in London”, this mini-chain has been around for over 20 years and has two City locations plus one in Dulwich. Good portions and ambience.

For some tapas recipes, go to www.tlm-magazine.co.uk/s/recipes

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seasonal focus n autumn getaways

Foreverautumn

Don’t pack away your suntan lotion, swimming costumes or flip flops when summer ends. There are lots of holiday options available throughout the autumn, from Mediterranean sunshine escapes to cruises or short breaks on temperate Guernsey. It is also the time to see spectacular foliage displays and when you can enjoy nature’s bountiful harvest, as Peter Ellegard reports some terrific deals to be had as well with airlines keen to fill seats before the flying season ends and hotels wanting to boost occupancy rates.

For one type of holiday, autumn is high season, however. Leaf peeping, autumn colours or fall foliage tours – whatever you call them, they are the holidays which celebrate nature’s annual spectacle when leaves turn to glorious hues from dazzling yellows and rich oranges to fiery reds.

Traditionally associated with the chocolate-box villages of New England, they have become so popular there that tours fill up months in advance and accommodation has to be n Guernsey's Saumarez booked way ahead in many areas.

Park in autumn While few areas outside of New England

hen the lazy, hazy days of summer draw to a close and a chill returns to the air at night, most people’s holiday thoughts are either fast-fading memories or involve making plans for the

W

following year.

But for those not tied to taking their annual sojourn during the summer school break, autumn represents a great time to go on holiday.

Mainland Europe often basks in warm sun well into October, with the Mediterranean’s sunshine resorts still pleasantly warm. Not only can you escape the crowded beaches of high season, but there are usually

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n Sunset at Menemsha, on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

are sold specifically for leaf-viewing tours, the phenomenon is not just confined to the region. Autumn colour displays can be seen in many areas of North America, from Eastern Canada right down the Eastern US as well as in the Mid-West. Even the Rocky Mountains and parts of the West Coast get in on the act, too. Here, you can enjoy just as stunning a show but without the crowded roads and booked-out accommodation.

n Oxen at Old Sturbridge Village

foliage season Canada is a great option for leaf peeping with its profusion of forests, and days are still mild. The colours can be seen throughout Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Ontario in the east, and in the mountains of Alberta and British Columbia in the west.

Atlantic Canada has many festivals that a tour can tie in with, among them Prince Edward Island’s Fall Flavours cuisine festival (www.fallflavours.ca), from September 7-30, and the Celtic Colours International Festival (www.celtic-colours.com), a music and dance celebration from October 5-13 across Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island.

Ontario’s Algonquin Park has superb autumn colours, as does southern Quebec, where they are celebrated in

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Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

the Symphony of Colours festival at mountain resort Tremblant (www.tremblant.ca), from September 8October 14.

Tour operators highlighting autumn colours in Canada include Frontier Canada (www.frontiercanada.co.uk) and Prestige Holidays (www.prestigeholidays.co.uk).

North America’s foliage season runs from early September to as late as November, the more northern areas seeing the leaves turn first.

Several tourist offices track colour changes with weekly reports online. They include Pennsylvania Tourism, which has a special section on its website (www.visitpa.com) during the season. New York State is another good option for leaf peeping, which can be done on a Wine, Waters and Wonders tour combining Niagara Falls, Rochester and the wineries and countryside of the Finger Lakes.

The Capital Region is also good for viewing autumn colours, particularly Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

You can view them from on high in a hot air balloon, on a zipline in the Shenandoah Valley, on chairlifts at Wintergreen Resort, on horseback, hiking through the Shenandoah National Park and driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Michigan, Ohio and Oregon’s stunning

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autumn colours – did you know? l The timing of autumn colour displays can vary as

l l

l l

West Virginia Division of Tourism

l

n Canaan Valley, West Virgina

Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

“Autumn is far more than falling leaves; it is a time of mellow days and harvests”

Columbia River Highway, with its towering 620-foot Multnomah Falls, also put on superb shows.

cranberries and pumpkins But it is New England that draws most visitors for its spectacular foliage displays. Tours often take in several of the six states, with the pretty mountain villages along Vermont’s Route 100 in the Green Mountains, Maine’s White Mountains and New Hampshire’s Kancamagus Highway always popular.

New England gateway state Massachusetts serves up its own foliage delights with the rolling hills of the Berkshires among the best places to enjoy the annual spectacle. The Jacob’s Ladder Scenic Byway (www.jacobsladderscenicbyway.org) weaves for 35 miles between Lee and Russell, parallel to the Massachusetts Turnpike freeway but taking drivers back to a timeless era through sleepy villages such as Huntington. Stop off at the bright yellow Huntington Country Store (www.huntingtoncountrystore.com) to stock up with local goodies and souvenirs n Pumpkin and try its famous wrapples, apple and smile cinnamon-filled pastries – the perfect lunch snack on an autumn day. Even cities such as Boston put on colourful shows.

Autumn is far more than falling leaves, though; it is a time of mellow days and harvests, and many places celebrate nature’s bountiful gifts, even on the coast.

Massachusetts’s Nantucket Island has been farming

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l l

the weather dictates when and how brilliant they are. Late September and early October are generally best for New England.

The most intense colours are usually in eastern areas of the US and Canada.

Autumn colours are more brilliant in North America because it has more deciduous tree species than in Europe.

Trees responsible for vibrant shades include maple, oak, hickory, dogwood, poplar, birch and aspen.

The colours are produced by different pigments.

Some create yellows and oranges, others reds and purples.

The onset of cooler weather after warm summer days is the trigger.

Higher elevations change colour earlier than lower areas.

Websites with up to date information and maps during the US leaf-viewing season from September-November include the Foliage Network (www.foliagenetwork.com) and the Weather Channel (www.weather.com).

cranberries for over 150 years, and October 6 will mark the harvest with the Nantucket Conservation Foundation’s 10th Annual Cranberry Festival (www.nantucketconservation.org) at Milestone Cranberry Bog with music, family activities and, of course, fresh cranberries.

Pumpkins abound in autumn across North America and they feature strongly at events such as the Yankee Candle Village Fall Festival in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, in October, which includes pumpkin decorating.

Autumn is a great time to explore the coastline of Massachusetts’ Plymouth, Cape Cod and Islands region, with tour operator America As You Like It (www.americaasyoulikeit.com) featuring it on a nineday tour that takes in Boston, Plymouth, with its Plimoth Plantation living history museum depicting a pilgrim village and featuring a replica of the Mayflower, Cape Cod’s bohemian Provincetown and the pristine Cape Cod National Seashore, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island. The tour operator also offers a 10-day Southern New England tour, much of it in Massachusetts and with many outdoor activities to enjoy the changing seasons.

wine festivals In Vermont, the annual Killington Hay Festival (www.discoverkillington.com) runs for five weeks from September 3-October 8 and includes a collection of over 40 giant hay animal sculptures throughout the town plus daily and weekly family-friendly events and activities.

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and Canada

Experience the Cultural Coast of Massachusetts with our new ‘Best of Plymouth, Cape Cod & The Islands’ itinerary.

9 Nights from £1450 per person including flights, car hire & accommodation.

Contact America As You Like It on 020 8742 8299, sales@americaasyoulikeit.com or visit www.americaasyoulikeit.com

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Star Clippers

Autumn is wine harvesting time and a good time to visit wineries for a tour and tastings. You can go on biking tours through vineyards in places such as Solvang in California’s Santa Barbara wine country and Sonoma and Napa Valley further north.

There are also wine harvest festivals, such as the Paso Robles Harvest Wine Weekend (www.pasowine.com/events/harvest.php) in Central California, from October 19-21.

The wineries of France, Spain and other European countries are also busy harvesting and there are festivals in Spain’s sherry capital, Jerez de la Frontera, and across Tuscany in Italy among wine-growing centres.

You can take autumn wine tours across Europe with specialist companies including Arblaster & Clarke (www.winetours.co.uk) and Grape Escapes (www.grapeescapes.net) while, on the home front, English wineries such as Biddenden Vineyards (www.biddendenvineyards.com) in Kent offer free guided tours during harvest time.

Britain can still enjoy surprisingly-warm days during autumn, as last year’s record-breaking October demonstrated.

But if you want to be sure of basking in warmer temperatures without reaching for your passport, head to the Channel Islands. Guernsey’s Autumn Walking Week, from September 8-16, has a whole programme of guided walks from short walks around the harbour town of St Peter Port to longer coastal rambles, while the Autumn Floral Guernsey Festival (for both, visit www.floralguernsey.gg/events), from September 29-

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October 20 or 24 respectively.

Some Europe river cruises still operate during autumn, among them a seven-day cruise between Amsterdam and Basel which is part of the 13-day Enchanting Rhine itinerary from AMA Waterways (www.amawaterways.com). Departures continue until November 10.

n Solvang vineyard

n Ripening grapes

n Guernsey lilies

Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau

Pilos, plus Syracuse in Sicily.

Holland America Line (www.hollandamerica.co.uk) has expanded its South America programme from autumn, with three ships cruising the region on itineraries from 13 to 68 days. It includes a 14 or 18-day cruise to Valparaiso in Chile from Boston or Fort Lauderdale on

Visit Guernsey

One of the best ways to enjoy the change of seasons and scenery in autumn is on a cruise.

Cultural cruise specialist Swan Hellenic (www.swanhellenic.com) offers the chance to explore historic cities and ancient ruins on its 15-day The Mediterranean World cruise departing Naples on October 24 aboard recentlyrefurbished Minerva, with highlights including visits to Pompeii and Pisa in Italy, Tunisia’s Sousse and Malta’s Valetta. Prices are from £1,695 per person.

The week-long Autumn in the Inner Hebrides cruise aboard Hebridean Princess from Hebridean Island Cruises (www.hebridean.co.uk) sails from Oban on October 23 through Scotland’s western isles with prices from £2,000 per person.

Tall ship sailing company Star Clippers (www.starclippers.co.uk) has added new, shorter “taster cruises” with a five-night mini-cruise from Athens to Malta in October costing just £999 per person, including flights and transfers. Departing on October 20, the cruise visits Greek ports Monemvasia and

n Sail away on Star Clipper

Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau

autumn afloat

October 7, also includes walks as well as talks, lectures and workshops.

great value Guernsey is great value in autumn, helped by the sixweek Tennerfest (www.tennerfest.com), from October 1-November 11 this year, when menus at over 160 participating establishments start from just £10. Take boat trips to the neighbouring, car-free islands of Herm

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n Arriving in St Peter Port

autumn getaways facts packages

n Rodos Palladium,

or Sark for the day, explore Guernsey’s many attractions and museums – many indoors if the weather is inclement – or just stroll around St Peter Port.

Stay at five-star The Old Government House Hotel and Spa (www.theoghhotel.com), in the heart of the town, and round the day off with a soothing spa treatment or relaxing in the garden and around the outdoor heated pool, which is open until the end of October, weather permitting. You can also take traditional afternoon tea complete with scones served with jam and Guernsey cream in the hotel’s Sir John Coward Lounge.

Around the Mediterranean, many sunshine resorts are still open right through autumn, with the pace of life winding down after n Pool at Guernsey's Old Government the hectic House Hotel summer months. You can often find holidays at bargain prices compared with those in peak season, and families can find escapes during the October half term at better value than in summer.

Cosmos Holidays (www.cosmos.co.uk) offers greatvalue autumn breaks to destinations including Greece, Spain, Portugal and Turkey. October also sees the launch of holidays to Atlantic island Madeira, criss-crossed by its levada walking trails, with new Monarch flights from Gatwick and Birmingham offering stays from short breaks to 14 nights or longer.

Cooler autumn temperatures also make it more comfortable to explore destinations such as Malta’s historic capital, Valletta (www.cityofvalletta.org). The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site full of 16th century Baroque architecture, a legacy of the Knights of St Johns, streets dotted with cafes and wine bars, imposing city walls and its beautiful Grand Harbour. A good base for exploring Valletta is the 136-room, five-star Phoenicia Hotel (www.phoeniciamalta.com), located

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Rhodes

Cosmos Holidays offers a seven-night couples’ holiday in Rhodes staying at the five-diamond Rodos Palladium in Kalithea from £546 per person halfboard, departing Gatwick on October 3, and including flights but not transfers. The same holiday departing August 22 costs from £822. www.cosmos.co.uk For families, Cosmos offers the five-diamond, all-inclusive Hotel Papillon Zeugma in Turkey’s Belek resort, featuring two children’s swimming pools and waterslides, playroom, playground and family rooms. A sevennight autumn half-term stay departing October 21 costs £633 per adult and £289 per child, including flights, compared with £1,101 and £441 respectively for an August 15 departure.

America As You Like It’s 10-night Southern New England tour, costing from £1,072 per person, starts and ends in Boston and takes in places such as Salem, location of the famous witchcraft trials, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. The prices includes flights, car hire and room-only accommodation. www.americaasyoulikeit.com Let the train take the strain on a seasonal 10-day Falls Colours & Scenic Trains tour with Holidays By Rail that incorporates scenic tourist trains, lake cruises and some coach travel through five of the six New England states. Prices start at £1,379 per person, excluding flights, with departures from Boston on September 27 and October 4. www.holidaysbyrail.com Guernsey’s five-star Old Government House Hotel and Spa, in central St Peter Port, offers a two-night Discover Guernsey Autumn package, which includes a hire car, a three-course dinner and a special picnic hamper, from £246 per person. www.theoghhotel.com n Phoenicia Hotel, Malta Phoenicia Hotel

The Old Government House Hotel

Visit Guernsey

These are some of the autumn holidays on offer:

An autumn break staying in the Phoenicia Hotel, Malta, costs from just £62 per person, based on two adults sharing for three nights, based on a City Breaks Advance Purchase rate. www.phoeniciamalta.com

Hebridean Island Cruises’ Autumn in the Inner Hebrides round-trip voyage from Oban starts on October 23 and includes a full day tour of Islay, morning visits to Lismore and Eigg and an afternoon on Mull, for shopping and strolls in picturesque Tobermory. Prices for available cabins range from £2,000-£4,190 per person. www.hebridean.co.uk

at the city gates. It has recently been awarded both the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2012 and the Expedia Insiders’ Select status 2012, ranking it as one of Malta’s most popular hotels.

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a touch of class n luxury safaris

LION KINGS While safaris have traditionally involved getting down to basics in order to experience nature in the raw, these days you can enjoy close encounters in comfort without having to slum it. Rob Gill looks at how you can be king of the jungle on safari holidays in Africa and beyond n Wildebeest at sunset

here can be few more memorable holiday experiences than watching some of the world’s most magnificent creatures in their natural habitats, and these days you can enjoy the best safari experiences without having to “rough it” – in fact, safari holidays offer some of the most luxurious and intimate accommodation to be found anywhere on the planet.

T africa

Although safari holidays are now available across the world and generally relate to any trip which features a significant amount of wildlife activities, Africa was the birthplace of the safari and continues to offer the biggest range of destinations and options for this unique type of holiday.

Safaris began life in East Africa more than a century ago when visitors from Europe and the United States, famously including US president Theodore Roosevelt, came to the plains

n A Serengeti lion

of Kenya and Tanzania to go big game hunting and attempted to “bag” one of the Big Five game creatures – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo.

Thankfully, now, safaris are linked to conservation rather than the slaughter of these animals, although there is still an element of competition between tourists over getting to see all of these five species during their holiday.

Another major evolution in the safari holiday is the vast improvement in the quality of the accommodation; guests can now unwind in luxurious lodges and tented camps offering modern conveniences and top-notch service just a few yards from the wildlife.

While the idea of staying under canvas may not appeal initially to anybody who has been camping in the rain-soaked UK, these tents would put most hotel suites to shame with their impressive size and plush furnishings, often including outdoor showers or plunge pools.

But probably best of all are the views of the surrounding savannah and you may even get to observe a few animals from the comfort of your private veranda.

The advantage of top-notch safari accommodation is that each camp or lodge is small with only a handful of rooms, cottages or tents – normally less than 10 and frequently only five or six rooms – so there is a feeling of exclusivity. This also allows them to offer a more intimate style of service, with many providing personal butlers who can arrange private alfresco dinners, individual game drives or spa treatments.

Singita

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a touch of class n luxury safaris

n Rhinos and cocktails at

Safari Collection

Kenya's Solio Lodge

n Botswana in style

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private reserves of South Africa’s Eastern Cape are a good option. Shamwari (www.shamwari.com) is the most well known, with seven lodges all offering five-star accommodation and service.

Tailor-made, luxury safari tour operator Pure Safari (www.puresafari.co.uk) offers family safaris at malariafree, high-altitude camps in Kenya and at Tanzania’s Amara Selous lodge, where the Amaradillos Club offers educational and interactive activities including scavenger hunts and footprint track casting, as well as in Botswana, where families can book exclusive use of the six-bedded Footsteps Camp with activities tailored to children’s ages.

Honeymoon safaris and a new rhino-tracking safari experience in Malawi are among other options, while a stay at a suite at the Royal Malewane resort in South Africa includes your own private butler and optional arrival by helicopter or executive jet.

The Okavango Delta and Botswana’s Chobe National Park have some of the best game viewing in Africa, and the wilderness has been brought even closer to guests staying at Orient-Express Hotels’ (www.orient-express.com) luxurious Savute Elephant Camp, in the heart of Chobe, with the introduction of glass sliding doors to its 12 thatched tented residences. It is one of three Orient-Express camps in Botswana, and holidays can involve a six-

Kuoni

n Coffee break in Baghvan Pench National Park

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Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces

The choice of safari destinations within Africa is huge and growing all the time as new upmarket camps open across the continent. The most famous safari region remains Kenya’s Masai Mara, which is one of the best places to see the “great migration” of wildebeest from Tanzania’s Serengeti plains every autumn. Tour operator Abercrombie & Kent (www.abercrombiekent.co.uk) has been one of the pioneers of East African luxury safaris since the 1960s and still offers a comprehensive range of trips and properties in the region.

