Will South America be the next big thing in travel?

Whether we like to admit it or not, language plays a big role in how people decide where to travel in the world. English-speaking people tend, as a rule, to confine themselves to travelling to destinations where English is the principal language or is at least widely spoken and understood. It is perhaps for this reason alone, that more people don't travel to South America. It's certainly not any further to travel to than say

Orange is the new orange

It's that time of year again when intending travellers or betrothed couples start the time-consuming and frustrating process of deciding where to spend their next long haul holiday or hopefully — their one and only honeymoon! There are many contenders out there and all have their pluses! The USA, The Caribbean, Mexico, South Africa, The Seychelles and Mauritius usually appear high on most peoples wish lists but it is Thailand that often comes up trumps,

Get it in writing

I recently paid a return visit to Hong Kong, having last visited there way back in 1989. One of the things that I noticed straight away since my last visit was the degree to which English had diminished as a language that many locals had competency in. Now whether that is due to the fact that Hong Kong reverted back to Chinese ownership in 1997 after some 150 years of British rule I don't know

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,

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

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

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

Foodies Paradise!

There are many reasons why an increasing number of people choose to go cruising. For some, it's the convenience and civility of being able to experience a couple of destinations (and indeed countries) over the course of a week or two , without having to constantly pack and unpack as one would otherwise have to do if you were doing a coach tour or travelling independently. For others, it's the safety of numbers or the

Californian Sipping

I like my wine. I don't know a lot about it and certainly wouldn't call myself a connoisseur but I drink enough of it that I should by now — if volume were anything to go by — know the difference between the good stuff and the vinegar! Having said that, wine, like food, is very much a thing of personal preferences, don't you think? I tend to prefer New World Wines myself and invariably

Turkey is in the news of late — but for all the wrong reasons!

Having said that — don't always take as gospel, what you hear on the news as everything is 'spun' these days. Not from a propaganda point of view you understand. It's just TV's way of competing with the sensational headlines mentality that you often see demonstrated by certain tabloid press. Even the 'serious' news channels get caught up in this behavior. The reality(and consequence) of such spin/selective editing, was graphically demonstrated to me about 10

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!).