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Wellness/Spa

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

You’ll have a cordial time here alright!

Rarely does one come across a resort property that ticks most or all of the boxes. Some hotels may be located right on the beach but consequently suffer from the noise generated by late night revelers. Or it might have all the facilities known to modern man but you'd need a kings ransom to settle the bill at the end of your holiday. Worse still are those properties (and believe me, there are many), where

A little piece of paradise on our doorstep!

The word 'paradise' is an extremely overused and abused term to describe all sorts of places that appear to tick a lot of boxes and so its meaning has become debased somewhat over the years but which i think still applies to someplace like Mogan, a small fishing village located about 72 kilometres from Las Palmas in the canarian island of Gran Canaria, just a few miles beyond the popular resorts of Maspalomas and Playa

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

Cappadocia — the undiscovered Turkey!

Turkey is so much more than just sun, sea and sand! Although most Irish holidaymakers tend to see Turkey through the prism of popular resorts such as Bodrum, Kusadasi or Altinkum, this amazing country has so much more to offer — from the mega city that is Istanbul to the surreal landscape that is Cappadocia. I just recently returned from an action-packed few days in the region and I have to say that it far

Hungary? Check out Budapest

Not too long ago, Hungary and more particularly its capital — Budapest — was playing host to modern-day hoards of Irish investors who flocked to the city in search of new fortunes. Sadly, it was not to be as Budapest became victim to the same over inflated property prices like everywhere else around the world. Since then, the city has declined in its popularity as a destination for Irish tourists which is a real shame as the

Day 3 in Puglia

Everyone knows that Italy is rich in its antiquities but many assume that most of these are concentrated in locations such as Rome, Florence, Venice and so on — legacies of the vast wealth of these former city states. It may surprise you to know therefore that Southern Italy (and Puglia in particular) enjoys its own superabundance of exquisite buildings and sublime architecture and nowhere is that more apparent than in the gem that is
Typical Trullis in Alberobello

Day 2 in Puglia

There are so many places to go and things to do in Puglia but two good places to start are the city of Ostuni and the town of Alberobello. You may never have heard of either but believe me, you don't know what you're missing! Ostuni sits perched atop a hill that overlooks the surrounding Puglian countryside and is known locally as the white city on account of its preponderance of white-washed walls and buildings. Although it has

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’

May Day, May Day!

OK, we've cheated a little — we should have said May Month but that doesn't really have the same resonance now, does it? What on earth are we on about? It's just our ham-fisted way of drawing your attention to the fact that during the entire month of May, Royal Caribbean (along with its sister brands of Celebrity and Azamara) will be offering savvy consumers just like you, amazing deals, discounts and free upgrades across

Get ready to experience the ‘hidden’ Italy

Some of you may already be familiar with Italian destinations such as Rome, Venice, Florence, Sicily or the Amalfi coast but how many of you have ever visited Puglia in the far south? Probably not that many, I suspect. Puglia is, like most of the rest of the Italian mainland, a veritable treasure trove of antiquities, impossibly beautiful churches mimicking every conceivable architectural form and boasting cuisine to rival anything that one could reasonable expect to find in even

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

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!).

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