Opening at the end of July in the Serengeti National Park, luxurious retreat Singita Serengeti House accommodates just eight guests and offers exclusive-use stays and safari activities with access to 350,000 acres of private land including its own watering hole.

Another major area for upmarket safari lodges is South Africa’s Sabi Sands (www.sabisand.co.za), a collection of private game reserves on the edge of the iconic Kruger National Park. Some of the best and most established luxury lodges such as Singita (http://singita.com), Mala Mala (www.malamala.com) and Sabi Sabi (www.sabisabi.com) can be found here, as can Sir Richard Branson’s exclusive Ulusaba (www.ulusaba.virgin.com).

For families looking for a safari experience without having to worry about taking malaria medication, the

Kenya Tourist Office

Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces

n Tented suite at Banjaar Tola, in India’s Kanha National Park

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flying safaris One way to elevate your safari holiday to another level is to get an aerial view of the wildlife and scenery from a small aircraft, hot-air balloon or even a helicopter.

Kenya’s Masai Mara is one of the best places to do this, with operators such as Escape Worldwide (www.escapeworldwide.co.uk) offering a range of different itineraries flying around the area in light aircraft.

These air safaris also have another advantage of allowing holidaymakers to combine several game reserves and lodges in one trip by saving time on what can be

along the eerie Skeleton Coast where wildlife vies for attention with the wrecks of numerous ships.

If you really want to push the boat out, the East African Extravaganza safari from luxury tour operator Brown + Hudson (www.brownandhudson.com) involves travelling for 14 days exclusively by helicopter through Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, tracking the Big Five as well as taking in a gorilla trek through the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to half the world’s mountain gorilla population. It costs from £225,000 for two, but that includes your own bespoke documentary produced wildlife film-making legend Alan Root, who also acts as your personal guide.

Tropic Air

arduous and lengthy transfers by road.

Kuoni (www.kuoni.co.uk) offers fly-in safaris between Kenya’s Lake Naivasha and Masai Mara wildlife areas, as well as to the Governors’ Camp, also to Kenya.

Scenic hot-air balloon excursions are also offered around the region while guests staying at the Safari Collection’s (www.thesafaricollection.com) Solio Lodge can take a helicopter day trip which includes trout fishing on Mount Kenya and trying to spot the area’s most famous inhabitants – black and white rhino.

Further south, Namibia is known for its spectacular desert landscapes which are best appreciated from a light aircraft.

Abercrombie & Kent offers a flying safari

Wilderness Safaris

n Arriving in style in Uganda with Brown + Hudson

nNew camps offer gorilla tracking

night stay at one or a combination of all three with intercamp transfers by light aircraft. Game-viewing vehicles also now carry a maximum of just six guests, so everyone is guaranteed a window seat.

Namibia’s Etosha has seen the opening of several new upmarket lodges in recent years, including Little Ongava (www.ongava.com), which is regarded as one of the country’s finest properties with just three suites, all with views of a nearby waterhole and plains as well as individual infinity plunge pools.

Further north, both Uganda and Rwanda have become known for their gorilla-tracking safaris where visitors can see these great apes in their natural jungle habitat while staying in eco-lodges. Lodge operator Wilderness Safaris (www.wilderness-safaris.com) is also due to open two new camps this summer in the Odzala area of the Republic of Congo.

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asia-pacific While Africa will always be king of the safari jungle, the Indian sub-continent is the one region that can give it a run for its money – thanks to the huge range of diverse landscapes that are home to a variety of fascinating wildlife.

www.tlm-magazine.co.uk

The star turn of the Indian jungle is undoubtedly the Bengal tiger, which has been threatened with extinction due to hunting. But they can still be seen in some of the country’s national parks such as Bandhavgarh, Panna and Kaziranga, as well as Chitwan in neighbouring Nepal.

Kaziranga is also home to India’s one-horned rhino.

Luxury accommodation in these areas tends to revolve around stylish kutiyas, which are traditionally built jungle suites with mod cons and large verandas.

Upmarket Indian hotel group Taj (www.tajsafaris.com) has four of these properties spread across four national parks in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

Sri Lanka has also developed a reputation for its wildlife, which includes elephants, bison, macaques and tracking the rosette-spotted leopard in Yala National Park. The country has undergone a luxury makeover in recent years, bringing its properties up to the level expected by upmarket travellers with sumptuous lodges such as Aditya (www.aditya-resort.com) offering guests proper pampering.

Further east, Malaysian Borneo is famed for its orang-utans and proboscis monkeys. Seeing these animals in the jungle forms a major part of tours around the island offered by luxury operators such as Audley Travel (www.audleytravel.com), while the

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n Furry visitor at Manitoba’s Seal River Lodge

luxur y safari facts sample packages: kenya

n Mara Buhtops, Kenya

Churchill Wild

Shangri-La Rasa Ria (www.shangri-la.com) offers an upmarket resort experience.

Kuoni

Four nights staying in a luxury tent at the Mara Bushtops camp is priced from £2,598 per person with Kuoni. This price includes all meals, international and domestic flights, plus game drives. www.kuoni.co.uk

tanzania Africa Odyssey is offering a four-night stay at the brand-new Singita Serengeti House in the Serengeti from £6,200 per person, including international and internal flights, exclusive-use of the property on a fullboard basis, game-viewing drives and park entrance fees. www.africaodyssey.com

americas south africa

Rob Gill has been writing about travel for over a decade, with regular trips to see some of the world’s most fascinating creatures. Highlights include the lions of southern Africa, Sri Lanka’s elephants and the jungle-dwelling orang-utans in Indonesia.

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Audley Travel has a 12-day trip combining the Kruger National Park in South Africa with the beaches of Mozambique. It is priced from £3,260 per person including flights. www.audleytravel.com

congo Rainbow Tours offers a six-night package to Wilderness Safaris’ two new Odzala camps in the Republic of Congo for £4,695 per person including all flights, full-board accommodation, plus daily guided walks, game drives and gorilla-tracking groups. www.rainbowtours.co.uk

namibia An Abercrombie & Kent 12-day tailor-made safari holiday to Namibia is priced from £5,898 per person, based on two adults sharing with flights from the UK. www.abercrombiekent.co.uk

india A 13-day safari tour with Cox & Kings visiting the Bandhavgarh and Kanha national parks is priced from £3,445 per person, including flights, safari drives with tiger tracking, and all meals at the safari lodges. www.coxandkings.co.uk

other safari operators: Africa Collection: www.africacollection.co.uk Bridge & Wickers: www.bridgeandwickers.co.uk Brown + Hudson: www.brownandhudson.com Carrier: www.carrier.co.uk Cedarberg Travel: www.cedarberg-travel.com Elegant Resorts: n Serengeti www.elegantresorts.co.uk Expert Africa: www.expertafrica.com ITC Classics: www.itcclassics.co.uk Kirker: www.kirkerholidays.com Pure Safari: www.puresafari.co.uk Scott Dunn: www.scottdunn.com Sunvil: www.sunvil.co.uk Transindus: www.transindus.co.uk

Singita

Costa Rica in Central America has fast developed a reputation for the diversity of its animal experiences packed into a relatively small country. Sights include turtles laying their eggs at Tortuguero National Park, howler monkeys flying through the jungle, brightlycoloured toucans and parrots, plus a range of resident wildcats such as jaguars and pumas.

The destination is also well known for its high-quality eco lodges, particularly around Arenal Volcano National Park; it features some of the most stylish properties such as Arenal Nayara (http://arenalnayara.com), where guests can enjoy views of the volcano from their private outdoor plunge pools and balconies.

Another iconic wildlife destination is Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, which have been traditionally visited on small cruise ships. However, the Galapagos Safari Camp (www.galapagossafaricamp.com), on the island of Santa Cruz, has tried to recreate an upmarket African-style safari experience with nine spacious tents built on wooden platforms.

In North America, some of the best luxury wildlife experiences can be found on the coast of British Columbia, where bears and whales can be seen from resorts such as Clayoquot Wilderness Resort (www.wildretreat.com) and King Pacific Lodge (www.kingpacificlodge.com) or you can enjoy varied eco-adventure wildlife tours at the Relais & Chateaux Sonora Resort (www.sonoraresort.com).

Further east, polar bears are the iconic inhabitants of Churchill in northern Manitoba. Head for Seal River Heritage Lodge (www.churchillwild.com) on the Hudson Bay – a 30-minute flight from Churchill – where these huge beasts can be spotted as well as the similarly-white beluga whales.

Summer 2012

in your n flightbag

High and dry no more

YUU and your bags eeping kids amused on a flight is a challenge for any parent, but YUUbags activity rucksacks are perfect for keeping them entertained while travelling.

The rucksacks have fold-down desks, colouring pads, pencils and a magnetic game board which all come in a free YUUfun pack chosen by the kids themselves.

There is also room inside the bag for an iPod and a Nintendo DS. Not only that, but they have ergonomic back panels to help protect growing spines.

Three new designs – JUUMP, RUUN and MUUV – have just been introduced and the full range of YUUbags is available from £43 online from www.YUUworld.com. l For a chance to WIN one of two YUUbags, worth £43 each, go to www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on Competitions. Terms and conditions apply. Closing date September 12, 2012.

K

Bee prepared Crowded airports can be a breeding ground for bugs and infections so the new Bee Prepared max-strength capsules from health specialist UnBEElieveable Health are perfect to pop in your bag to help ward off those unwelcome germs.

With natural immune-boosting ingredients including bee propolis, black elderberry and olive leaf, the max-strength tablets also contain reishi mushroom, renowned for its antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties, giving a vital boost to your immune system.

Twenty capsules are available for £11.99; go to www.unbeelievablehealth.co.uk for a full list of stockists.

Clean and Green

It’s Vital, Baby new travel feeding set introduced by Vital Baby is perfect for keeping your little ones well-fed on your

A

Summer 2012

flight and beyond.

The travel kit bundle includes a two-handled trainer cup, the Trap-asnack container, ideal for

With humidity as low as 5% in many airline cabins, long-haul flights can have a dehydrating effect not only on your skin, but also on your eyes, especially if you wear contact lenses or are using electronic equipment.

Clinitas Soothe eye drops offer a soothing, effective relief from dry eyes and are available in small, resealable 0.5ml vials with an RRP of £6.62 for 20.

Clinitas Soothe has a high concentration of sodium hyaluronate and can provide long periods of help against sore, dry eyes. The drops are available on prescription or from opticians and pharmacists including Boots.

small snacks, and the innovative Unbelievabowl, which sticks onto any flat, smooth surface so little hands can’t knock it over.

A weaning bowl with built-in spoon and a pack of fruity face wipes complete the set, which is available for £16.50 from www.vitalbaby.com.

Organic skincare company Green People has added to its range by introducing the new Sticky Hand sanitiser, which is ideal for popping in your bag when travelling with your kids.

Its anti-bacterial ingredients include tea tree extract as well as larch tree extract to protect the skin and aloe vera to soften.

Essential oils of sweet orange, lemon and mandarin give it a fresh, fruity smell and, with 96% certified organic ingredients, it is safe to use on even the most sensitive of skins.

With up to 200 squirts per 100ml bottle for just £9.45, it is great value for families on holiday.

Green People products are available from selected John Lewis stores, independent health stores and online at www.greenpeople.co.uk.

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in your n suitcase

Adam joins the family nspired by Millican Dalton, a self-sufficient 1900s Lakeland mountain guide, the Millican range of travel and outdoor bags is made from organic canvas, recycled polyester, vegetable-tanned leather and Lakeland wool. Not only that, but each product in the range is named after local friends of the company.

The latest is Adam the Suitcase, a soft hand luggage size case with two big internal compartments and three external pockets. An internal divider and combined shoe/laundry bag make Adam a valuable addition to the current range of travel accessories and bags.

Other new products include Keith the Writer’s Bag, Ryan the Dome Pack and Rob the Traveller, as well as Ian the Camera Case, which is padded with local Herdwick

I 50+ shades away A key factor to a successful trip with an infant is sleep and the new SnoozeShade for travel cots is a great aid when travelling with babies.

This breathable, lightweight blackout blind easily attaches to a travel cot to aid sleep. It has sun protection of SPF 50+ and can also act as a mosquito net.

The latest in the SnoozeShade range, which also includes shades for buggies and car seats, prices start from £19.99, with the travel cot shade costing £69.99.

For more details, go to www.snoozeshade.co.uk.

Hair conditioning The sun can play havoc with your hair, but taking too many products on holiday can be cumbersome.

Macadamia’s travel collection features five travel-sized products as well as a unique oil-infused comb, all in a stylish travel case.

The set, costing £29.99 and including shampoo and leave-in conditioning cream, is available in leading salons and online from www.amazon.co.uk.

Release your inner goddess Named after the Greek goddess of natural beauty, the Thea Skincare range of natural, organic products has a new four-piece travel set with products containing natural fruit enzymes that renew and brighten complexions by removing dead skin cells to repair and hydrate your skin and give you a healthy, holiday glow.

The carry bag costs £32.95 and is available online from www.theaskincare.com.

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wool. Millican products are available online at www.homeofmillican.com, at Tonic and Farlows in London and at selected independent stores. Prices range from £12 to £95 for accessories and £75 to £265 for bags. l For your chance to WIN an Adam the Suitcase worth £265, go to www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on Competitions. Terms and conditions apply. Closing date September 12, 2012.

Ingenius fashion or any holiday, a dress that works from day to evening is the ultimate suitcase item and the spring/summer collection from Ingenue London is ideal.

Set up two years ago by creative director Mena Ryan, Ingenue’s range of machine-washable day dresses in vibrant graphic prints, jewel block colours and subtle ombre prints, as well as the glamorous full-length dresses, makes perfect holiday wear, as do the newly-added tops and wide palazzo pants.

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While still a relative newcomer to the fashion scene, Ingenue already has a celebrity following with fans including actresses Emilia Fox and Helen Mirren and presenter Emma Bunton. Prices start from £65 for a blouse; for full details of the range go to www.ingenuelondon.com. l You can WIN one of three pink Ava dresses worth £93 each; go to www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on Competitions. Terms and conditions apply. Closing date September 12, 2012.

Summer 2012

NEW

Support your Tummy while abroad!

When travelling abroad, the local food, drink and climate can all have an effect on the balance of bacteria in your digestive system.

Bimuno® TRAVELAID is a unique and convenient new formulation that has been specially developed for business and holiday travellers, to be taken in preparation for and during your time abroad.

Published scientific studies* have shown that some prebiotic Galacto-oligosaccharides, such as provided by Bimuno TRAVELAID, can help encourage and sustain a healthy level of your ‘good’ gut bacteria, helping to keep your tummy happy on its travels.

Next time you’re going away try Bimuno TRAVELAID soft chewy pastilles to experience the benefits for yourself.

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*Studies on file. Bimuno TRAVELAID is the result of nine years of intensive scientific research with the University of Reading. Bimuno is a food supplement. Food supplements are intended to supplement your diet and should not be regarded as a substitute for a varied diet and a healthy lifestyle. Bimuno® is a registered trademark which is the property of Clasado Inc for a Prebiotic Transgalactooligosaccharide.

10 of the best n natural wonders

wonders

World

n Aurora Borealis over Norway Andy Keen/www.aurorahunters.com

From the dazzling Northern Lights and the Grand Canyon to cascading waterfalls and thundering hooves, these 10 wonders of the natural world will leave you awe-struck

10 of the b

1. Northern Lights

Experience: Specialised Tours offers a three-night The wow factor: The Aurora Borealis is a shimbreak to Tromso, Norway, with activities including mering display of brilliant lights generally seen in Northern Lights trips and snowmobile and husky polar regions. Solar wind and magnetosphere safaris, from £895. The Aurora Zone has a new range of particles colliding with atoms in the upper Autumn Lights aurora adventures in Finland from atmosphere produce “curtains” or swirling September-November. Quark Expeditions has an Arctic clouds of greens, blues and reds which appear to Northern Lights cruise up the East Greenland coast dance in the sky. They are at their most from September 16-29, while Hurtigruten’s Norwegian pronounced during solar maximums which happen coast cruises, including the Arctic Highlights Voyage on roughly 11-year cycles, when sunspots, solar between Tromso and Kirkenes from November-March, flares and solar storms occur more frequently. also offer aurora spotting. Relax in an open-air hot According to NASA, the current solar tub watching the Northern Lights with n Viewing the lights cycle, the 24th since 1755, will peak in Inntravel or in comfort from your own from a cruise ship early or mid 2013. heated glass igloo with Taber Holidays, Did you know? The Northern both in Finnish Lapland. Iceland’s Lights are usually best seen in luxurious Hotel Ranga also offers winter but can occur at any time aurora viewing from outdoor hot of year. The most spectacular tubs. www.specialisedtours.com, auroras in recorded history www.theaurorazone.com, occurred on August 28 and www.quarkexpeditions.com, September 2, 1859, the latter www.hurtigruten.co.uk, producing such intense light that it www.inntravel.co.uk, was reportedly possible to read by the www.taberhols.co.uk, light at 1am in Boston, Massachusetts. www.ghotw.com/hotel-ranga

est: natural wonder s

Hurtigruten

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10 of the best n natural wonders

the Grand Canyon

n Dizzying heights: the Grand Canyon Skywalk

3. Uluru, Australia

Summer 2012

n Australia’s Uluru at sunset

Tourism NT

The wow factor: Formerly known as Ayers Rock, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a landmark almost in the geographical centre of Australia and is sacred to the local Aboriginal people. It rises 1,260ft (384m) from the flat Outback of Northern Territory and measures 2.2 miles (3.6km) long by 1.2 miles (2km) wide. Throughout the day, and especially at sunset, it changes colour to a multitude of hues. www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru Did you know? Uluru is like a giant iceberg; most of its bulk is below the surface – around 3.7 miles (6km) deep!

