Move out of your comfort zone in 2013

Carrying on from last weeks' blog in which I suggested that you combine one of the most typical new year resolutions (getting more exercise!) with that of choosing a destination ideal for walking or trekking, I would like to suggest that even if you don't want to get that energetic in 2013 that you at least take the opportunity to move a little bit outside of your comfort zone this year. This doesn't have to

New Year Resolutions

Well, it's that time of year again when we are now regretting the degree to which we stuffed our faces over the past few days with way too much chocolate, rich cheeses and assorted foodstuffs, not to mention the copious amounts of alcohol. It's like groundhog day this time every year as we contemplate whether or not we're going to subject ourselves to the annual charade that is our new year resolutions. Assuming that you're

Something for the Bucket List!

Christmas tends to be that time of year when everyone has that conversation about what their ideal present would be. Such talk as often as not segues' into bucket lists and what would populate people's lists of the top 10 things to do in their lives. If you've ever had that conversation then chances are that one of the 'experiences' that you've included in your list (assuming of course that you haven't already done it)

Been to the movies lately?

If you have then you can't help but notice that Istanbul is turning up as a movie backdrop everywhere you look. Just last week, I went to see Taken 2 which unfortunately wasn't a patch on it's predecessor — Taken, starring Liam Neeson. The real star of the show though was Istanbul which looked magnificent. It also plays a major role in the latest release in the Bond franchise called Skyfall and by all accounts,

Looking for a bit of sun and heat?

I think that we are universally agreed that this year's summer was one of the worst on record and with the long range weather forecast for the next eight years not particularly encouraging, perhaps it's time that we had a conversation about the 10 hottest places around the world that we should consider for that next holiday. By some measures, Bangkok is actually considered the hottest big city on earth. The average temperature for the

So you think you know your amusement parks?

Ask anyone to name a few famous amusement parks and they'll likely come up with names like Disneyland Paris, Port Aventura, Alton Towers and Universal Studios. If they've been to St. louis or Southern California, they might even list slightly less well known attractions such as Six Flags or Knotts' Berry Farm. So, what are the chances that any one of you can guess which amusement park has won this year's Golden Ticket Award? Any of

The Isle of Calypso

No, we're not talking about Trinidad and Tobago but another small island located almost half way around the world! The island of Gozo (the smaller sister iland of Malta) is also know as the Isle of Calypso as it was reputedly the location where the nymph Calyso imprisoned Odysseus for a number of years, as chronicled in Homer's Odyssey. For such a small and sparsely populated island of 31,00 souls, it contains 22 churches, one of which

Day 4 in Puglia

Is there anyone out there who doesn't love Italian food? I don't think so. It is justifiably regarded as one of the worlds' great cuisines and not a lot of people know that French cuisine — often regarded as representing the pinnacle of gastronomic excellence — actually derives from Italian influences which were introduced into the French Royal Court around the time of the Medici's. See — you learn something new every time you read this blog!

Puglia — and the Santa Claus connection!

I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t love Italy. It just seems to tick all the boxes — history, culture, architecture, landscapes, its people and above all — its glorious food. It’s also hard to believe that prior to 1861 Italy didn’t exist! Prior to that date, it was little more than a collection of city states and principalities in effect. The problem with Italy nowadays is that a few ‘jewels in the crown’

How the role of the humble travel agent has changed in recent years.

Before the arrival of the Internet, everyone used travel agents to book their travel arrangements because agents were able to access information that was not generally accessible to your average traveller. The Internet changed all that and empowered consumers by enabling them to research and find all sorts of interesting 'goodies' online. This democratisation of  travel created the illusion in the minds of many consumers that they no longer needed travel agents and that they

Summer has arrived!

I'm not talking literally of course — just figuratively — and wearing my travel agent hat! Easter has always traditionally represented the start of the summer season as this is when tour operator summer charter programmes begin and winter charter series end. It is also then an appropriate time to remind people of the kinds of things that they need to think of/prepare for, before setting out on their overseas travels. What follows is a

Five Great Destinations for Foodies

If you're anything like me then you love your food. Indeed they say that the world is basically divided into two types of people: those that eat to live and those that live to eat. I most definitely fall into the latter camp and have the waistline to prove it! Food also happens to be one of the highlights of any trip abroad so I am often surprised that more people don't base their travel arrangements around this fact.

The art of getting a quote that is both competitive in price and relevant to your needs starts with gathering all the right information about what you want to do (or think you want to do!).