property-tavira.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go on a River Nile Cruise for a Holiday to Remember

Are you looking for the perfect honeymoon? Or have you found the perfect honeymoon already but are bored of poxy standard class flights with bite sized portions of plane food. I must say I really like aeroplane food – maybe it’s just because I’m always in the holiday mood and really looking forward to some time away by the time I’m sat on the plane. Even dropping friends off at the airport for their holidays gives me a buzz – I think it’s just airports in general that get me in the mood and put a huge grin on my face. But don’t get me started on delays – I’ve had some horror delays, 13 hours delay soon after 9:11, my holiday was brilliant until we got to the airport to go home, and literally spent the whole day playing stupid games and spending our loose change until we finally got called to the departure lounge.

Anyway back to luxury travel and holidays – I got an email the other week from my Dad showing me an Emirates plane fit for a king. The A380 aircraft is beyond belief – literally. The Dubai based airline has announced its new Airbus A380 could revitalise and revolutionise air travel.

The list includes:
Two decks
14 flat-bed suites situated near the front of the aircraft
Electronically controlled mini bar
Advanced in-flight entertainment systems
On Board Shower Spa
Timeless Spa available to all First Class travellers
Gourmet Chef
Features to reduce travel fatigue effects

So why not splash out on your holiday of a lifetime and book first class now!

Fly in ultimate luxury with Emirates Air Travel

I’m a bloke, and I tend to pack for holidays the night before I go, or the morning I go if the flight is not at the crack of dawn.

So here I provide you with the essential blokes holiday check list, simple, quick, easy – just print off this page spend 5 minutes getting your stuff together.

Blokes Holiday Check List:

Hats
T Shirts
Shirts
Shorts
Swimming Shorts
Pants
Boxers
Socks
Flip Flops / Sandals
Jeans
Sun Lotion
Toiletries
Aftersun
Contraceptives
Camera
Sunglasses
Passport
Money
Travellers Cheques
Local Currency
Tickets / Holiday Booking Confirmation

If there is anything strikingly obvious that I’ve missed then please add to this list. I think if you take the above on holiday you’ll pretty much be all sorted.

Have a Good Time !!!!!

A resort in the United States is offering cheap accommodation, for as little as £11 per night, however there is a catch…your room is in fact actually a tent.

The San Diego resort is offering a “survival package” where prices drop the more amenities you opt out of having. So if you lose the lighting, mini bar, towels, toilet roll, air con, your bed and breakfast you will only be charged $19 per night (£11).

The credit crunch package is on for 2 weeks in August where staff go as far as removing the headboard from the wall, leaving a small tent in its place. The ranch does offer luxuries – a golf course, spa, range of swimming pools and a number of eateries – however if you fancy snuggling up to your irons and drivers, and resting your back on stray golf balls in the night, this could be the ideal solution to beat the credit crunch.

It’s a solution that allows people who couldn’t usually afford the Rancho Bernardo Inn to do so. John Gates, general manager, told the San Diego Union-Tribune:

“It’s our way of getting people here that might not normally come”.

The hope is that people who stay there on a budget will return and stay at full price once the ecomonic climate picks up.

I can’t wait…I’m going on my first summer holiday since 2004 in just over 2 weeks. I’m off to Turkey to the resort of Oludeniz in the Fethiye region. I also tend to go on ski holidays in Jan/Feb but I’ll blog on that nearer the time.

I’ve been looking at the weather on a regular basis (why I don’t know as it’s always pretty hot) just to reassure myself that everywhere doesn’t get the same bad weather as we have to put up with in the UK. I’ve lived in Manchester most of my life and then lived in London for 2 years. I always presumed that London was better weather than Manchester but the experience didn’t give me much hope.

Basically, UK weather sucks, and the only guarantee you have is to go on holiday abroad. So I suggest if you have some holiday time left to take off work then jump on a cheap flight to Turkey – its averaging 35oC at the moment.

Two weeks and 1 day to go!!! Yipee!!!