Experience: Travelbag offers a five-day Discover the Red Centre self-drive tour, including Alice Springs and Kings Canyon as well as Uluru, from £2,199 per person including return international flights into Darwin, car hire and accommodation. Intrepid Travel’s three-day Central Rock & Canyon tour also visits Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Kings Canyon and costs from £370pp including two nights’ camping. www.travelbag.co.uk, www.intrepidtravel.com

Arizona Tourism

n Family outing in

Grand Canyon West

The wow factor: One of nature’s geological marvels, the Grand Canyon is vast – stretching along 277 miles (446 kilometres) of the Colorado River in Arizona, up to 18 miles (29km) wide and over a mile deep (6,000ft, 1,829m) from rim to river. The Grand Canyon National Park covers an area of 1.2 million acres (493,077 hectares), more than 1,900 square miles (4,931 sq km). www.nps.gov/grca Did you know? A trip to the bottom of the canyon and back, either on foot or by mule, takes two days, while hikers take three days to get from the North Rim to the South Rim, one way. A Colorado River raft trip through the Grand Canyon takes at least two weeks.

Experience: Step out onto the U-shaped glass walkway of the Grand Canyon Skywalk which juts out from the rim at the Hualapai Nation’s Grand Canyon West and look down 4,000ft (1,219m) to the canyon floor. Grand Canyon West entrance tours cost $29.95 plus fees and tax and a Skywalk add-on costs $29.95. Stay overnight in a cabin facing the canyon rim n Helicopter over the Grand Canyon for $129.95 plus taxes. A Grand Canyon Overnight Getaway add-on from Las Vegas, flying in a Heli USA helicopter below the canyon rim and over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, to stay in a log cabin at Grand Canyon Ranch Resort after a post-dinner campfire singalong, costs £389 plus $50 fees with Trailfinders. www.grandcanyonwest.com, www.heliusa.com, www.trailfinders.com

Heli USA

2. Grand Canyon, USA

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10 of the best n natural wonders

Ontario Tourism

n Niagara Falls’ dramatic Horseshoe Falls

4. Niagara Falls, Canada/USA

www.niagarafallsstatepark.com Did you know? Niagara Falls is eroding at the rate of one foot (0.3m) per year and has moved back seven miles (11km) in 12,500 years – making it the world’s fastest-moving waterfall. At the present rate, Horseshoe Falls will erode back about four miles over the next 15,000 years, after which it will hit soft shale and the falls could be replaced by a series of rapids.

Experience: A four-night package from Frontier Canada, with two nights’ deluxe accommodation in both Toronto and Niagara Falls, includes return Toronto/Niagara Falls transfers, sightseeing tour of Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake and a Maid of the Mist boat trip to the base of Horseshoe Falls. Prices start from £385pp. A falls helicopter trip is £85 extra. www.frontier-canada.co.uk

The wow factor: Straddling the border between Canada’s Ontario province and America’s New York State, Niagara Falls comprises three waterfalls – Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls – over which the Niagara River plunges up to 188ft (57m). Although not the world’s highest falls (there are about 500 taller waterfalls in the world), Niagara’s cascades have the highest flow rate of any waterfall.

Around six million cubic feet (168,000 cubic metres) of water thunders over the falls every minute in high season, with the flow reaching up to 68mph (109kmh) at the crestline. www.niagaraparks.com,

Wexas

5. Amazon rainforest, South America

n The Amazon River and rainforest

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The wow factor: Covering 2.5 million square miles (6.5 million sq km), including half of Brazil and 40% of South America, the Amazon rainforest is vast – and if it was a country it would be the ninth largest in the world.

Beginning in the Peruvian Andes, the Amazon River and its rainforest stretch across nine countries.

Did you know? Roughly 20% of the earth’s oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest, earning it the nickname “the lungs of the planet”, while 16% of all the world’s river water flows through the Amazon delta. The Amazon rainforest watershed also has the world’s highest level of biodiversity.

Summer 2012

CALL US TODAY TO BOOK YOUR VOYAGE OF A LIFETIME Call 0844

288 2598, see your travel agent or visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk

Omantravel is fully ATOL bonded for complete peace of mind

Discover the ‘real’ Oman with our friendly and experienced Omani partners Explore the heritage, culture and diverse landscapes of this welcoming and fascinating country – or just take time to relax in one of our comfortable hotels. From the excitement of driving into the stunning Empty Quarter to visiting camel races in the Wahibas, from observing the nesting turtles in Ras al Jinz to simply chilling out in one of Muscat's fabulous hotels. We have no standard holidays. We plan your holiday to take in what you want to do – at a price you can afford! We are the only travel company in the UK with Oman as its sole destination – so to find out how we can help you plan your perfect holiday in Oman please call us on 020 8748 6630 or email info@omantravel.uk.com or visit www.omantravel.uk.com

Omantravel Ltd 62 Church Road London SW13 0DQ

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10 of the best n natural wonders

n On the edge in

7. Great Barrier Reef, Australia The wow factor: Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Great Barrier Reef stretches for 1,430 miles (2,300km) off Queensland’s coast and is the longest coral reef system in the world. The largest structure built by living creatures, it is the only living thing that can be seen from space. It is home to over 1,500 fish species, one-third of the world’s soft corals, over 400 types of hard coral, over 30 marine mammal species including the endangered dugong, and six of the world’s seven turtle species.

Did you know? The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is

Summer 2012

Heron Island

The wow factor: Victoria Falls borders Zambia and Zimbabwe and is known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya, or the Smoke that Thunders – an apt name, as the cascading waters of the Zambezi River create a misty plume that hangs over the falls and often catches the sunlight to produce rainbows. The UNESCO-listed waterfall, protected by national parks in each country, has the largest curtain of water in the world when the Zambezi is in full flood, usually February or March, at over a mile wide (1.7km) and dropping 325ft (99m) at Rainbow Falls in Zambia.

Did you know? Scottish explorer David Livingstone was the first European to see Victoria Falls, in 1855, and named the mighty waterfall after Britain’s reigning queen.

Experience: Stay at romantic hideaway Tongabezi Lodge, just upstream of Victoria Falls on the banks of the Zambezi, and take a thrilling boat trip to Livingstone Island, where Dr Livingstone first made his discovery where you can even swim right up to the falls’ edge in the Devil’s Pool. A two-night package at Tongabezi with two nights at Sindabezi Lodge, also on the Zambezi, costs from $415, with national park and falls fees plus Livingstone Island tour ($70) extra. You can also stay at the five-star Royal Livingstone Hotel on the Zambezi and take a microlight or helicopter trip over the falls. www.tongabezi.com, www.suninternational.com

Tongabezi Lodge

the Devil's Pool

n Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef

133, 200 square miles (345,000 sq km) in size – larger than the UK and Ireland combined. The reef system actually comprises around 2,900 individual reefs.

Experience: A four-night package staying on Heron Island, a coral cay on the Great Barrier Reef, with Tailor Made Travel costs from £549, with return flights from £1,175. A 12-night stay with Black Tomato on exclusive Wilson Island, just off Heron Island and only accessible by helicopter, costs £4,599 with flights. Or stay on Hamilton Island, in the Whitsunday Islands, and spend a full day exploring the reef as part of a four-day Great Barrier Reef Adventure costing from £1,050, excluding flights. www.tailor-made.co.uk, www.blacktomato.com, www.hamiltonisland.com.au

n Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef

Hamilton Island

6. Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe

n Victoria Falls from the air

Tongabezi Lodge

Experience: While most people go to Brazil, Peru offers a far less travelled way to see it. Journey to the Amazon’s source with Wexas Travel on a 14-day tailormade itinerary costing from £6,750, including flights.

Besides Lima, Cuzco and Machu Picchu, it features four nights on a guided Amazon tour with Aqua Expeditions, visiting Peru’s remote Pacaya Samiria Reserve. Or visit the UNESCO-listed Manu Biosphere Reserve in the Amazon on a tour with Crees Expeditions, which operates two lodges including the Manu Learning Centre, where jaguars can be seen. www.wexas.com, www.aquaexpeditions.com, www.crees-expeditions.com

8. Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina The wow factor: Not just one waterfall, but a chain of some 270-plus individual cascades make up the gloriously-beautiful Iguazu Falls, which lies on the border between Brazil and Argentina and is surrounded by two subtropical rainforest national parks designated as

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10 of the best n natural wonders

n Seeing the Iguazu Falls in Argentina

Wexas

World Heritage Sites. Iguazu spans almost two miles (3km), with many of the falls punctuated by islands, and the highest cascade plunges over 260ft (80m).

Did you know? Iguazu Falls has featured in movies including Moonraker (1979), The Mission (1986), Miami Vice (2006) and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).

Experience: Wexas Travel offers a 13-night itinerary from £4,995 which includes a two night stay at Iguazu Falls, tours of both the Argentine and Brazilian sides, excursions with English-speaking guides, flights and additional stays in Rio, Salvador, Ouro Preto and the Amazon. An 11-day trip from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro with G Adventures, costing from from £949, includes two full days at Iguazu Falls. www.wexas.com, www.gadventures.com

Magicalkenya.com

n Wildebeest crossing the Mara River

9. Wildebeest Migration, Kenya/Tanzania The wow factor: July to October is when the annual wildebeest migration takes place, with as many as 1.5 million of the mammals and hundreds of thousands of zebra making their way from Tanzania’s Serengeti to Kenya’s Masai Mara. One of the obstacles they face is the mighty Mara River, and the sight of hordes of wildebeest leaping off the river’s high banks and swimming across while predators including crocodiles and lions lie in wait is one of the natural world’s greatest spectacles.

Did you know? Also known as gnu, both male and female wildebeest have horns. Calves can walk within minutes of birth.

Experience: ToEscapeTo.com features five-night stays in the Mara Porini Camp & Porini Lion Camp in Kenya from £1,525 up to mid-October. Flights to Nairobi are extra and cost from £650 return. Africa Odyssey is offering four nights for the price of three at Alex Walker’s Serian Camp in Tanzania throughout September from £3,300, including flights, internal transfers and gameviewing drives. www.toescapeto.com, www.africaodyssey.com

Peter Ellegard

10. Limestone caves and karst mountains, China

n Guilin’s Reed Flute Cave

Do you know of better natural wonders?

Tell us on tlm’s Facebook page: http://bit.ly/tlm_facebook – and see our suggestions for 10 of the rest.

The wow factor: Guilin in China is famous for its stunning karst mountain scenery, which was used as a backdrop in the HSBC TV advertisement featuring a cormorant fisherman. But below ground is equally stunning, with a number of show caves open to the public, all brightly illuminated by neon lights. Among them are Reed Flute Cave in Guilin and Silver Cave in Yangshuo.

Did you know? The karst mountain scenery on the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo is depicted on the back of China’s 20 n Karst yuan note. scenery Experience: A three-night extension from Guilin to Yangshuo and back with Wendy Wu Tours, including a Li River trip, overnight in Yangshuo and visit to Guilin’s Reed Flute Cave, costs from £390. www.wendywutours.co.uk

Peter Ellegard

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Summer 2012

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Celebrating 16 years in our UK office

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let’s try n all-inclusive holidays

All out for

all-in value All-inclusive holidays have been around for over 60 years, but with the economic crunch squeezing purses ever tighter they are becoming an increasingly popular option, offering value for money and allowing holidaymakers to budget for their entire stay. Debbie Ward looks at what’s on offer

Spice Island Beach Resort

Rex Resorts

n Antigua resort Hawksbill in all-inclusive only

n Tuck in – the food is free

ou’re not seriously going to have afternoon tea?” asked my partner on day three of our holiday at Grenada’s Spice Island Beach Resort. It was a fair point: on one hand the scones and cakes were free, on the other I’d already practically danced a jig of delight before the five course evening menu posted outside the restaurant – a gourmet feast also included in our room-rate.

I considered my strategy over a complimentary cocktail and decided I’d just have to work up an appetite in the pool.

“Y

n Diving is even included at some allinclusive resorts Sandals

Summer 2012

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let’s try n all-inclusive holidays

nPrivate island at Green Globe recipient Sandals Royal Caribbean

Sandals

Club Med

n Flying high with Club Med

sustainable travel All-inclusives have come in for some criticism because the nature of an all-in tariff discourages guests to spend money out in the community they’re visiting.

Consider taking excursions during your holiday or choosing hotels that offer dine-around schemes where you can eat in local restaurants some nights for no extra cost.

Also check out the hotel’s sustainability credentials; some have won Green Globe awards and similar.

n Free water sports appeals to families

All-inclusives vary from little more than a full-board hotel with a buffet to upmarket affairs with a choice of restaurants and water sports thrown in.

Some, like foodie Spice Island, cater for special interests. The common theme is that you pay for virtually everything you’ll spend on your holiday up front.

Since we’ve been in recession, the concept has boomed. Cash–strapped couples and, especially, parents like the idea of controlling their budget. First Choice, part of Britain’s largest tour operator TUI, announced it was selling only all-inclusives from 2012, saying demand for this holiday type had grown by around onethird over five years.

A typical family could save more than £500 a week choosing all-inclusive over a standard holiday, First Choice claims. While some have quibbled over the maths, there’s no doubting that for the right kind of holidaymaker the savings can add up.

Neilson

local v premium alcohol So what’s typically included? A key difference is across the food and drinks. Some resorts have all meals in the same buffet restaurant; others have a choice of al la carte venues.

Soft drinks are usually limitless – but the complimentary alcohol in your package will vary from local wine or beer with dinner to an open bar with a choice of localbrand booze or premium-brand spirits.

Kids clubs and sports facilities – from tennis courts to a range of non-motorised water craft – are other common inclusions.

Think what you really spend on holiday. There’s no point paying for all-inclusive Some of the more upmarket resorts take things a step sports, kids clubs and premium drinks if you’re child-free teetotallers who like further. In the Caribbean, the dominant adult-only to laze by the pool. But families will appreciate water sports.

Sandals and Couples brands (which also have sister Some all-inclusive properties fall down on the food. In larger hotels aimed at friends and families) not only throw n Check resorts’ resorts, look for a good choice of restaurants rather than one in all meals and snacks, premium drinks and food choices buffet. sports tuition, but also provide free boat trips, f you’re considering an all-inclusive wedding, ask how many water skiing, diving and, at some resorts, the resort handles a day and in how many venues, to avoid unlimited golf. Couples also includes selected the “conveyer belt” effect. excursions and Sandals has complimentary If you like variety, look for chains that let you use facilities butler service with some suites. at their sister resorts during your stay.

SuperClubs offers what it calls Super-IncluCheck the resort’s location if you like to explore. Some allsive at its Breezes properties on Jamaica, the inclusives are quite isolated and you could be reliant on taxis Bahamas and in Brazil, which includes all meals to get around. and drinks, land and water sports with professional Spice Island Beach Resort instruction – and no tipping is allowed.

all-inclusive tips l

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let’s try n all-inclusive holidays

Club Med

n Cooking up some fun in the kitchen

coloured beads Club Med, a French brand, claims the first all-inclusive – a sports camp on Majorca in 1950. A few years later it introduced bungalows in Tahiti – reached by boat for those who could afford to take a four-month holiday.

More accessible resorts followed, with guests wearing

Summer 2012

coloured beads to let the bar staff know they were on an all-in tariff.

One of the early successes of the all-inclusive concept was to entice nervous travellers to exotic climes at a time when travel was still all a bit, well, foreign. Worries about unfamiliar food or personal safety were allayed because guests didn’t have to leave the resort.

All-inclusives helped open the Caribbean up to mass tourism and the islands are still one of the big strongholds for this style of holiday.

The Mediterranean also has a proliferation of allinclusives, with some resorts such as Belek and Antalya on Turkey’s southern coast having most accommodation on this system, and most of them four or five-star. Popular all-inclusive hotels in Belek include the family-friendly Cornelia De Luxe, adult-only Cornelia Diamond and the Rixos Premium, which features the Troyaqua water park and a dolphinarium.

Other all-in hotspots include: Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh, with hotels including the Sultan Gardens Resort Sharm, Hilton Sharks Bay Resort and Royal Grand Azure; Mexico’s Caribbean coast, where the El Dorado Royale and El Dorado Casitas Royals in Playa del Carmen and Cancun’s Riu Caribe and Barcelo Costa Cancun are among all-inclusive offerings; and Bulgaria, at beach resorts such as Sunny Beach and Elenite, where the Elenite Holiday Village is among hotels featured by several UK tour operators.

They have also recently become established in luxury

“A typical family could save more than £500 a week choosing allinclusive over a standard holiday”

Elenite Holdiay Village

Rex Resorts has seven properties on five Caribbean islands – Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, St Lucia and Tobago – as well as an all-inclusive beach resort plus a luxury safari lodge in Kenya. Most of its Caribbean resorts offer all-inclusive stays as an option, although Hawksbill in Antigua is all-inclusive only.

Another group with Caribbean all-inclusive offerings is Spanish company Barcelo. It offers its Club Premium all-inclusive product at five hotels on Mexico’s Riviera Maya and two on the Dominican Replublic.

These and other Caribbean all-inclusive resorts prove particularly popular for weddings, offering a basic ceremony and trimmings for free, or the opportunity to upgrade for additional cost.

One of the biggest draws of all-inclusives can be complimentary childcare. Mark Warner and Club Med are particularly known for this. Club Med’s children’s clubs are free from four years up; Mark Warner’s are free from two years, as is its evening babysitting service.

These brands also major on sports and activities, with tuition from tennis to sailing and windsurfing to circus skills. Club Med even has a flying trapeze academy at some resorts!

n All-inclusive is popular in Bulgaria

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let’s try n all-inclusive holidays

all-inclusive facts

n Enjoy all-in tariffs on the slopes

Indian Ocean haven, the Maldives, where you can stay at many of its resort islands on an all-inclusive basis.

