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Ideas, suggestions and recommendations that can help you choose from a more limited palette of options that we know — both from professional and personal experience.

Hong Kong — New York’s alter ego!

I was last in Hong Kong in 1988 so a return visit has been on the cards for a very long time. If you've never been then let me tell you it is an electrifying city! I would describe it as the New York of the Far East — a dynamic, fast-moving and exciting international metropolis that is just buzzing with energy — and that's before you even get out of the airport! Seriously though,

Rioja — a little piece of heaven!

I have been travelling to Spain for almost 40 years now. My first visit was back in 1975, shortly after I had entered the travel industry and working for a Waterford-based travel agency. I spent a week on the Costa del Sol and familiarised myself with the regional capital of Malaga and the tourist resorts of Torremolinos and Fuengirolla and the small hillside village of Mijas. It was my first ever trip outside of Ireland

How good is your geographic knowledge?

I recently retuned from an enchanting city less than two hours flying time from Dublin which is served by direct flights three times a week by a major international carrier. The city is not large by international standards — being somewhat smaller than Belfast but almost twice that of the Province's capital when you take its greater metropolitan area into consideration. It is located approximately 15 miles inland on a river and yet will play

There’s more to life than getting a tan!

Us Irish are obsessed with getting a good colour. Like many of our fellow northern Europeans, we crave the heat of the sun on our backs, probably because for the most part, it tends to be such a relative novelty for us — this summer just past notwithstanding! It should therefore come as no surprise that the most popular holiday destinations out of Ireland all tend to be sun destinations in either the southern Mediterranean

Glamping — Don’t dismiss it until you’ve tried it!

I'll never forget the very first time that I went camping. I was about nine or ten at the time and I had just joined the scouts (there were no 'cubs' back then). I had seen the large canvas bell tents erected and in my childish naivety, I had just assumed that we would sharing two to a tent, on collapsible beds with mattresses and all the trimmings.  Imagine my shock on that first night

Where’s the best tourist destination in the world?

When people find out that I'm in the travel industry, one of the most common questions that I tend to get asked is 'where is the best place you've ever been?' It's an impossible question to answer in many respects — not least because every destination has its own charm and unique selling points but also because you can't very well compare apples with pears. Add to that, the fact that such exercises are ultimately

Some things are hard to quantify …

When people talk about destinations around the world whether they be cities, regions or indeed whole countries, their merits tend to be measured in terms of specific and tried and tested attributes such as quality, value-for-money, culture, friendliness and so on. Similarly, specific travel products such as airline catering, hotel facilities, coach bus seating also tend to be referenced against a range of generally agreed upon criteria. Well I'm here to tell you that the

Macho Peak(u)?

I know. That's got to be about the worst title yet for one of these blogs but the child within me just couldn't help it! I am of course talking about Machu Picchu — the jewel in the crown that is Peru — one of the most ecologically diverse countries on the planet and also one of the most visited countries in South America. Peru has so much to offer and whilst Machu Picchu may

What happens in Vegas …

Stays in Vegas, as the famous saying goes. There is one exception to that golden rule however and that is what gets bought in Vegas probably represents great value for money so will undoubtedly be brought back home and flaunted in front of your friends and relatives, boasting about what great bargains you got over there! As they also say: 'Nothing exceeds like excess!' Seriously though, The States has always been known as a great

Blue Mountain Resort, Ontario

When people arrive at Toronto International (Pearson) airport, most head straight for the city and, depending on the time of day, how heavy the traffic is and perhaps most importantly — your mode of transport — it can take anywhere between 60 to 90 minutes to get yourself downtown. So consider for a moment then if you will, that if you opt to travel in the opposite direction and head due north, you can find

The Lost Continent?

The above blog title is of course just another feeble attempt by yours truly to make a play on words. The continent that I am referring to — in case you haven't guessed — is South America and the reason I decided to give the blog that title is because, of all the continents (with the obvious exception of Antarctica), South America is still waiting to be found by many Irish holidaymakers. I'm by no

A rising tide raises all boats …

We all know that tides are the result of the daily tug of war that goes on between the earth and the moon and occur twice every day across most of the world. In some places — most notably the Mediterranean — the fluctuation between low and high tides is minimal, whereas in others, the difference can be huge. I had always been lead to believe that the greatest tidal differences in the world were

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