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Winter Holidays in Canary Islands

global traveller — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:43:00 +0000

The Canary Islands have become a very popular destination for winter sun holidays for many good reasons. Above all, because the mild climate and spring temperatures of the Spanish islands lasting for the whole winter season can offer to tourists from the rest of Europe a sunny holiday break on some beautiful beaches in a location just 4/5 hour flight away from main European cities.

Among the islands, Gran Canaria and Tenerife are particularly lively places to visit and offer much choice for day as well as night entertainment. Fuerteventura, on the other hand, has some amazing coastlines and is the perfect location for relaxed beach holidays. La Palma is the island boosting a marvellous natural beauty whereas Lanzarote has a much arid natural environment but a spectacular volcanic landscape.

Other than for its natural environment, we would also want to recommend the Canary Islands for the cultural activity and events that are regularly held. A recent feature of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, for example, is the TEA, an impressive structure which was designed by renowned architects Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron and Virgilio Gutierrez as a cultural centre and exhibition place. Moreover, the Canary Islands Music Festival adds further appeal for tourists who love music to visit Tenerife and Gran Canaria in January and February when they will find the best classical music concerts. Finally, for those who enjoy a more loud and colourful festival, the Tenerife Carnival in February is definitely not to be missed.

Holidays in Zanzibar

global traveller — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:00:58 +0000

Although commonly referred to as a single island, Zanzibar is an archipelago right in front of Tanzania coast with two main islands, Unguja and Pemba among other smaller islands. The island of Zanzibar is often identified with Unguja which is the main one in the archipelago. This location is the perfect getaway for a dream holiday in one of the most fascinating islands of the Indian Ocean.

The main city of the island is Stone Town, which has recently become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town is truly special where its visible influences perfectly embody the history of Zanzibar as a commercial crossroad during the spice trade period. The architecture, indeed, suggests the co-presence of Middle Eastern, African and Indian traditions. Another piece of history worth visiting is the Slave Market, where African rulers sold slaves to Arab traders to eventually work for white European people.

However, the most renowned parts of Zanzibar are certainly its magnificent beaches and crystal water of the sea. Famous spots in the island where to enjoy the sea and the beach are in particular Nugwi resort, in the north area of the island, and Kendwa, a small fishermen village which attracts many scuba divers and deep sea fishing experts.

Kos holiday for body and spirit

travel globally — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:31:10 +0000

Kos is a good choice for your holiday. It caters mostly to family holidays, but single travellers or honeymooners can relax and find their peace here as well. Aside from the beautiful beaches that it is most popular for, Kos also has many ruins that you could explore. Kos has a healing dream (or sleep) temple of Asclepius which is believed to be founded after Hippocrates – the father of medicine – died. Hippocrates is thought to have been born on Kos island where you will also find the oldest tree in Europe – The Plane Tree of Hippocrates. It is believed that lectures were held by Hippocrates under this tree. The old branches of this impressive tree are held by scaffolding, but it’s worth a visit and lots of pictures.

The resort of Kardamena is very popular with British tourists. Spiritual tourists can visit the Orthodox cathedral in Zia or a mosque catering to the muslim population of Kos.

When you’re on Kos island, make sure you check out the Knights’ Castle. It’s a 15th century castle of the knights of St. John. If you travel with your children, they would love exploring and pretending to be knights while visiting this castle.

The best man for the best job in the world

travel globally — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:27:58 +0000

Queensland is proud of its tourist attractions and it’s one of its leading industries as millions come to Queensland every year to visit its several tourist destinations such as the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Whitsundays and of course the Great Barrier Reef.

The Tourism Queensland actually offered an employment opportunity to one lucky person who would prove eligible enough for the best job in the world with a salary package of AUD$ 150,000 for a 6-month contract with them.

The Best Job in the World finally has its man. The Tourism Queensland had decided that from all the finalists it was Brit Ben Southall who fitted the brief the best and therefore he is the winner.

Ben had beaten other 15 finalists who were picked from over 34,000 applicants around the world.

As the ad for the job said, he will be the caretaker for the Great Barrier Reef and he will be living in a cottage on the Hamilton Island and he will be exploring all the 1,500 different reefs and islands on the region and blog about his experiences regularly. Also, he would be paid 150,000 Australian dollars for his 6-month work.

It is indeed the best job in the world. Not only does he get an amazing paycheck but it’s a very enjoyable and exciting job that anyone would really dream of. He and the other 15 finalists had to stay on the island and answer a series of interviews. They were also asked to snorkel and swim to see if they are really eligible for the best job spot. They also had to demonstrate their abilities to blog about their experiences.

The Best Job in the World ad is really a publicity concept by the Tourism Queensland so they could showcase the Great Barrier Reef as much as possible. So far it’s a great success and Ben hopes that he could do his job well.

John Bevan launches Traveldealsdirect.co.uk

travel globally — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:47:14 +0000

Traveldealsdirect.co.uk is poised to become one of the well known travel websites in the industry when it’s set to be launched in a month. This website will be anchored by non-other than John Bevan, the former director of lastminute.com – a highly recognized website for travel reservation. Bevan left the travel reservations website in 2008 for a “new career” which is apparently setting up another travel website.

But Traveldealsdirect.co.uk will not just be a reservations website as they will pair their online reservations with a digital travel channel featuring the places that could be booked through the website. The digital channel will be launched as the same time with the website. The website already has an agreement with The Travel Channel. Everyday, three hours of The Travel Channel will be dedicated to Traveldealsdirect.co.uk.