Mauritius is another destination in the region where the concept is now popular, with Beachcomber Hotels offering it as an option at several properties on the island as well as at its Seychelles spa resort.

The odd all-inclusive is also found in destinations less known for fly-and-flop holidays. Brazil, China, Japan and Senegal in Africa are all featured by Club Med, for instance, while in Vietnam, Fusion Maia in Da Nang claims to be Asia’s first all-inclusive spa resort with two spa treatments a day included and all villas featuring a private pool and garden.

skiing and diving Even if you think all-inclusives are not for you, it’s worth checking out the special interests catered for by some resorts on this tariff. Skiing is the most obvious example. Club Med and Mark Warner specialise in this sector as well as beach breaks, while some ski tour operators including Crystal and Neilson offer selected all-inclusive hotels. Inclusions vary, but along with your accommodation and meals you may get some combination of ski passes, ski hire, lessons and free day or evening childcare.

Sandals and Couples can work out very cost-effective for daily diving; you can even learn to dive at their resorts.

Some diving is also included at wellness-focused Le Sport and Le Source resorts, in St Lucia and Grenada respectively. These resorts also throw in daily spa treatments plus a host of exercise classes and sports from archery to fencing to water skiing. Golfers, meanwhile, can tee off on an all-in tariff at 45 Club Meds.

And if the words “clothing optional” light your candle, you’ll find an all-inclusive for you. Jamaica’s Hedonism II resort (part of SuperClubs) boasts “open bars and open minds”. Accommodation is split into Nude and Prude parts of the resort and by night you can dress, or undress, to impress at fetish and mask parties.

Debbie Ward spent her first week as a travel journalist at a Caribbean all-inclusive hotel, reeling at the concept of a swim-up bar with free cocktails. She warns that when returning home from an all-inclusive holiday remember you can no longer leave restaurants without paying.

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Fusion Maia

Club Med: www.clubmed.co.uk Mark Warner: www.markwarner.co.uk Sandals: www.sandals.co.uk Couples: www.couplesresorts.co.uk SuperClubs: www.superclubs.com AM Resorts: www.amresorts.com Almond Resorts: www.almondresorts.com Beachcomber: www.beachcomber-hotels.com Rex Resorts: www.rexresorts.com Barcelo: www.barcelo.com

n Vietnam's Fusion Maia

individual resorts include: Spice Island Beach Resort, Grenada: www.spiceislandbeachresort.com Fusion Maia, Vietnam: www.fusionmaiadanang.com Half Moon, Jamaica: www.halfmoon.rockresorts.com Pestana Porto Santo: www.pestana.com/en/pestana-porto-santo-hotel LeSport, St Lucia: www.thebodyholiday.com LaSource, Grenada: www.theamazingholiday.com Jumby Bay, Antigua: www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/jumbybay

tour operators offering all-inclusive holidays include: Thomson: www.thomson.co.uk First Choice: www.firstchoice.co.uk Thomas Cook: www.thomascook.com Cosmos: www.cosmos.co.uk Crystal: www.crystalholidays.co.uk Neilson: www.neilson.co.uk Virgin Holidays: www.virginholidays.co.uk Kuoni: www.kuoni.co.uk Funway: www.funwayholidays.co.uk Hayes & Jarvis: www.hayesandjarvis.com Classic Collection: www.classic-collection.co.uk ITC Classics: www.agents.itcclassics.co.uk Sunshine.co.uk: www.sunshine.co.uk Golden Holidays: www.golden-holidays.co.uk

n Spice Island Beach Resort Spice Island Beach Resort

Crystal

all-inclusive specialists include:

sample packages Kuoni offers seven nights on all-inclusive basis at LaSource, Grenada in a luxury room, from £1,989 per person, including flights based on two sharing with Virgin Atlantic from Gatwick and transfers in resort. The price is for September/October, 2012. www.kuoni.co.uk Funway Holidays offers seven nights staying at Sandals Carlyle, Jamaica, including return flights with Virgin Atlantic from £,1245 per person based on two sharing between August 20 and September 15, 2012. www.funwayholidays.co.uk Hayes & Jarvis has a twin-centre break to Vietnam with three nights at the four-star Halong Plaza, Hanoi, and then four nights at the five-star Fusion Maia Da Nang, with inclusive spa treatments. A September 11 departure costs from £1,499 per person, and includes flights from Gatwick, internal flights and transfers. www.hayesandjarvis.com Club Med’s new Pragelato family Italian Alps resort opens in December. A seven-day all-inclusive package starts from £1,060 per adult, £954 per child, including flights, all meals, drinks and snacks, ski/snowboard tuitir to 17 inclusive. www.clubmed.co.uk

Summer 2012

off the beaten track n vietnam

Rising star Synonymous with conflict until relatively recently, Vietnam is undergoing rapid modernisation and is now one of South-East Asia’s fastest-growing tourism hotspots. But, as Amy Watkins discovered, visitors can still easily find timeless echoes of its distant past besides vestiges of war, frenetic cities and unspoilt natural beauty s my kayak quietly glided through the limestone formations of Vietnam’s Halong Bay, only monkey calls from amongst the pink ginger trees broke the silence. My oar brushed through crystal-clear water, skimming fans of colourful coral under the surface, as we explored the ancient UNESCO World Heritage-listed site.

This peaceful kayak cruise was a direct contrast to the buzzing sea of motorbikes and chattering crowds that had greeted me on arrival at frenetic, fragrant and fascinating Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam, once shorthand for war, is fast-becoming one of Asia’s rising stars and a new direct air service from Vietnam Airlines is making it more accessible for UK tourists. While Thailand charms with its popular beaches and neighbouring Laos and Cambodia attract intrepid backpackers, Vietnam offers a taste of Communist South East Asia with a touch of comfort.

Vietnam’s troubled and varied past has left a unique legacy of architecture, culture and cuisine.

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n Halong Bay

n Kayaking off Emeraude

Emeraude Cruises

AMAWaterways

Vietnam Airlines

n Ho Chi Minh City

Summer 2012

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Bamboo Travel

vietnam’s best beaches

AMAWaterways

off the beaten track n vietnam

n Market traders ply their goods by water

Vietnam’s beaches might not get the positive press that neighbouring Thailand enjoys – but with over 2,000 miles of coastline and some truly incredible beaches that are reminiscent of Thailand’s finest before mass tourism took over, Vietnam has plenty to boast about.

Nha Trang is Vietnam’s most famous beach destination and while the town can now be a little loud and brash at times, the beautiful beach has retained its charm and continues to attract n Vietnam has stunning beaches holidaymakers looking for a wellestablished resort.

For those looking for a more picturesque introduction to Vietnam’s beaches, the white sand beaches and thick jungle covering the island of Phu Quoc makes it one of Vietnam’s most beautiful places to spend a holiday.

For near-complete isolation away from the crowds, head to the Con Dao islands for uninterrupted jungle hiking, as well as diving and snorkelling the coral reefs; look out for resident sea turtles.

From French baguettes on café menus to a maze of underground tunnels once used by the Viet Cong; everywhere you look there’s a dent made by history. Vietnam is modernising at break-neck speed, but deep in the countryside you’ll see women in conical hats tending rice paddies and traditional snapshots of a bygone age.

Times have changed for Vietnam and the emerging destination has thrown off the shackles of its conflictridden past. Vietnam is celebrating its heritage this year by focusing on the positive legacies that have been left behind.

Designer shops and upmarket hotels now line the Dong Khoi area of Ho Chi Minh City, once Saigon’s notorious red light district during the Vietnam War, and timeless wonders such as ancient rocks and beautiful beaches remain untouched.

rice paddies A fortnight is an ideal amount of time to see the country’s highlights. It’s possible to make your own way around Vietnam, but an escorted tour handles many of the logistical issues such as transportation and language barriers so tourists can enjoy the sights. You can even follow the route of the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail on golf tours, playing half a dozen courses along the route from Hanoi to the area around former Saigon that comprise the Ho Chi Minh Golf Trail.

n Pagoda

Travelling overland between cities is a fantastic way to see the scenery of rice paddies and thick forests, but flying between Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south means that both can be included on a shorter holiday.

Ho Chi Minh, remembered by most visitors as Saigon, is an energetic introduction to bustling Vietnam.

Colourful lanterns in Chinatown, smoky incense emanating from jade-encrusted temples and the sight of street traders with piles of bright purple dragon fruit in Ben Thanh night market let you know you’re in Asia.

Among the exotic sights and smells there are reminders of the Vietnam War, or the American War, as you’ll hear it referred to. On April 30, 1975, the imposing Independence Palace (now called Reunification Hall) was breached by Viet Cong tanks and this led to the fall of Saigon and the end of the war. The present building dates to 1966, but has remained in a 1970s time warp with government rooms left as they were.

An hour outside of the city are the 120-mile long networks of Cu Chi Tunnels, which included kitchens, hospitals, schools and sleeping quarters. They were originally built in the 1940s during Vietnam’s conflict with the French, but were used by the Viet Cong to house around 16,000 people during the Vietnam War. Capital Hanoi, over 1,000 miles north of Ho Chi Minh City, is a charmingly-chaotic blend of old and new. Here, the wide mansion-lined boulevards, lakefilled parks and the smell of freshly-cooked

World Expeditions UK

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AMAWaterways

off the beaten track n vietnam

n Cruise the Mekong through Vietnam and Cambodia

mekong river cruises

n Floating fruit stall

Tucan Tours

Cruising the Mekong is one of the best ways to see remote corners of Vietnam; from major cities to tiny villages that can only be reached by boat. Most itineraries, including Pandaw’s (www.pandaw.com), leave from Kampong Cham on the Tonle Sap River – after an overnight in Cambodia’s Siem Reap to visit Angkor Wat – and sail to My Tho for Ho Chi Minh City, or vice versa.

The cruises call at the floating villages of Kampong Chhnang, the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh and then sail through Vietnam.

Cruises visit traditional village such as Chau Doc, canal-crossed Sa Dec and the floating market at Cai Be. River cruise company AMAWaterways (www.amawaterways.com) has two Mekong ships, which additionally stop at Vietnam’s rapidly-industrialising Tan Chau.

Earlier this year, CroisiEurope

(www.croisieurope.travel) began chartering river cruise vessel RV Indochine to offer nine-night cruises through Vietnam

baguettes recall 19th and early 20th century colonial rule.

One of its most notable icons of the period is the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, which was built in 1901 and retains the green shutters so reminiscent of French colonial rule. Guests have included Charlie Chaplin, Somerset Maugham and, latterly, Angelina Jolie. A

Summer 2012

and Cambodia, while Noble Caledonia (www.noble-caledonia.co.uk) partners with Pandaw on Mekong and land itineraries.

recently-rediscovered bomb shelter in the hotel’s back garden which was used in the Vietnam War has been opened as a memorial and is the main attraction in a Path of History tour open to guests. Singer Joan Baez recorded part of her Where Are You Now, My Son? album in the bunker in 1972, during an American air raid.

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off the beaten track n vietnam

n Khai Dinh statues

vietnam facts when to go

continental flavour Once part of France’s Cochinchina Empire, Vietnam has retained a Continental flavour that still exists among Hanoi’s busy streets. Visit the State Bank or Grand Opera House to see the best examples of French-influenced architecture or stroll around the Old Quarter, where original Hanoi architecture is still standing and street names reflect the work of the artisans, such as silk-traders and jewellery-makers, who once lived here.

If you happen to be in Hanoi during the wet season, there are plenty of museums and art galleries, such as the National Museum of Vietnamese History and the Contemporary Arts Centre, to while away a rainy afternoon and see how Communist Vietnam presents itself today. At the other end of the scale of “attractions” is the eerie Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the Chairman’s embalmed body lies in state.

Less than 100 miles from Hanoi is the serene UNESCO World Heritage Site of Halong Bay, named as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature last year. Over 3,000 craggy limestone monoliths topped with verdant forest rise out of the sea up to 100 metres (300ft) high.

There are many ways to explore the area but most tourists opt for a tour on a traditional junk boat.

Overnight and multi-day tours are available, with varying levels of comfort from very basic to semi-luxurious, or day trips can be taken to explore the beaches and floating fishing villages in the area. You can also explore on cruise ships such as the Emeraude, a modern replica of a vintage paddle-wheel steamer that first sailed the bay 105 years ago.

It’s possible to stay on some of the islands, with Cat Ba being the most developed and popular place. In Halong Bay, cavers can explore the stalactites hanging like stone icicles from the overhanging rocks or take a kayak trip to quietly enjoy the dramatic landscape and secret lagoons away from the crowds.

As I made my way through these timeless formations it felt a world away from the beeping bikes and bustling markets of Vietnam’s cities. But it’s this contrast that makes Vietnam so exciting to explore.

Amy Watkins loves South East Asia; from Filipino beaches and buzzing Vietnam, to Borneo’s jungles and the gentle people of Cambodia and Thailand. Eating a thousand-year-old egg in Hong Kong has been her only exception.

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Tropical Sky

n Wooden bridge

getting there

in Hanoi

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines (www.vietnamairlines.com) recently introduced direct flights from the UK, or you can fly via other counties with Thai Air, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Lufthansa, British Airways or Air France. Arrange a visa before you leave.

getting around Travelling by public buses can be uncomfortable, making domestic flying with Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific (www.jetstar.com) an attractive option. Other methods include air-conditioned “backpacker” buses or a train between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Cars with drivers can be hired and “cyclo” rickshaws are used in towns.

sport Play golf on the Ho Chi Minh Golf Trail (www.hochiminhgolftrail.com), with courses from the far north around Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in the far south.

accommodation Budget places cater for backpackers, but luxury hotel chains such as Sofitel, Six Senses, Intercontinental, Le Meridien and Park Hyatt have hotels in cities and resorts; prices are cheap compared to Europe.

Among iconic hotels are colonial French veteran, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi (www.sofitel.com), in the capital and Ho Chi Minh City landmark, The Caravelle (www.caravellehotel.com). Spa resort hotels include the Nam Hai (www.ghmluxuryhotels.com) in Hoi An.

tour operators Audley Travel (www.audleytravel.com) and Cox & Kings (www.coxandkings.co.uk) offer escorted tours, as do Kuoni (www.kuoni.co.uk), Ampersand Travel (www.ampersandtravel.com), Bamboo Travel (www.bambootravel.co.uk), Tropical Sky (www.tropicalsky.co.uk) and Tucan Tours (www.tucantravel.com), while W&O (www.wandotravel.com) features the luxury Victoria Express Train from Hanoi with stays at a mountain resort. Or you can self-build itineraries through Vietnam Travel Plan (www.vietnamtravelplan.co.uk).

tourist information AMAWaterways

Kuoni

Avoid busy Tet (New Year) in late January.

October-March is winter monsoon season in the north, but is warm and dry in the south. April-October brings hot and humid weather outside of mountain regions.

n Fish market

Visit the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism’s website, www.vietnamtourism.com, for official information, or go to www.vietnamtourism.org.vn for informative features.

Summer 2012

pack your clubs n south wales

Enter the n Celtic Manor Resort – Twenty Ten Course and River Usk

dragon Visit Wales

The 2010 Ryder Cup put southern Wales in the global spotlight like never before. Yet the weather and high drama it produced overshadowed the quality of golf this land of dragons and castles has to offer, as Peter Ellegard reports lmost two years ago the golfing world was held spellbound when Europe’s heroes took on the might of the USA at Celtic Manor and snatched the Ryder Cup from their grasp. The duel produced many memorable moments and a nail-biting climax on the first-ever Monday final day, yet perhaps the enduring vision is of the torrential rain and ensuing mudfest which took it into the extra day.

That’s a shame, because Celtic Manor’s Twenty Ten Golf Course not only provided the perfect stage for the clash, but it should have also been a showcase for the wonderful golf available throughout South Wales.

I was lucky enough to have been there on “Magic Monday” – albeit in a wheelchair after a knee operation a few days earlier – and when I bumped into a senior official from Visit Wales, the country’s tourist office, he quipped that they might take out full-page adverts in the national papers proclaiming “It pours, we reign”. They didn’t, but the rain association remained, even though the final day was played in glorious sunshine.

A frequent golfing visitor to the region in recent years, and in all seasons, I have to say the weather gods have always smiled on me there – even if those watching over my golf haven’t.

Named European Golf Resort of the Year for 2011 in the golf industry’s prestigious IAGTO Awards, Celtic Manor is one of my favourite places to stay and play golf.

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The first view of the Newport resort’s luxury, 330-room hotel from the M4 shortly after crossing the Severn Bridge may be more akin to Colditz, but the welcome is as warm as you get in the hillsides of the former mining valleys this part of Wales is also famous for. The impressive carved dragons that wind broodily around the lobby’s huge pillars leave no doubt as to where you are, either.

imposing clubhouse The golf is also impressive. The Twenty Ten Course was created for the Ryder Cup, with several new holes blended with existing ones taken from other courses.

The resulting course meanders through the pretty Usk Valley, running alongside the snaking river at one point, before traversing a hillside to culminate on the grandstand 18th green, beyond a lake and below the imposing clubhouse.

Celtic Manor’s other courses – the Robert Trent Jones Sr-designed Roman Road Course and the Montgomerie Course, designed by victorious Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie – are every bit as enjoyable to play and have their own clubhouse. Golfers keen on improving, even in the rain, have an all-weather, short game practice area, indoor putting green and covered driving range, while a new Adventure Golf Course emulates some of golf’s most famous holes in miniature for all the family.

Besides its courses and main hotel, Celtic Manor’s 1,400 acres also encompass the 19th century Manor

Summer 2012

pack your clubs n south wales

Peter Ellegard

n 3rd hole on Celtic Manor's Twenty Ten Course

n Roman fortress at Caerleon

Visit Wales

off course attractions

House hotel, two spas, two health clubs, fishing, a shooting school, tennis, mountain biking, walking trails and a Treetop Adventure featuring high and low rope wire walkways and bridges.

South Wales has other golf resorts boasting excellent courses for golfers who like to combine a stay with playing on their doorstep.

St Pierre, A Marriott Hotel & Country Club offers two golf courses as part of a resort spanning 400 acres of rolling parkland with a converted 14th century manor house at its heart.

Standout course is the 7,000-yard Old Course; it opened in 1962 and has hosted 14 European Tour events including the Dunlop Masters as well as the Curtis Cup and Solheim Cup. The par-3 18th hole, which has a lake and a green directly in front of the resort, makes for a stirring finish. The par 68 Mathern Course, which measures 5,730 yards, was remodelled in 2008 by European Golf Design.

“The breadth of golf matches the region’s scenic and topographic diversity”

South Wales has plenty to do away from the fairways but still within easy reach. Nature lovers can take walks in the woods through the forested Wye Valley, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or explore the wilds of the Brecon Beacons National Park (www.breconbeacons.org), taking a side trip on the Brecon Mountain Railway (www.breconmountainrailway.co.uk).

You can also take in the splendour of the cliffs along the Glamorgan Heritage Coast (www.glamorganheritagecoast.com) or venture further west for the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (www.pcnpa.org.uk).

Reminders of the South Wales valleys’ industrial heritage live on with Pontypridd’s Rhondda Heritage Park (www.rhonddaheritagepark.com) and the impressive Big Pit National Coal Museum (www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/bigpit) in the Blaenavon World Heritage Site, where you can take an underground tour of the former coalmine.

Go back in time to discover the remains of the Roman fortress and amphitheatre in Caerleon (www.caerleon.net), close to Celtic Manor. South Wales also has a number of castles to visit, including Caerphilly (www.caerphillycastle.com), one of the largest in the UK, and the ornate Gothic fantasy of Cardiff Castle (www.cardiffcastle.com).

Cardiff also has a host of other attractions, entertainment and nightlife.

Summer 2012

n

Vale Resort’s long Wales National Course

n Caerphilly is one of several castles in South Wales

VisitBritain/Britain on View

Just six miles from Cardiff city centre, the Vale Resort has a 143-room hotel, spa and two championship golf courses set in 650 acres of parkland. Like Celtic Manor, it is a Ryder Cup Wales Centre of Excellence – one of just five in Wales.

The Lake Course has staged a number of PGA professional championships and is dominated by a 20-acre lake, with water coming into play on 12 holes and its signature hole, the 12th, on an island green. The 8th hole overlooks the largest heronry in Wales. Its sibling, the par 73 Wales National, opened in 2003 and is one of the

Peter Ellegard

diversity

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longest courses outside America at 7,433 yards. A European Tour tournament course, it is a true test of golf with mature trees and water features that is as striking in winter as in summer.

Bryn Meadows is 20 minutes from the centre of Cardiff and features a tree-lined, par 71 parkland course with an on-site, 42-room boutique hotel, a spa and leisure facilities.

With everything from historic links to heathland and parkland course, the breadth of golf in South Wales matches the region’s scenic and topographic diversity, which incorporates such delights as the high cliffs of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, the forested Wye Valley and the Brecon Beacons as well as the once-industrialised valleys.

Venerable Royal Porthcawl enjoys a magnificent setting right on the Rest Bay seashore between Cardiff and Swansea and is rated one of the UK’s top links courses. But mind its cavernous pot bunkers; once they snare errant balls they often hold them to ransom.

n Watch out for Royal Porthcawl's deep pot bunkers

south wales golf facts

high tee Another two noteworthy coastal veterans are Southerndown, a links-style downland course with stunning vistas over sea and countryside and where grazing sheep form mobile hazards, and Pyle & Kenfig, a traditional links course originally designed by Harry Colt and remodelled amidst dunes by Mackenzie Ross after much of the course had been requisitioned in World War II. The south-western corner of Wales has more golfing delights, including Tenby Golf Club, a classic links layout set in dunes behind a sweeping arc of beach and said to be the oldest club in Wales, plus another classic links in the shape of Ashburnham and the first Nicklaus Design course in Wales, Machynys Peninsula Golf & Country Club, both near Llanelli.

Cardiff alone has 18 courses in and around it, with Swansea having over a dozen and Newport having several besides Celtic Manor, among them St Mellons.

You can also enjoy golf on high inland; Morlais Castle and centenarian West Monmouthshire – Britain’s highest golf course, with its 14th tee 1,500 above sea level – both offer views across the Brecon Beacons.

Or motor on down to the Rolls of Monmouth course, set within the 600-acre Rolls Estate in the Wye Valley, former home of Charles Stuart Rolls, co-founder of Rolls-Royce. The mansion’s one-time workshop is now the golf course clubhouse.

Play there, or indeed anywhere in South Wales, and you will be positively purring.

when to go

getting there Courses around Newport can be reached via the M4 in two hours from London.

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Celtic Manor Resort

packages and information The Greens of Southern Wales (0870 600 6088; www.greensofsouthernwales.com) has details of golf courses in the region as well as accommodation and packages information. Themed packages include golf and spa breaks.

golf resorts Celtic Manor: www.celtic-manor.com Vale Resort: www.vale-hotel.com St Pierre, A Marriott Hotel & Country Club: www.marriott.co.uk Bryn Meadows Golf, Hotel & Spa: www.brynmeadows.com

other golf courses Royal Porthcawl Golf Club: www.royalporthcawl.com Southerndown Golf Course: www.southerndowngolfclub.co.uk Cottrell Park Golf Resort: www.golfwithus.com Pyle & Kenfig: www.pandkgolfclub.co.uk West Monmouthshire Golf Club: www.westmongolfclub.co.uk Marriott Hotels & Resorts.

Mind the sheep at Southerndown

Visit Wales

Play all year, but be prepared for changeable conditions. Inland courses may get occasional snow in winter.

Visit Wales

n

Visit Wales

pack your clubs n south wales

other accommodation

n St Pierre’s historic manor

Llansanffraed Court Hotel, near Abergavenny: www.llch.co.uk Radisson Blu, Cardiff: www.radissonblu.co.uk/cardiff Celtic Haven, Saundersfoot: www.celtichaven.co.uk

Summer 2012

golf n news

Buckle up ans watching recent golf tournaments may have noticed a fashion link between three of Europe’s top stars. England’s Lee Westwood, Irishman Paul McGinley and Dane Thomas Bjorn are among the golfing elite to sport the latest in stylish belts and buckles.

All three are brand ambassadors for Druh Belts and Buckles and wear the company’s distinctive “db” buckles that combine classic yet fun designs when they compete.

There are 15 leathers in different embossed styles, from crocodile to ostrich effect, as well as 10 water snakeskins to choose from that come in traditional blacks and browns but also in unusual pastels and metallics from turquoise to hot pink. The stylish belts are matched with the recognisable logo buckles made of brushed nickel, polished silver or gold, while others feature diamante and enamel infills.

The buckles are interchangeable, allowing numerous combinations so

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n Lee Westwood in action

you can customise your own individual Druh Belt to ensure that you look smart on the course and casual off it.

Available online at www.druhbeltsandbuckles.com, Druh belts retail from £125 for snakeskin and £79 for leather. l For your chance to WIN a white or black Player’s Collection belt from Druh Belts, worth £79, go to www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on Competitions. Terms and conditions apply. Closing date September 15, 2012. n Win a Druh Belt

GOLF CLIPS New, year-round weekly flights to Turkey’s Antalya from Stansted Airport are a boon for golfers heading to the nearby resort of Belek, with its 14 golf courses. Atlasjet carries golf clubs free of charge, with no need to pre-book, while passengers also get an extra 20kg hold and 8kg hand luggage allowance. EkonomiPlus fares on the Saturday flights start from £88. Book online at www.atlasjet.com.

n Cornelia Golf Club, Belek

Skibo Castle’s private Carnegie Club has opened its golf course to non-resident golfers for the first time since it became private in 2007. Limited public tee times are available on special request for its championship Carnegie Links course, located near Dornoch in north-east Scotland, for play until October. This exclusive golfing experience costs £300 per head, including lunch. To book, call the pro shop on 01862 894 660 or send an email to teetimes@carnegieclub.co.uk.

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n Egypt's Melia Sharm resort meets Check Safety First's standards

tionary advice about how to avoid sickness on holiday.

Top tips include researching where you eat, checking out the cleanliness of the establishment and checking your food is hot and cooked thoroughly. In hotels, take care when eating

Just the ticket ooked a summer holiday but have not yet decided what to do during your stay? New ticketing website GoSeeDo is ideal to find, research and book the best travel experiences, both in the UK and around the world.

Founded by Attraction World, the UK’s leading attractions supplier to the travel trade, GoSeeDo can help arrange anything from Disneyland Paris tickets to hot air balloon rides in Orlando and from afternoon tea at Harrods to football stadium tours and children’s Ferrari driving experiences.

The website is designed to make it easier for families to plan and pre-book where to go and on what days, avoiding

Guy Nesher

B Salt seller Latin America specialist airline Air Europa, which has an extensive list of destinations accessible from the UK via its Gatwick-Madrid service, launches a new route to Bolivia in November as it continues expanding its long-haul flights programme.

Destinations currently include Buenos Aires (Argentina), Caracas (Venezuela), Havana (Cuba), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) and Lima (Peru). The new twice-weekly Santa Cruz route will open up access to the Amazon rainforest and the world’s largest salt plains of Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia.

The Spanish airline has also boosted its GatwickMadrid link by switching from Embraer 195 to Boeing 737 aircraft, adding an extra 120 seats a day.

A new partnership with holidaycars.com allows Air Europa customers to easily book a vehicle on its global car rental network at the same time as booking flights. For more information, go to www.aireuropa.com or call 0871 423 0717 to speak with a UK-based reservation agent.

n GoSeeDo makes holiday outings easy for families

GoSeeDo

n Driving across Bolivia's salt plains

Summer 2012

from buffets and check to ensure that food is fresh and served at the correct temperature.

To see if your holiday hotel has met Check Safety First’s stringent criteria, or for more advice and information, visit the website at www.checksafetyfirst.com.

long queues at major attractions.

Even better, by pre-booking tickets online in advance with GoSeeDo, customers can save money compared with buying at the gate. For more information or to book tickets, go to www.goseedo.com or call 0800 980 5551.

On Broadway f you are heading to New York this summer, a show on Broadway is a must-do.

The Broadway Collection offers a selection of 24 top-selling Broadway theatre shows including classics such as Phantom of the Opera, Lion King, Mamma Mia and Mary Poppins and new shows such as Newsies, Chaplin and Cirque du Soleil’s Zarkana.

Tickets are available through UK

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n Pre-book Broadway shows such as Newsies

The Broadway Collection

recent survey by health and safety experts CheckSafetyFirst.com has found that seven in 10 holidaymakers have fallen ill while on holiday, with more than half of respondents getting food poisoning.

Diseases including salmonella and listeria are often to blame, frequently picked up in hotels and restaurants that do not follow correct hygiene regulations. With one third of people claiming that between three and five days of their holiday are affected by illness and 25% of people returning home with their illness, CheckSafetyFirst.com offers precau-

Melia Hotels International

Safety first

suppliers and tour operators including GoSeeDo, Attractions Tickets Direct, Virgin Holidays, TUI and Lastminute.com. For a full list of available shows, go online to www.broadwaycollection.com or visit www.facebook.com/TheBroadwayCollection.

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ESTA la visa – and pronto olidaymakers planning to visit America this year risk being refused permission to travel – if they forget to check everything is in order beforehand.

The Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), which assesses a person’s eligibility to enter the USA under the rules of its Visa Waiver Programme, was introduced on a voluntary basis in August, 2008. It became compulsory for non-visa-issued travellers from the UK in January, 2009.

The service was initially free, but a charge for the two-year ESTA introduced in September, 2010, means that many people will have ESTAs that are due to expire and may not realise it.

Back to Alaska Following a year’s absence, Oceania Cruises returns to Alaskan waters from May to mid-August, 2013, with a choice of seven itineraries and optional shore excursions including bear watching, sea-kayaking and a rainforest zip wire. The Alaska cruises, featuring highlights such as the Hubbard Glacier and the Tracy Arm Fjord, are on the 684-guest Regatta. Seven-night sailings cost from £1,584 per person. www.oceaniacruises.com.

Natasha-Rachel Smith, consumer affairs editor with TopCashBack (www.topcashback.co.uk), a free cashback website with 1.5 million members, has warned that travellers heading across the Atlantic should check the validity of their ESTA, as airlines are instructed to refuse passengers boarding without a valid one.

While ESTA approval doesn’t guarantee entry into the US, it authorises travel to the country and costs just $14 (£9); applications can only be made online with payment by credit card. Smith also advises avoiding copycat sites charging extra, unnecessary fees with ESTA applications and to only use the official Department for Homeland Security site: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html.

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Goodbye Ruby cruise days

n Travelling with grandchildren needs planning

84 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine

Silver Travel Advisor

www.tlm-magazine.co.uk

All around the world To mark its 20th World Cruise and its 25th global voyage anniversary, luxury cruise line Crystal Cruises has unveiled a new route – a complete circumnavigation of the globe in 2015. The 108night voyage by Crystal Serenity will consist of six segments: Miami to Callao/Lima (16 nights), Callao/Lima to Auckland (19 nights), Auckland to Perth (21 nights), Perth to Cape Town (21 nights), Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro (15 nights) and Rio de Janeiro to Miami (16 nights). www.crystalcruises.co.uk n Crystal Serenity:

Crystal Cruises

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n Celebrate Saga Ruby’s final cruises

Saga Ruby, the last cruise ship built in the UK, will be retired from the Saga Cruises fleet at the beginning of 2014. The ship will celebrate its ruby anniversary – it was built in 1973 at Jarrow Shipyard on Tyneside – with one final Round the World Cruise, as well as cruising to many of the ports visited during its 40-year service. http://travel.saga.co.uk/holidays

Silver tips for toddler trips ith more grandparents taking on childcare, Silver Travel Advisor, a website offering travel reviews and advice for over-50s, has come up with the top 10 tips from its forum for grandparents travelling with young children during the school summer holidays.

Suggestions include practice runs such as days out before a longer trip, getting familiar with their routines, offering treats, making frequent stops and being patient with teenagers using electronic devices.

For more information on Silver Travel Advisor, visit the website at www.silvertraveladvisor.com.

n Cruising back to Alaska

Saga Cruises

n An expired ESTA may well put the brakes on a USA holiday

Oceania Cruises

Peter Ellegard

travel update n news

Summer 2012

Summer 2012

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on your doorstep n chilterns

English

country garden

The chalk downlands of the Chiltern Hills span some of the country’s prettiest and most pristine countryside – scenery that, according to Peter Ellegard, evokes the true spirit of rural England

“If there is a corner of the land that is forever England, this is it”

tretching from the Thames in Oxfordshire through Buckinghamshire and up into Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, the Chiltern Hills epitomise the idyllic image of unspoilt English countryside. Sleepy hamlets of picture-postcard cottages framed by wisteria and rambling roses and set within perfect gardens, quaint village pubs alongside ancient churches, a rolling landscape of grassland, woods and windswirled crops – they are quintessentially English scenes that should be set to stirring music such as Elgar’s Nimrod or Tudor folk song Greensleeves.

Kent may be known as the Garden of England, but

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the Chilterns landscape truly embodies a classical English Country Garden; if viewed from above, the fields, chalk downland and meadows would resemble a giant patchwork lawn draped over gentle uplands with magnificent beechwoods and tree-filled valleys as borders, pretty villages like random flower beds, winding country lanes as paths and the snaking Thames a water feature forming its southern boundary.

The Chiltern Hills have been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, one of 33 in England.

Bounded by the M25 to the east, it is the closest AONB to London and covers 650 square miles of the Home Counties that just beg to be explored.

Summer 2012

on your doorstep n chilterns

Cliveden House & Pavilion Spa

The pristine scenery is interrupted by only two large towns, Luton and High Wycombe. Mostly, the landscape is dotted by villages and delightful small towns such as Amersham, Tring and Marlow.

The Chilterns are a joy to visit at any time of year, with woodlands carpeted in bluebells in spring, meadows erupting in wild flowers in summer, autumnal yellows and golds contrasting the greenery and the frosts and snow of winter. And, all the while, the glorious sight of red kites performing spectacular aerobatics as they wheel overhead.

Re-introduced only just over 20 years ago, they are now a familiar and welcome feature of the Chiltern skies.

footpaths

Peter Ellegard

VisitBritain/Britain on View

Walking is one of the best ways to explore the area and enjoy its scenery. A network of around 1,250 miles (over 2,000km) of footpaths and bridleways criss-cross n Cliveden is a Chilterns landmark the Chilterns, among them two National Trails.

The Ridgeway (www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ridgeway) is an ancient path linking Avebury in Wiltshire with IvingLondon, skirts the southern edge of the Chilterns hoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire, along which people between Wallingford and Taplow. Along the way have travelled for 5,000 years or more. It takes it takes in the genteel rowing mecca of walkers through woodlands and nature n Henley Regatta Henley-on-Thames and the Grade I-listed reserves in the Chilterns, offering up formal gardens and parkland of Cliveden panoramic vistas as it traverses the chalk (www.clivedenhouse.co.uk), the former ridge. Shorter, circular walks can be country house where one of the greatest undertaken along the route. political scandals – the Profumo Affair, The Thames Path National Trail involving Government minister John (www.nationaltrail.co.uk/thamespath), which follows the river from its source to Profumo and prostitute Christine Keeler, the

n Statue at Cliveden

n Watlington Hill, Oxfordshire National Trust Images/John Miller

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on your doorstep n chilterns

mistress of an alleged Russian spy – happened in the early 1960s. Owned by the National Trust, Cliveden has been a luxury hotel since 1985, and you can even book a Profumo Affair Break, which includes a guided tour outlining the events.