Although the website is not yet up, Bevan promises that the website will greatly complement what is shown on The Travel Channel. This is done to provide a complete experience for the tourists who wanted seasonal updates regarding the place they want to visit. Bevan promises high quality content both for the website as well as TV to show the company experience when it comes to travel.

The travel website will cater to all forms of travel reservations including cruises and packages that combine flights, car and hotel reservations. The company will be focusing their marketing to 45 and up bracket to create a niche in the industry. The company hopes to create a big impact on the travel industry with their unique advertising coupled with Bevan’s expertise.

Complete summer holiday on Milos Island

travel globally — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:48:22 +0000

Located in the southern part of Greece is the small but remarkably beautiful Milos Island. As an island, tourists would naturally see beautiful beaches with clear blue waters. But the island is more than just a tropical paradise. Ancient Greek Civilization could also be found in this area. Milos Island is your place for fun in the sun as well as artifacts for remarkable Greek culture.

The uniqueness of Milos Island in terms of its beaches is on their size. You’ll see beaches that stretch for miles but they are usually smaller compared to other beaches in other islands. Some islands, especially the popular Sarakiniko Beach features beautiful rocks instead of sands.

The Papafragas and Firopotamos Beaches also have the same feature. What’s a little bit surprising in these beaches is that services in many beaches are limited. Aside from a stand or two that serves beverages, you would have to provide food and shelter. That is why it is highly recommended to visit the beaches early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

The ancient artifacts in Milos Island are not just based on the sculptures and other small things collected on the side. There are ancient Greek structures such as the theater that should not be missed. There is also a museum in the heart of the island if you want to have detailed information about the artifacts.

The best part of Milos Island is that you’ll never feel alone. More than five languages are spoken here so you’ll always have someone to talk to in your native language.

Travel globally on low cost

travel globally — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:02:44 +0000

Low Cost Holidays start with an unusual London tour.

Boeing Dreamliner postponed again

travel globally — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:01:56 +0000

For the fourth time, the Boeing 787 will be postponed again. Instead of test flights that should be commencing earlier next year, the aircraft manufacturing giant once again pushed the testing date to the 2nd quarter of 2009. This is certainly a big blow to the already ailing travel industry as demands for better performing planes with lesser fuel requirements are increasing. Even before completion and with further delays, Boeing now has at least 800 orders for the later-to-be-tested Dreamliner.

The factors that contributed to the delay of production have been numerous. Parts that will contribute to the reduction of weight in the aircraft are more difficult to be manufactured. Boeing has also implemented changes on the design which has also significantly slowed down production.

Aside from design and parts problems, the company has just experienced a 58-day strike by the company’s machinists. Negotiations with workers have seen success but the damage has been done as the company has forced delay on production.

The Boeing 787 promises to be a radical aircraft. The airline is supposed to be lighter which means lesser fuel consumption. Boeing even claims that it will consume the same fuel amount of smaller aircrafts. The time of flight will also increase so that travelling to more destinations will now be possible.

Even with delays, the company hopes to release the first 787 in 2010. ANA or All Nippon Airways is the first airline who will be receiving the 787 which also means the first airline company to fly the long delayed Dreamliner commercially.

Tip for travelling without the bore

travel globally — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:50:47 +0000

Travelling can be stressful and very unproductive for business travellers. They usually sit there waiting for the flights wherein all they can do is check their mobile phone for text messages and read the reports which could be very dizzying especially when they are already travelling in high altitude. Travelling could also hinder a person’s full potential because the data and gadgets they really need to use for presentations and meetings with clients are in the office.

Gadgets to the rescue

Because of the increasing demand for business travel, gadgets that are geared for travelling have also increased which has saved the business countless times.

The most popular gadget today is the GPS (Global Positioning System) wherein you will be informed of your actual location and which way should you go. This is very ideal when you are on the road to visit an unfamiliar city. Through GPS, you can easily navigate without getting lost even though you didn’t have a slight idea of the location.

Smarter Mobile Phones

Gone are the days when all your mobile phone could do was allowing you to call and send text messages. Mobile phones now has the capacity to browse full version of websites as well as edit documents while on the road. These gadgets come in very handy but it could practically answer all your business needs.

Universal Charger

Power source is scarce during travel which is why the universal adaptor has become part of the most important gadgets while travelling. This gadget could easily adopt to any plug requirement of the gadget to ensure power charging.

New runways in key airports

travel globally — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:05:18 +0000

Three major airports are now working to build additional runways to cater to the expected increase in travellers in the coming years. Chicago O’Hare, Dulles and Seattle-Tacoma are now planning to spend billions of dollars to build new runways. It’s clearly a long term plan which will require funding and additional support from major US airlines.

But these plans are now met with criticism. The economy is on its worst condition for almost a decade and any additional movement would seem to be a little bit off timing. Airlines are now considering budget cuts to cater to the need of travellers without losing too much or earning a little. Aside from the present economic concerns, there are now fewer travellers this year even with the holiday season. Even with air fare cuts of different airlines, travellers are now finding ways to cut costs in transportation or by cancelling any travel plans this year. Businesses have also cut travelling plans and resorted to technology for meetings and conferences.

But the authorities in these airports were not fazed with the facts. These are regarded as short term facts and what they are really after is the long term accommodation. O ‘Hare estimates of additional 300,000 travellers per year in 2018 and the present runway cannot handle the demands especially when the weather conditions are not feasible. Runways are usually completed in 10 years since the time of planning to construction. This data would then suggest the need for urgent planning to accommodate the upcoming increase of travellers.