A circular walking route of the Chilterns AONB is offered by the signposted Chiltern Way, set up Chiltern Society (www.chilternsociety.org.uk) volunteers as part of its millennium project. The original 134-mile (214km) route goes from Hemel Hempstead through places including Marlow, Hambleden, Stokenchurch and the Dunstable Downs, taking in part of the Ridgeway. It now has optional extensions at the northern and southern ends, adding 27 miles (43km) and 31 miles (50km) respectively, with a new Berkshire Loop adding a further 28 miles (45km) established in October 2010 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Chiltern Way. That now takes the route to a maximum of 221 miles (352km).

There are many short and medium walks to do in the Chilterns, too; some are stile-free and easy for the less able, and a number of them start from railway stations.

watercress beds Among the many available walks are a series wonderfully-called Walk Like the Clappers. These three walks, which range from a gentle 1.5-mile stroll to a sevenmile hike and take in some of the most scenic areas of the northern Chilterns, are not named because you have to speed-walk the routes, but because they go through the National Trust-owned Sharpenhoe Clappers (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sharpenhoe-clappers), a woodland and ancient chalk escarpment offering superb views.

The Chiltern Society organises year-round walks open to non-members. Sunday and weekday walks take about two and a half hours while regular day walks cover 10-12 miles. More than 40 free walks leaflets are available on its website, and its online shop also sells a range of footpath maps covering the region. Detailed Ordnance Survey (www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk) maps are well worth buying.

Cycling is another great way to see the countryside.

Adventurous cyclists can cover all 170 miles of the

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n Marlow and the River Thames

red kites in the chilterns One of the most common sights in the skies above the Chilterns, particularly in the south and east, is of flocks of soaring and tumbling red kites.

Yet these beautiful raptors, distinguishable by their forked tails, had been persecuted to extinction in England in the 19th century and were n Red kite only reintroduced in a RSPB project in 1989. in flight The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was one of the first reintroduction sites and over a five-year period more than 90 birds were brought from Spain and released. The first successful breeding happened in 1992, since when numbers have increased steadily. Today, there are up to 600 resident pairs in the Chilterns and the birds have full legal protection.

One of the best places to see them is around Watlington, on the Icknield Way trail, as they glide and swoop over the chalk escarpments. Some chicks are tagged and ringed for identification, the tag on the left wing being yellow for the Chilterns with a second colour denoting the year born. For more information, visit www.redkites.net.

Chilterns Cycleway, a circular route through the four counties that is signposted throughout and mainly follows roads. To do it all would need a week, if done at leisure and allowing plenty of stops to take in pubs, villages and historic places of interest en route. Sections of it can be done as day trips, and there are many cycle

Summer 2012

VisitBritain/Britain on View

n Burnham Beeches comprises woodland and common land

An iconic feature of the Chilterns since the Medieval period, commons are areas of public land ranging from small grass verges to woodlands and expanses of grassland. There are still around 200 commons in the Chilterns and they provide an important wildlife habitat as well as space for people to enjoy.

With commons under increasing threat from development, a new four-year initiative called the Chilterns Commons Project was launched in September, 2011, with a ÂŁ400,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

Coordinated by the Chilterns Conservation Board and with volunteers helping from the Chiltern Society, the scheme aims to research their history, study how they are faring and encourage people to make the most of them for recreation.

For more information and to find out about volunteer opportunities, go to www.chilternsociety.org.uk/commons-project.php.

National Trust Images/John Miller

VisitBritain/Britain on View

chilterns commons

on your doorstep n chilterns

n Pitstone Windmill in Buckinghamshire

chiltern facts

shops located throughout the AONB or just beyond where you can rent bikes for the day or longer.

There are many fascinating places where you can lose yourself for an hour or two, or even a day. The Chiltern Society runs three places worth a visit. Lacey Green Windmill, near Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire, is the oldest smock windmill in England, dating from 1650, and is open on Sundays and Bank Holidays from the first Sunday in May to the last Sunday in September. The Ewelme Watercress Beds, on the western edge of the Chilterns AONB in Oxfordshire, extend the entire length of the village and cover 6.5 acres (2.5 hectares), with produce still going to Covent Garden Market. It is owned as well as managed by the society, as is 36-acre (14.5ha) Bottom Wood, a nature reserve comprising mostly ancient woodland near Stokenchurch in Buckhinghamshire.

model village Buckinghamshire’s Chiltern Open Air Museum (www.coam.org.uk) is a collection of over 30 reconstructed traditional buildings from the area tracing 2,000 years of history, with its information centre in what was reputed to be one of Henry VIII’s hunting lodges. Themed events are held from the end of March to late October and the museum has also had starring roles in TV and movie productions, including Downton Abbey and Midsomer Murders. The timeless village of Turville is another favourite TV and film location.

On a smaller scale, the Bekonscot Model Village & Railway (www.bekonscot.co.uk) is the world’s oldest original model village and has enjoyed many royal visits during its 80-plus year history. Enid Blyton’s book, Enchanted Village, is based on Bekonscot.

The National Trust (www.nationaltrust.org.uk) maintains a number of attractions in the region. They encompass several scenic beauty spots such as Watlington Hill, Dunstable Downs, Pulpit Hill and Coombe Hill, the highest point in the Chilterns, as well as pretty villages including West Wycombe and Bradenham and stately homes such as West Wycombe Park and Greys Court.

Nature lovers will also love exploring Chilterns woods, among them the Forestry Commission’s Wendover Woods (www.forestry.gov.uk/wendoverwoods), on the edge of an escarpment near Tring which is notable for its extensive spring bluebell displays and as the habitat of Europe’s smallest bird, the firecrest. If you want to get active, there is a family cycle trail as well as horse riding, a nearby

VisitBritain/ Chris Coe

n Queen’s Head Pub, Little Marlow By car, the M25 skirts the eastern edge of the Chilterns region, while the M40 and M1 bisect it. Chiltern Trains (www.chilternrailways.co.uk) operates through the Chilterns from London’s Marylebone station. London Midland (www.londonmidland.com) trains from Euston stop at Berkhamsted and Tring, First Capital Connect (www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk) serves Hitchin from Kings Cross and First Great Western (www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk) trains stop at Henley-on-Thames from Paddington.

getting around Several bus operators run services in the Chilterns. For information, go to http://traveline.info. There are 20 Chiltern rail stations on four lines, so getting around by train is also feasible.

accommodation The Chilterns offers a host of options for stays in the region, including campsites, holiday cottages, B&Bs, pubs and luxury hotels. Find B&Bs online at the Chiltern Accommodation Association website, www.chilternsaccommodation.co.uk. Notable hotels include Cliveden (www.clivedenhouse.co.uk) and the Crown (www.thecrownamersham.com), in n Waddesdon Amersham, where movie Four Weddings and Manor a Funeral was partly filmed.

VisitBritain/Britain on View

VisitBritain/Britain on View

getting there

more information

The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: www.chilternsaonb.org The Chiltern Society: www.chilternsociety.org.uk Visit Buckinghamshire: www.visitbuckinghamshire.org Tourism South East: www.visitsoutheastengland.com

n The Roald Dahl Museum

mountain downhill bike track and the Go Ape forest adventure course (http://goape.co.uk/days-out/wendover), with tree-top high wires, crossings and zip wires.

One attraction definitely worth a family visit is the award-winning Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre (www.roalddahlmuseum.org) in the picturesque Buckinghamshire village of Great Missenden. The author lived in the village for 36 years and the museum, which is aimed at six to 12-year-olds, features two fun galleries including his original writing hut, as well as the interactive Story Centre. You can grab a meal, including a slice of Bogtrotter cake, at the on-site Café Twit.

One dark cloud hangs over the Chilterns – the threat of the HS2 high-speed rail line carving its way through the landscape. Campaigners have already taken the battle to Westminster and they have promised to fight to the bitter end. Who can blame them? If there is a corner of the land that is forever England, this is it.

VisitBritain/ Olivier Roques-Rogery

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Summer 2012

travel n tech

Perfect vision or travellers packing for a memorable holiday, the latest marvel from Austrian precision optical specialist Swarovski Optik can truly bring the world into sharp focus.

Edge-to-edge focus, in fact, thanks to field flattener lenses on the new EL 32 Swarovision binoculars that produce a virtually flat image to give perfect sharpness right across the lenses and an unrestricted field of view, even for people wearing glasses.

The high-definition optics reduce colour fringing and so create maximum colour contrast, while optimised coatings make for truer-to-life, brighter images.

The ultimate in luxury, high-end viewing, the EL 32 binoculars have been designed with the needs of the discerning traveller in mind and to be simple to use on the go. Weighing just 580 grams, they are lighter than the previous model and feature a wrap-around grip to give maximum stability in use even with one hand. The large focusing wheel can

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also be operated while wearing gloves.

There are two models, 8x32 and 10x32, and they come in either green or sand-brown. As standard, they even come with an adaptor for compact digital cameras to capture the amazing clarity of chosen subjects, as well as a field bag, lens protectors and strap. The 8x32 binoculars cost £1,540 and the 10x32 ones cost £1,570.

For more details on the EL 32 Swarovision binoculars and other models, go to www.swarovskioptik.com. l You can WIN a pair of Pocket 8x20 binoculars, also from Swarovski Optik. Light, rugged and compact, folding to a width of just 2.2 inches, they are worth £495. Just go to www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on Competitions. Terms and conditions apply.

Closing date September 22, 2012.

Easy reader

Intent on security

A versatile new Ebook reader, the TrekStor Pyrus not only puts thousands of books into the palm of your hand, but its compatibility with a wide range of formats including PDF and EPUB also allows you to read your own document files wherever you are.

The Pyrus incorporates TrekStor eReader Suite software, which provides an intuitive way for users to browse, preview, download and read content. It uses digital ink technology on its six-inch screen for paperlike clarity and has portrait/landscape switching for easy reading.

The 4GB internal storage holds about 4,000 books and there is also a slot for microSD and microSDHC memory cards.

The Pyrus eBook Reader has an RRP of just £59.99 and is available from www.trekstor-reader.com.

amping out this summer? Worry no more about leaving your tent unoccupied at night thanks to a new motionactivated LED night light.

The Mr Beams Universal Light detects movement and will turn on in the dark as soon as a tent door is unzipped, warning away potential intruders.

The light detects motion up to 10 feet (three metres) away and automatically shuts off 30 seconds after the last movement is detected.

It can also be used to provide internal light when the tent is occupied and is more practical than a torch as its flat base will sit on any surface. Its weatherproof design also means it can be used outdoors,

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either to find your way to and from the tent or for use in campsite toilets.

Using the latest lowpower LED technology, it produces a bright white light powered by four AA batteries that last a year on average.

The Mr Beams Universal Light retails for £12.95 and is available from www.mrbeams.co.uk.

Summer 2012

travel n tech

BRAVEN smart istening to your music while on holiday or enjoying a summer picnic has suddenly got a whole lot easier, thanks to clever, new go-anywhere speakers.

The BRAVEN Six Series speakers connect wirelessly with any Bluetooth-compatible gadget such as smartphones, iPads and laptops to make your music, movies or games sound bigger and better. What’s more, they charge any smartphone, via USB cable, even while the music plays on. They can also act as a handsfree speakerphone and be daisy-chained together for parties.

The rugged, shockresistant 625s sports model comes with a waterproof bag and a USB LED torch – great for entertainment off the beaten track.

The BRAVEN 600 model, avail-

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able in red or dark grey, gives up to 12 hours’ play time and costs £129.99.

The sporty BRAVEN 625s, coming in black/grey or green/grey, plays for up to 16 hours and costs £149.99 including waterproof bag and LED torch. The BRAVEN 650 model is made from aircraft-grade aluminium, has a luxury silver finish, supports higher-quality aptX Bluetooth and plays for up to 20 hours. It costs £159.99.

The BRAVEN Six Series is exclusively distributed in the UK by Computers Unlimited and is available direct from www.BRAVEN.eu plus retailers including Amazon,

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Selfridges and The Conran Shop. l You can WIN a BRAVEN 600 model, worth £129.99. Go to www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on Competitions.

Terms and conditions apply. Closing date September 22, 2012.

ook and keep cool listening to your music or while you take calls this summer with the new Midland SUBZERO Sun headphones.

These snazzy headphones not only look great but they are lined with cotton and have fabric on the outside, to help keep your ears cool if you are out in the hot sun.

They also have a built-in microphone compatible with iPhone, Blackberry and Android phones as well as MP3 players, so you can make and take calls while wearing them.

Costing £34.95, they are available in black or orange, online from www.nevadaradio.co.uk.

Summer 2012

APPS CORNER Lifestyle Thailand is Tourism Thailand’s first-ever mobile travel app. Available free in the iTunes App Store and Android Market, it highlights 20%-50% discounts in 300 selected restaurants, tourist attractions and accommodation.

The app features eight travel experiences – Chic, Romantic, Breezy, Thainess, Adventure, Wellness, Easy n' Slow and Family – and tourists can create their own trips. www.tourismthailand.co.uk iPad users can now enjoy fast and easy access to Kuoni’s complete range of brochures, videos, travel articles feed and website with the tour operator’s new app. Free to download from Apple’s App Store, it is automatically kept up to date with Kuoni’s brochures, which, once downloaded, can be read any time, even offline. www.kuoni.co.uk Keep safe on UK beaches this summer with the new, free RNLI beach finder Android and Apple app. It locates the user’s position and lists the nearest lifeguarded beaches, providing information on water quality and real-time weather, details of the beaches and any specific hazards, and lifeguard patrol dates and times. The app also includes fun elements. www.rnli.org/beach Fred Olsen Cruise Lines has launched a free app for the iPhone and iPad to enable guests to find their ideal cruise holiday. Main features include the ability to search for cruise departures throughout 2012 and 2013 up until early 2014, view full cruise details, reference real-time cabin pricing and availability, and check out featured destination highlights. www.fredolsencruises.com

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checking out n hotel accommodation

InterContinental Hotel Group

Flop and fly

n Bedroom at the Holiday Inn Southend Airport

focus: airport hotels here is nothing like a holiday to recharge the batteries and revive our spirits. But sometimes they can create even more stress than they are meant to cure. Traffic jams, road closures, train delays – all can make getting to the airport a panic-stricken nightmare, and an expensive exercise or even an aborted trip if you miss your flight.

Stay at an airport hotel the night before and it not only removes the worry of getting to the terminal in plenty of time, even more important in these days of increased security checks and earlier check-in times, but it can also be part of the holiday experience.

It is often cheaper to book an overnight airport hotel stay combined with parking for the duration of your holiday than it is to just park at the airport.

Value doesn’t have to mean cheap and cheerful accommodation, either. Top-quality airport hotels can be surprisingly affordable, particularly as part of a package with parking, and the earlier you book the greater the savings you can make.

HolidayExtras.com (www.holidayextras.com) offers London area airport hotels with holiday parking from only £85 in early September, with a night’s stay at an “Undercover” four-star hotel – you find out the identity of the hotel after you have booked – at Stansted Airport and eight days’ parking.

If you prefer to know where you are staying, it has a night at the four-star Sheraton Skyline at Heathrow Airport with a week’s parking for just £87, or you can choose a room at the Sofitel Gatwick plus eight days’ personal parking – where you hand over the car keys for someone else to park it, then have it delivered to the airport on your return – for £163, both based on a September 2 stay.

Should you just want an overnight room prior to flying, the four-star Stansted Hilton at the same time costs from just £49, a quad room at the three-star Best Western Moat House at Gatwick is £53.10 or a night in an Undercover four-star Heathrow hotel costs under £2 more, at £55. All prices are based on a search carried out on July 18.

HolidayExtras.com offers airport hotel savings of up to 40%. Advance bookings on parking can save up to

HolidayExtras.com

n Sheraton Skyline, Heathrow

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Marriott International

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n Renaissance Heathrow Club Lounge

60%, with options including parking at the hotel, secured parking at the airport or nearby with transfers to and from the terminal, and meet and greet parking. It also offers access to 38 lounges at 22 UK airports.

APH (www.aph.com) offers parking at hotels from Heathrow’s Premier Travel Inn and Gatwick’s Worth and Skylane hotels at the budget end to luxury properties such as the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Gatwick and the Renaissance at Heathrow, where Club level guest rooms have access to a Club Lounge giving views across the runways. Some hotels, including Gatwick’s Sofitel, are packaged with parking at APH-owned car parks and offer flexible durations.

Parking specialist BCP (www.parkbcp.co.uk) also offers airport hotels besides on and off-airport parking, through preferred partner HolidayExtras.com, while Superbreak (www.superbreak.com) offers rail travel in addition to airport hotels and parking packages. Other companies offering airport hotels include Expedia (www.expedia.co.uk) and Lastminute.com (www.lastminute.com).

One thing to consider when booking a pre-flight stay is just how close the hotel is to the airport or terminal.

Some, like the new £10million Holiday Inn Southend Airport (www.holidayinn.com) which opens in August ahead of the Paralympics or the 500-room Radisson Blu Stansted Airport (www.radissonblu.co.uk) which boasts a Wine Tower Bar staffed by “angels” who soar up the glass tower suspended on wires to get bottles, are just a short walk from the terminal. Hotels may be on an

Summer 2012

checking out n hotel accommodation

HOTEL NEWS

Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa near Bath is launching a new cookery school in autumn. Located in a small house on the estate, the school will be headed up by Lucknam’s 2010 National Chef of the Year, Hrishikesh Desai. Classes will comprise up to 12 participants and six cooking stations. Each participant will receive a folder of menus and a certificate. The weekday courses will cost from £175 per person including breakfast, lunch and refreshments. www.lucknampark.co.uk

Heckfield Place

HolidayExtras.com

March 2013 will see the transformation of an 18th century Hampshire manor house and estate into an intimate hotel with 60 rooms set around stables, a walled garden and in the manor house. Less than an hour from London, Heckfield Place is set in 400 acres of garden, woodland and rolling countryside with a working farm that includes rare-breed Aberdeen Angus cows. It will feature an underground cinema. www.heckfieldplace.com

Radisson Hotels & Resorts

n Family dining at the Sofitel Gatwick

Lucknam Park Hotel

n Radisson Blu East Midlands

“Top-quality airport hotels can be surprisingly affordable”

WIN a luxury UK airport hotel stay, with eight days’ parking and airport lounge access worth over £250 HolidayExtras.com is offering one lucky tlm reader the chance to get their summer break off to a hassle-free start with this great prize – an overnight stay at a luxury airport hotel, with eight days parking and entrance to a luxury airport lounge for two at a UK airport. The prize is worth over £250 and is valid for one year. Just go to www.tlm-magazine.co.uk and click on Competitions. Terms and conditions apply. Closing date September 22, 2012.

Summer 2012

Pride of Britain Hotels has two new, historic member hotels. Located in the Surrey countryside and surrounded by a moat, Elizabethan manor house Langshott Manor is a rambling 22-bedroom boutique hotel. One-night stays cost from £99 per room on a room-only basis. The Dial House Hotel (above), in Cotswold village Bourton-on-the Water, has 14 individually-designed bedrooms, a walled garden and an award-winning restaurant. Rooms cost £155 per night including full English breakfast. www.prideofbritainhotels.com DoubleTree by Hilton now has its sixth hotel in London with the rebranding of the former Ramada London Heathrow hotel as the DoubleTree by Hilton Heathrow Airport. The 200-room hotel joins two existing Hilton properties at the airport.

Facilities include wireless high-speed internet in guestrooms and public areas, with free access in the bar and restaurant, and the brand’s signature welcome of a warm chocolate chip cookie given to every guest at check-in. www.doubletree.com

Hilton Worldwide

airport shuttle bus route, while others can be several miles from both the airport and where you have to park.

Facilities are another factor to bear in mind. Some hotels, including the Radisson Blu Stansted and the Radisson Blu East Midlands which opened last October, offer free Wi-Fi but many others charge for it.

If creature comforts are not essential, you can opt for a minimalist family room at low-cost hotels such as the Etap Birmingham Airport (www.accorhotels.com).

And if you want a touch of luxury, some hotels have pools and spas – so you can really get the holiday off to a relaxing start.

Pride of Britain

Accor Hotels

n Etap Birmingham Airport

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checking out n hotel reviews

n Lobby bar

http://dublinhotels.jurysinns.com

Double room from 87 euros, room-only

Location, location hat more could you ask for when visiting Dublin than to have one of its major attractions, the 1,000year-old Christ Church Cathedral, literally across the road from your hotel?

That is what makes the Jurys Inn Christchurch such a great base for a stay in the city. It is also within easy walking distance of other key sights including the Guinness Storehouse and the lively Temple Bar district’s pubs and bars, and is on sightseeing tour bus routes.

For guests in front-facing rooms, the cathedral is perhaps a little too close. With no air conditioning, you have to leave the double-

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glazed window open – and the regular peel of its loud bells could disturb light sleepers.

Thankfully I can sleep through anything, and the girl who checked me in had mentioned the bells and asked whether I would prefer a quieter room at the back without the view, which I declined.

The mid-market hotel’s public areas are very welcoming and airy, while the excellent buffet breakfast is just the start you need to fortify you for exploring Dublin. The lobby and restaurant areas also have free Wi-Fi, something sadly lacking in the rooms, where you can only get online with paid-for wired

best for l Great location l City breaks l Filling breakfast

www.dreaminnsantacruz.com

n Surfboards at the bar

n The Dream Inn pool deck

96 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine

Pictures: : JDV Hotels

With its bright yellow furniture and lime green shutters, there’s no mistaking who the beachfront Dream Inn hotel in California’s Santa Cruz is aimed at. Guests staying here are in town to have fun, fun, fun and the vivid retrochic decor reflects the bohemian atmosphere of the place where surfing first started on the American mainland and is still a

www.tlm-magazine.co.uk

bedroom

access – no good for smartphones or iPads.

While comfortable, the room looked a bit tired, as did the corridors. That is being addressed from January, when all rooms are scheduled to be refurbished. Public areas are being spruced up at the end of this year.

Hopefully the interior will then match its grand location. Until then, the jury’s out.

Peter Ellegard

best for l Surfing fun l Romantic sunsets l Funky decor could do better l Noisy exterior corridors

n Comfortable

could do better l No in-room Wi-Fi

Surf ’s up

Dream Inn Santa Cruz, California Tel: +1 831 426 4330 Three-night packages from around $300, room only

factbox Jurys Inn Dublin Hotel Christchurch Christchurch Place, Dublin, 8 Tel: +353 1 454 0000

Pictures: Jurys Hotels

n Jurys Inn Christchurch exterior

strong part of the culture today.

The surfing links with the hotel are very strong, underlined by the surfboards mounted on the bar ceiling. It is the only hotel right on the beachfront, , and you can watch surfers catch waves out on Monterey Bay from your balcony (all rooms have a balcony or patio) or, as I did, walk down to Cowell’s

Beach and get a surfing lesson right in front of the hotel if you don’t have your own board.

The Dream Inn is also conveniently near the historic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

At night, the soothing sound of the lapping waves is augmented by the distant barking of sealions at the end of the nearby wharf.

A popular place to relax and soak up the California sun is the hotel’s spacious pool deck, which has a children’s wading pool and a pool bar. There is also a spa, to help untangle muscles knotted by your surfing exploits.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the Aquarius restaurant, where local seafood and regional wine are specialities.

It is located next to the pool deck, with floor-to ceiling windows giving panoramic views of the beach and bay.

Just the place for a board meeting.

Peter Ellegard

Summer 2012

Summer 2012

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checking out n self catering news + review

self-catering news

SELF-CATERING CLIPS

tuck for somewhere to take the children on holiday this summer? If you haven’t yet found that elusive last-minute package holiday, a family self-catering staycation in Norfolk could be the perfect answer.

Kett Country Cottages has a portfolio of nearly 190 cottages and holiday homes across North Norfolk, and there is still availability at several. With prices far cheaper than overseas holidays, money saved could be put into family treats and days out.

Larger families will feel at home in Home Farm House; a detached period property close to the Norfolk Broads and a 10-minute drive from beaches, it sleeps up to 10 and costs from only £950 per week – £95 per person.

Alternatively, Mill House sleeps eight and is set in 1.5 acres of secluded garden, and once the little ones are tucked up for the night, mum and dad can grab a little togetherness time in the large outdoor hot tub. Prices are from £785 per week.

For details on those and other properties, go to www.kettcountrycottages.co.uk.

n Mill House lounge

Kett Country Cottages

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Kett Country Cottages

n Home Farm House

A minimalist North Norfolk holiday home designed by Olympic Velodrome designers Hopkins Architects has August late availability. The Long House, near Wells, sleeps 10 and has five bedrooms, a circular staircase, large communal living spaces and Morning and Evening Yards as well as upstairs views over saltmarshes and the sea. Short summer breaks start at £1,590. www.living-architecture.co.uk

Living Architecture

Family getaways

A new website offers the UK’s first onestop-shop for last-minute self-catering holidays. Booking specialist Latelettings.com allows guests to search, book and pay for breaks instantly, and covers cottages, apartments, yurts and other accommodation. The price displayed is guaranteed, with no booking fees or credit charges added. www.latelettings.com

Stoke by Nayland Country Lodges, Essex Sitting in the luxurious surroundings of the new Stoke

by Nayland lodges it’s hard to believe that during World War II the site was the home of a Women’s Land Army hostel.

Nestled in 300 acres of beautiful, rolling Constable Country on the Suffolk-Essex border, the lodges provide an idyllic escape which can be shared with family and friends.

They make an ideal base for exploring this idyllic area, offering opportunities for walks or sightseeing, or just relaxing.

The inspiration for the elegant, simple interior design is also taken from the 1940s and it is of the highest standard, combining classic simplicity with state-ofthe-art technology and

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factbox Stoke by Nayland Country Lodges Leavenheath, Colchester, Essex CO64PZ Tel: 01206 262836

n Lodge exterior. Below: spacious lounge

Stoke by Nayland Country Lodges

Mod con lodging

www.stokebynaylandlodges.com

Lodges from £295 for a two-night break best for l Romantic break or family gathering l Golfing or spa break l Stunning views could do better l Some tea towels please appliances, including surroundsound systems, 42” TVs, Blu-ray players, free DVDs, iPod docking

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stations and free Wi-Fi. The unique design incorporates the hostel’s renovated original tower, which provides a communal space.

Located close to the Stoke-byNayland Hotel, the lodges offer guests the freedom of selfcatering with the flexibility of personal chef and waiter service, or the opportunity to be spoilt and experience fine dining in the hotel’s AA rosette-rated restaurant. Guests have 24/7 access to a lodge porter and a shuttle service to the hotel.

A championship golf course is on site and guests have free use of the hotel’s swimming pool, Technogym gymansium and indoor spa, which offers many treatments.

Lodges can be rented either as one large unit, accommodating up to 10, or as two separate units each including kitchen, lounges and double bedrooms.

With such stunning surrounding scenery, it’s not hard to see why Constable took such inspiration from the local landscape.

Peter Lewsey

Summer 2012

Summer 2012

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■ SEASONAL BREAKS Hotel and Self Catering Newquay

Overlooking Porth beach and the stunning North Cornish coastline, Glendorgal Hotel and Self Catering is set in a secluded coastal position within 17 acres of private headland, yet only a short stroll from Newquay town centre. ♦ Choice of hotel rooms or 2 & 3 bedroom self catering houses ♦ 2 night stays available in self catering ♦ Watermark Brasserie and Bar ♦ Health Club with fitness arena ♦ Swimming Pool ♦ Hot tub ♦ Sauna ♦ Steam Room ♦ Free Parking

Lusty Glaze Road, Porth, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 3AD Call now on 01637 874937 E-mail: info@glendorgal.co.uk www.glendorgalhotel.co.uk www.glendorgalselfcatering.co.uk

The Hotel Collingwood is one of Bournemouth's finest hotels, ideally situated we are only a short walk to the beach, Bournemouth International Centre and cosmopolitan town centre.

A family run establishment 5% discount ensures you of an offered when exceptionally high standard quoting this of service at all times. The advertisement hotel has 53 modern ensuite bedrooms, which have their own distinctive style and are all furnished and equipped with individual heating controls, direct dial telephone, digital freeview TV, tea & coffee facilities. Lift access to all floors, as well as ample free parking for 70 cars.

We provide an exceptional and exciting array of entertainment most evenings throughout the year, Each live cabaret is unique, whether you want to dance the night away or just listen, all tastes of music are catered for.

Hotel Collingwood 11 Priory Road, Bournemouth BH2 5DF Tel: 01202 557575 Email: info@hotel-collingwood.co.uk www.hotel-collingwood.co.uk

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Summer 2012

SEASONAL BREAKS ■

Explore Cornwall Central for Lands End, Eden and St Ives Summer Break 3 nights for £350 for 2 people Indulgence Break 1 night for £169 for 2 people Accomodation and lots of special extras at an extra special rate.

Penventon Park Hotel Redruth, Cornwall, TR15 1TE T: 01209 203000 E: enquiries@penventon.com Visit us at: www.penventon.co.uk

Lansdowne Place Hotel & Spa

BRIGHTON & HOVE

“The best of Brighton & Hove”

• Luxury 4 hotel just steps away from Hove seafront • Stunning bedrooms • Function rooms up to 250 delegates • Cocktail bar and Restaurant • ESPA • Friendly staff at your disposal 24h a day

“We make your stay the best experience”

La n s do wn e P la ce H otel & Sp a

L a nsdo wne Pl a ce , H o ve BN 3 1 H Q T: 0 12 7 3 7 36 5 26 6 F : 0 1 27 3 72 98 0 2 Summer 2012

E : in fo @ l an s d o w n e p la ce . co . uk

w w w . l an s d o w n ep la ce . co . uk

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london life n olympic london

n Five-ring circus: the Olympics are finally here

London calling

London 2012

With the Olympic Games and Paralympics following hard on the heels of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the whole world is watching London this summer. Julie Thompson looks at the venues, how you can still join in the action and how the Games will benefit the city long after the athletes have returned home

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olympic park One of the main focuses of the London 2012 Games, with up to 180,000 spectators a day taking in the multitude of events, the Olympic Park will be transformed from an Olympic site into a

new piece of the city, in the heart of London’s East End. By spring 2014, the

560-acre Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford will be like no other in the UK. As well as its iconic

no tickets? no problem!

If you missed out on Olympics tickets, there are several events in the latter stages and in the Paralympics that you can enjoy for free: l August 4, 11: Race Walk – taking place on the streets of central London, finishing at The Mall, this is a series of speed-walk events including a men’s and women’s 20-kilometre race and a men’s 50k race. l August 4, 7: Triathlon – watch athletes compete in a demanding triathlon schedule, which includes swimming, cycling and running, in London’s Hyde Park. The competition is made up of a 1,500m swim, 40k cycle ride and a 10k run. l August 5, 12: Marathon – the Olympic Marathon will pass landmarks such as the Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral, Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. Unlike the London

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venues, the park will have two distinct areas – the landscaped river valley in the north and a 50-acre

urban landscape in the south.

The North Park will open first, in 2013, and

Marathon, with 35,000 runners, the Olympic Marathon only has around 80 competitors. l August 9-10: Swimming marathon – the world’s best n Marathon Swimming, Hyde Park. marathon swimmers will take to the Serpentine in Hyde Park to compete in the Olympic 10k Marathon Swim, completing six laps of the lake. The south side of the lake will be open to spectators without tickets. l September 9: Paralympic marathons – watch the men’s and women’s marathons. Large parts of the course are free to watch, with access to The Mall by ticket only.

David Poultney for LOCOG

s the first city to have held the Olympic Games three times – previously in 1908 and 1948 – London has been centre stage once more as host of the Games of the XXX Olympiad. While the city continues to celebrate its summer to remember, we give you an insight of life after the Games and the legacy the Olympics will leave for the capital.

Summer 2012

ity and aquatic disciplines, offering a range of programmes. The centre will be open to the local community and schools.

the arcelormittal orbit

n Beach Volleyball test event ahead of London 2012

LOCOG

will include a naturethemed community hub and playground and a 7,500-capacity indoor entertainment venue with a yearly programme of high-profile sporting and music events.

The South Plaza will sit between the Stadium, Aquatics Centre and the ArcelorMittal Orbit. The tree-lined promenade will connect spaces to be used for events and attractions including cultural programmes, pop-up street food stalls and community events.

As well as the green, open spaces and tranquil waterways, the park will be a place to live and work, with five new neighbourhoods and its own commercial district.

With Europe’s largest urban shopping centre right on its doorstep and thousands of hotel rooms just a short walk away, among them the newly-opened Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is set to become a leading leisure and business destination.

Regional Park Authority after the Games and will be known as the Lee Valley VeloPark. The 6,000-seat velodrome will be used by high-performance athletes who will train alongside the local and regional community.

Aquatics Centre: Situated on the main gateway into the Park, the Aquatics Centre, with two 50-metre pools, will provide an important legacy for London, which only has two of this size currently.

Following its transformation after the Games, the centre will cater for all levels of swimming abil-

The Stadium: The centrepiece of the London 2012 Games, the Stadium will retain athletics at its core after the Games and will host a range of sporting, entertainment and cultural events. It will also be the host venue for the 2017 World Athletics Championships.

VeloPark: The VeloPark will be owned and managed by Lee Valley

Summer 2012

n

The ArcelorMittal Orbit

London 2012

park venues

The ArcelorMittal Orbit, Britain’s largest piece of public art at just over 377 feet high, commissioned to provide a lasting legacy of the 2012 Games, was designed by Turner Prize winner Anish Kapoor and one of the world’s leading structural designers, Cecil Balmond. While the Games are on, visitors with tickets for the Orbit can take the glass lift to the top in just 30 seconds for stunning views over the Olympic Stadium, Olympic Park and the whole of London.

When it reopens in 2014, the ArcelorMittal Orbit will operate as a visitor attraction with ticketed viewing from the observation decks. It will be able to accommodate around 5,000 visitors a day, with an estimated one million people visiting the attraction in the first year.

Visitors will be able to take the lift to the top, and then descend via the 455 steps of the spiral staircase to view the 2,000 tonnes of steel used to make this incredible structure.

With its featured lighting made up of 250 coloured spotlights, the Orbit is set to become a beacon of East London both day and night in the years to come.

n Mark Cavendish won the London 2012 road race test event

did you know? l London 2012 is the first Summer Games to calculate its complete carbon footprint. It also aims to set a world record for the largest number of people neutralising their travel carbon to a single event. l The Olympic Park is the first and largest new parkland in Europe for more than 150 years.

Wetlands and river habitats have been restored from contaminated land. l The first marathon run over 26 miles and 385 yards was at the 1908 London Olympics; it was lengthened so that the Royal Family could see the start and end (it started at Windsor Castle and finished in front of the Royal Box at the stadium). l The first time athletes paraded under their national flags at the start of the Olympics was at the 1908 Games in London.

suits you For families: Enjoy a family picnic at one of the Live Sites located in the heart of London and beyond, taking place n Park Live CGI throughout the Games.

Entry is free and some have large screens to view events: www.london2012.com/join-in/live-sites.

For couples: Enjoy a Showtime event together; from dance to theatre or bandstand performances, there is something for all tastes as part of London’s “summer like no other”. For details, go to: www.visitlondon.com/events.

For value: On September 10, Team GB and Paralympics GB athletes parade through the capital’s centre to celebrate competing in London 2012. Take to the streets for a great free day out and to enjoy the end of the Games.

For luxury: If you have Olympic tickets, why not take an exclusive, private water taxi to your event?

With an onboard steward/stewardess offering drinks and canapés, and entertainment on board, it’s the VIP way to travel. Details online at: www.watertaxitotheolympicpark.co.uk.

tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk

London 2012

n The Olympic Stadium

LOCOG

London 2012

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london n news

St James Theatre

n Hit the roof on the new O2 climb

n Centre stage: the new St James Theatre

The Ritz London

Putting on the Ritz Quintessentially British institutions The Ritz and Thomas Pink have launched the definitive London shopping experience.

The Tickled Pink programme, n In the pink: Ritzy stay priced from £640 per night, includes overnight accommodation in a Louis XVI-inspired guestroom with fruit, flowers and a bottle of Champagne in-room on arrival, a twohour shopping excursion in Thomas Pink’s classic Morgan, starting with a glass of Champagne at their flagship boutique, a signature treatment in the Ritz Salon or your room, Champagne Afternoon Tea in the Palm Court and full English breakfast the next morning.

For details or to make a reservation, call 020 7493 8181, email reservations@theritzlondon.com or visit www.theritzlondon.com.

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Up on the roof he O2 in Greenwich is one of London’s most iconic landmarks and is now home to one of the capital’s newest and most exciting attractions, Up at the O2.

This 90-minute exhilarating outdoor challenge allows visitors to walk across the roof of the domed structure via a stretchable fabric walkway suspended 170 feet above

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ground level, between the O2’s distinctive yellow masts.

The observation platform at the summit offers spectacular 360-degree views of the capital and its many landmarks including the Olympic Park, Thames Barrier, the Shard and Canary Wharf.

Suitable for all ages from 10 onwards (and at least four feet – 1.2 metres – tall), the journey begins at Base

Camp, where visitors are kitted out in specially-made climbsuits, shoes and safety harnesses and are taken by trained guides to the base of the tent to start their climb.

Climbs take place every 30 minutes and you will need at least 90 minutes to complete your climb. For more details on opening times and ticket prices, go to www.UpatTheO2.co.uk.

View to a thrill

www.tlm-magazine.co.uk

xperience Britain’s first vertical town and Western Europe’s tallest building when The View from The Shard viewing platform opens on February 1, 2013.

At 1,016 feet (310m), The Shard features two high-speed kaleidoscopic lifts that take just 30 seconds to reach Level 68, offering a cloudscape above London. From here, visitors will make their way to Level 69 for 360-degree views across 40 miles of the city, with multimedia displays bringing the past, present and future of London to life.

The very best view in town is from Level 72, at 800ft (244m), the highest public level of The Shard and almost twice the height of any other London viewpoint. Here, exposed to the elements and the sights and sounds of the city below, you can see the shards of glass that form the top of this amazing new tower.

The View from The Shard will be open from 9am to 10pm daily; for more information and to book tickets, go to www.theviewfromtheshard.com.

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n The Shard will offer amazing views

Sellar Group

London’s first newly-built theatre complex in 30 years will open in the heart of Victoria in September.

St James Theatre, developed on the site of the former Westminster Theatre, will include a 312-seat theatre, a 100-seat studio theatre for one-night and short run comedy and live music events, brasserie and bar, and will be one of the most luxurious theatre venues in the city.

The first performance of Sandy Toksvig’s Bully Boy starring Anthony Andrews and Joshua Miles will be on September 18; the show runs until the end of October. For more details of upcoming performances and ticket prices, go to www.stjamestheatre.co.uk.

The O2

Curtain call for new theatre

Summer 2012

Summer 2012

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out & about n what’s on and where

The new £3.5 million Weymouth SEA LIFE Tower is 174 feet (53m) high and offers amazing 360-degree panoramic views of Weymouth Bay, Portland and the Jurassic Coast. The observation deck slowly revolves as it rises from ground level to full height and its floor-toceiling windows provide views, on a clear day, right down the coast to Lulworth Cove and the

iconic Durdle Door arch.

The 2012 Olympic sailing events are taking place in Weymouth and Portland Bays and any flights taken on race days will provide a perfect vantage spot for these events.

The tower is open seven days a week from 10am, with last entry at 7.15pm. Tickets for either the tower only or dual tickets combining the tower and SEA LIFE Adventure Park are available online from www.weymouth-tower.com.

Head off to Hever

Hever Castle

Hever Castle, n Knight rider childhood home of Anne Boleyn, has another packed summer of events for all the family, including the Knights of Royal England jousting tour on the weekends of August 10-12, 17-19 and 24-25.

You can experience a taste of the Mediterranean on September 1-2, when the castle’s Italian Garden provides the perfect backdrop for the Mediterranean Weekend. As well as the Italian statuary, topiary and colourful planting, exotic plants such as fiery chillies, olives and zesty citrus fruits abound.

September 14-16 sees craftspeople demonstrating country crafts ranging from wood carving and turning to guitar making and basket weaving in the Country Life at the Castle weekend.

For more details of Hever’s events, go to www.hevercastle.co.uk.

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n Travel back through time

Einstein a

Go Go

nglish Heritage has more than 400 historic sites nationwide, with 11 million visitors a year, many of whom are families.

The events club for children, Time Travellers Go, is designed to help them explore and enjoy history in a brand new way. Time Travellers Go events run throughout the year, and this summer sees some of England’s most auspicious sites hosting further fun events.

From August 6-10, Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden in Warwickshire has the Time Travellers Go...Gruesome

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event while Down House in Downe, Kent, home of Charles Darwin, has the Time Travellers Go...Discoveries and Inventions experience for all budding Einsteins.

Time Travellers Go...Through the Ages takes place at Framlingham Castle in Suffolk, while, from August 12-15, you can break out the best Medieval attire for Time Travellers Go...Knights and Princesses at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight.

For details of all Time Travellers Go events this summer, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk.

Treemendous fun three-day Treefest will take place at the National Arboretum at Westonbirt in the Cotswolds over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

As well as demonstrations of woodcraft and traditional skills, family activities, guided walks and woodlandinspired arts and crafts for sale, visitors will be able to watch carvers create three large wooden sculptures that will form part of a new play trail.

One is inspired by the Vincent van Gogh quote “if you love nature, you will find beauty everywhere”, another is an ornate chair based on the children’s game “what’s

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Paul Groom

Merlin Entertainments

n Tower takes off

English Heritage

Jurassic peek

n Watch wood carvers

the time, Mr Wolf?”, while the third one explores the knock-on-wood superstition.

Treefest 2012 is on from August 2527; for ticket details go to www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt-treefest.

Summer 2012

out & about n what’s on and where

ale, in and around the stunning location of Ludlow Castle. www.foodfestival.co.uk

Brighton cheesy

Baker’s dozen Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival

n Pantastic Brighton

Foodies Festivals take n Cookery demo place across the UK throughout the year and upcoming events include Battersea Park in London from August 17-19 and Oxford from August 25-27.

Top Michelin-star and TV chefs will be offering cooking demonstrations alongside tasting and sampling sessions, restaurant tents, produce markets and a cooking for kids theatre. www.foodiesfestival.com

Foodies Festival

Feast for foodies

Meat and drink

The Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival is the largest of its kind, running for 10 days, twice a year, with the second event of 2012 taking place from September 7-16.

The festival includes the Big Sussex Market, the largest free food event in the south of England, plus supper clubs and two international Chef Exchange Dinners. The festival finale weekend features the freeentry Sussex and the World Market on Hove Lawns, with entertainment, a Live Food Show and the quirky Sussex Cheese Bowling Championship. www.brightonfoodfestival.com

More cheese, please

The historic town of Ludlow has held an annual food festival since 1995 and this year’s event on September 7-9 will once again showcase excellent local suppliers and produce, from rare breeds of meat to real

Up, up and away he Bristol International Balloon Fiesta was founded in 1978 and this year’s event takes place on August 9-12 in the rolling hills of Ashton Court on

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Summer 2012

the edge of the city.

This free, world-class hot air ballooning festival, which attracts half a million people, has more than 100 balloons of all shapes and sizes taking to the sky each

Cardiff Castle provides the backdrop for the Great British Cheese Festival with Britain’s largest cheese market plus an array of artisan wines and ciders. Taking place on September 22-23, the festival also has a best of British market, a taste of Wales market and live entertainment. www.greatbritishcheesefestival.co.uk

n Cheese tasting

n Taking to the skies Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

n Local produce on view

Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival

Ludlow Food Festival

Seafood – and eat it The seventh annual Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival takes place on September 15-16, when more than 40,000 food lovers are expected to help celebrate Hastings’ n Hot stuff sustainable fishery, its vineyards and its excellent local food producers.

One of the UK’s biggest events in the food calendar celebrates its 13th year on September 1516; the Abergavenny n Hug a foodie Food Festival champions the craft in food-making, as well as the diversity of food and traditions throughout Wales and beyond.

A stroller ticket gives access to over 200 stalls across five market venues throughout the town as well as the rolling programme of chef demonstrations, live music and entertainment. www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com

Cardiff Castle

While Britain may not be seen as top of the culinary chart, we not only love our food but have some of the best local produce in the world. Celebrate some of Britain’s finest foods and wines during a series of food festivals this summer. Here is our round-up of some of the best:

Abergavenny Food Festival

Food, glorious food

Events include a jazz breakfast on the Sunday morning as well as walks and talks on the 1,000-year history of the Hastings’s fishing fleet, with local fisherman doing net-making demonstrations. www.visit1066country.com

morning and evening as well as the fiesta’s famous night glows, firework displays and family entertainment. For more information, go to www.bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk.

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■ GREAT DAYS OUT

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Summer 2012

GREAT DAYS OUT ■

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coming next + subscriptions

Dominican Republic Tourist Board

n Winter sun hotspot, the Dominican Republic

Don’t miss out on the Autumn 2012 issue of

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get to know Barbados Peter Ellegard

Palm tree paradise

Grand American Adventures

off the beaten track Costa Rica Flora, fauna and volcanoes

escape to Wroclaw

Polish National Tourist Office

Cultured city break

From hops to historic houses

touch of class luxury skiing

10 of the best must-see icons Global landmarks

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PLUS resort report Playa de las Americas seasonal focus winter sun let’s try eco-tourism pack your clubs Thailand travel fare pumpkin pie – USA

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Visit Britain/Daniel Bosworth

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Summer 2012

CLASSIFIED ■ Channel Islands

Cornwall

CUTKIVE WOOD HOLIDAY LODGES

ALDERNEY - Channel Islands B & B from £30pppn.

Situated between the harbour and town, only 5 minutes walk to the beach.

L’HARAS Guest House

relax and enjoy Cornwall 01579 362216 www.cutkivewood.co.uk

Newtown Road, Alderney, Channel Islands GY9 3XP Email: lharas@internet.alderney.gg Website: www.internet.alderney.gg/lharas

Tel/Fax: 01481 823174 (Mrs. N. Jansen)

Balearic Islands

Creekside Cottages Self Catering Holiday Cottages in Cornwall 01326 375972 www.creeksidecottages.co.uk

Isle of Wight

Renowned for our hospitality andcuisine

Tucked away in Shanklins Old Village, probably the Island’s most attractive corner, is where you will find The Braemar – a family run licensed hotel ideally located to offer you all the pleasures of the Isle of Wight. Whilst staying with us at The Braemar, you will enjoy the excitement of a top resort with golden sandy beaches offering safe bathing; a beautiful chine which leads down to the beach, speciality shops, a theatre, fantastic countryside to explore.

Tel 01983 863172 www.thebraemar.com

Sussex

Best of Brighton

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Sussex Cottages Fully furnished, assessed and graded self catering houses, flats, cottages, studios and apartments in Brighton & Hove and also East and West Sussex.

Try our various websites for full info and more pictures:

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Tel: 0044 (0)1273 308779 Norfolk

MID-NORFOLK

Wales

Two 4 Star Self Catering cottages sleeping 2 to 13 in a peaceful hamlet.

Tennis Court & Croquet. www.norfolkcountrycottage.co.uk 01362 692079

To advertise in tlm the travel & leisure magazine please call 0203 176 2570 Summer 2012

Canary Islands

China

Self Catering Holiday Rentals, Apartments & Villas in Tenerife

Tel: 01795 438830 Email: paul@spanishisles.com www.spanishisles.com

Please mention travel & leisure magazine when booking

tlm ■ the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 111

■ CLASSIFIED Crete

Florida

• Luxury 4 bedroomed villa on a gated community

• Secluded pool area • Only 15 minutes from Disney World

• Visit www.sgbvillas.co.uk for more details

• Contact Graham on 0208 482 2830 or 07941 661796

France

Fantastic choice of mobile home holidays on 4# campsites in the Vendee on the West coast of France

If your looking for relaxation, fun and adventure or simply want to sit back and enjoy the culinary delights this country has to offer check out www.charlesalexander.co.uk for the latest offers and information

To advertise in tlm – the travel & leisure magazine please call 0203 176 2570

Florida Choose from our superb selection of privately owned luxury holiday villas with private

pools, spas and games rooms just minutes from Disney and I4.

Each one of our homes is managed and maintained by us to a very high standard.

Instantly book any of our homes online, all Major credit cards accepted.

With nearly 20 years experience and a high level of customer service consider us for your property management needs.

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US: 001 407 909 9472 Email: info@justvillas.biz Fax: 001-407-909-9473

Northern Cyprus One of the finest collections of hotels in Northern Cyprus with something to meet everyone’s expectations and budget.

THE NORTHERN CYPRUS SPECIALISTS Get mor e fo your £££s r a non-Eur : destinat o ion

tel: 02392 230030 www.cyprusdirectholidays.com

To advertise in tlm – the travel & leisure magazine please call 0203 176 2570 112 tlm ■ the travel & leisure magazine

www.tlm-magazine.co.uk

Summer 2012

CLASSIFIED ■ Portugal

Turkey

TURKEY – YAKAMOZ HOTEL

Yakamoz is a small, friendly hotel situated between Fethiye and Oludeniz in SW Turkey.

Offering traditional Turkish hospitality, fabulous Mediterranean cuisine, friendly staff and delightful gardens.

Yakamoz enchants all who enter our gates.

SPECIAL OFFERS AVAILABLE FOR 2012 – SEE WEBSITE

- All rooms en-suite and with balconies.

- Open late April to late October.

- Children are welcome during selected UK school holidays.

- 2012 Rates – from £14 pppn B&B

Tel: 0090 252 616 6238 Email: info@yakamozhotel.com www.yakamozhotel.com

Algarve/ Carvoeiro Terrific value full service, quality private properties (sleeping 2-6).

Maid, pool. Short/long rentals available anytime.

For a colour brochure please email: algarveowners@aol.com or telephone: 01342 327501

To advertise in tlm the travel & leisure magazine please call 0203 176 2570

Turkey

Vietnam

Spain

Ancestry

Catalonia / Costa Brava

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For the best, most economical services write to Ancestors.co.uk 11 Crosbie Road, Harborne, Birmingham B17 9BG (TLM)

0121 246 4260

Books

ST ALBANS

Days Out

ORGAN THEATRE

320 Camp Road St Albans Hertfordshire Tel: 01727 869693 (Answering machine)

A permanent exhibition of mechanical musical instruments

Organs by Decap, Bursens and Mortier; Mills Violano-Virtuoso; reproducing pianos by Marshall & Wendell, Steinway, and Weber; Musical boxes; Wurlitzer and Rutt Theatre Pipe Organs.

Opening times second and fourth Sunday of month.

Other times for private groups by arrangement.

Adults £5.00; Child £3.00; Family ticket £12.00; Concessions £4.00. Organised groups by arrangement Registered Charitable Trust No.276072

www.stalbansorgantheatre.org.uk

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BOOK PUBLISHING Authors invited to submit manuscripts all categories including poetry

New Authors welcome

A.H. STOCKWELL LTD, Dept. 610, Ilfracombe, Devon, EX34 8BA. Tel 01271 862557 www.ahstockwell.co.uk Publishers for 100 Years

Motorhomes

Motorhome hire in Scotland 2, 4, 5 and 6-berth motorhomes.

Ideal for touring within Scotland and further afield.

All vehicles are fully equipped (bedding optional).

Our package includes unlimited mileage, full insurance, AA cover.

End-of-season motorhome sales To advertise in tlm the travel & leisure magazine please call 0203 176 2570

Summer 2012

For brochure contact Brown’s Motorhome Hire, Garrion Bridge Larkhall ML9 2UD (nr Glasgow)

Tel/Fax: 01698 886255

tlm ■ the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 113

■ CLASSIFIED Eating Out

Travel Insurance

Takara offers contemporary and traditional sushi preparation using the finest quality sustainable fish. Takara prides itself on offering the finest quality food without pretentious service; instead the chefs readily interact with the guests to build rapport which makes the restaurant ideal for newcomers to Sushi and the connoisseur looking for the chef’s creativity.

Takara is located inside the Hilton London Tower Bridge situated on the city of London’s and the Olympics district door step in this trendy “foodie” part of South East London.

Please call 0203 002 4400 for reservations www.hilton.com/towerbridge

London Tower Bridge

Free Tickets

Sailing Holidays

Sailing

A1 Sailing Mallorca Sea School Luxury Sail & Motor Yacht Charter

Wildlife Holidays

Warm breezes, crystal sea & sunshine Modern high specification yachts from 32 to 72ft available for charter • RYA practical & theory courses • Beginner to Yachtmaster • Flotilla and bareboat holidays • Dedicated RYA school boats Get more enjoyment from sailing

WWW.A1SAILING.LTD.UK Tel: +34 971 547 986 Email: A1groupmallorca@aol.co.uk 114 tlm ■ the travel & leisure magazine

www.tlm-magazine.co.uk

E MONTH: OFFER OF TH a Tour including 4 day Rwand

d 1 Gorilla Trek anTrek 1 Golden Monkey son.

550 per per

starts at £1, ring; on two people sha al flights.

The cost is based include internation the cost does not

To advertise in tlm the travel & leisure magazine please call 0203 176 2570 Summer 2012