Resort Guides

Christmas Markets Across the U.K   If Scotland has been traditionally associated with the festive season, there's no better way to start things off than by visiting Edinburgh's Christmas Market. It runs from 26th November to 5th January and has a German theme with all the stallholders coming from Frankfurt. Take in a visit as well to this most visually appealing of cities by staying in one of the many hotels in Edinburgh city centre . There have been Christmas Markets in the UK since medieval times except for a short period during Cromwellian times when Oliver Cromwell himself banned Christmas. Not a decision that went down too well with the citizens either. Christmas allows many of us to spend quality time with close friends and relatives and to experience the joy of both giving and receiving presents. It's also a time to relax and reflect and unde rstand there's more to life than the daily hustle and bustle. The season of goodwill extends, of course, beyond

Celebrate St Lucia’s Eponymous Saint This Christmas Joanna Johnson has a keen interest in history and folklore, finding tales such as Saint Lucy’s fascinating in this guest post she explains more about St Lucy There is a lot to be said for spending Christmas at home with your family. However, it never hurts to have the occasional Christmas holiday abroad (after all, it can be a pleasant change to have a warm Christmas for once!). With the latter in mind, I must heartily recommend St Lucia holidays , in large part due to the island’s wonderful festive celebrations. These include the Festival of Lights (held on the 12th of December) and Saint Lucy’s Day (celebrated the day after on the 13th). The origin of the latter in particular is, as I hope to demonstrate, actually rather interesting. What is Saint Lucy’s Day? Saint Lucy’s Day, as its name might suggest, is a church feast day dedicated to Saint Lucy (or Lucia). Held on the 13th of December as previously mentioned, the festiv

One of Spain’s greatest cities, Barcelona is a fantastic holiday destination, which attracts millions of people every year. Located on the Mediterranean coast, the metropolis offers both a city and beach destination all wrapped into one, providing you the ideal retreat if you want sun and sand in addition to plenty of cultural delights. Whilst the city itself has more than enough to offer, if you’re utilising hire cars then you’ll also be able to explore the surrounding mountainous scenery in addition to heading along the coast in search of private coves and secluded beaches. And if you’re considering Barcelona as a holiday destination, here are five great reasons why this city should be at the top of your list. 1. Shopping Most people like to indulge in a little shopping whilst they’re away, and whether you want to do a lot of retail therapy or just pick out some souvenirs and gifts for friends, Barcelona has plenty on offer. A great city destination is Barcelona’s Port Vell sh

Bali is an island in Indonesia, and is most famous for its amazing landscape and nature, wonderful beaches with white sand and crystal clear water. Furthermore it is the main hot spot in the movie "Eat, Pray, Love". Many tourists visit Bali throughout the year to experience their Indonesian culture and food. Many tourists from Europe go there in winter to escape the cold winter season in Europe. So if learning and experiencing a new culture seems like your forte, a visit to Bali can help make that happen. Bali is a very cultural place, but there's some things you should know before you go. The first thing you should know, is that the hotels and vacation homes in Bali are very cultural, sometimes even too cultural. So it's best that you know where you're going to stay, because sometimes, people book a trip to Bali expecting a beautiful hotel, but once they arrive, they're stay in a very small home. So make sure you know where you're going to stay. The best

When you hear “travel in the Middle East” you may immediately think of all the war and political conflict that goes on in the area, but in reality the Middle East is a place of wonder and beauty offering destinations that should be on your bucket list. There is a reason that these regions have been fought over for thousands of years. Aside from the resources, there is something else that keeps people craving more of the Middle East. Dubai Part of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is a city of wonder and technological marvels. Dubai is currently home to the largest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, as well as 7-star hotel the Burj Al Arab. You’ll also find indoor ski slopes, luxurious resorts, amazing architecture, underwater restaurants and more - the skies are the limit for Dubai. There is the Bab Al Shams Desert Resort and Spa that is a hotel in the middle of the desert, an oasis if you will, but an oasis of luxury. There are plenty of things that are in the production line s

A guest article from Kevin O’Connor is an interactive producer for Olicity, an online marketing firm in Las Vegas. He writes about everything Sin City including all the nightlife in Las Vegas There is no shortage of incredible night clubs in Las Vegas . With luxury come luxury-type problems. Which club do you choose? Well, each club has its advantages and disadvantages, but the first thing you need to know is which club is best on which night. So here are my recommendations for Las Vegas night clubs, one for each day of the week: Sunday – Vanity Nightclub @ Hard Rock What better day to embrace the sin of “Vanity” than on Sunday? Located at the Hard Rock, this club is consistently filled with beautiful people. Good sized dance floor and balcony, so when you get too hot dancing your heart out you can catch a breather on the deck. Monday – XS Nightclub @ Encore Billed as one THE most expensive club ever built, XS is a pretty amazing place to experience. There are so many open

Britain has a huge number of top attractions for you to explore wherever you headed. The cities of London, Edinburgh, Birmingham or Leeds offer thriving metropolises to explore, with diversity in cuisines, culture and shopping. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom also has some stunning scenery, with the Cornish coast, the Scottish Highlands and the Lake District all famed places to explore. However, there are also a number of attractions which are highly underrated. And if you’re looking for some places which will inspire and attract you but are often missed off of the tourist map, here are five top spots. Sheffield Not many people would think of Sheffield as a desirable tourist hotspot but the city rivals any of Britain’s other metropolises such as Birmingham or Manchester. Over the past few years the city has attracted many top hotels so that you can find luxurious accommodation whilst exploring this University City. Kelham Island Museum is the perfect place to discover Sheffield’s indus

Bali is an island in Indonesia, and is most famous for its amazing landscape and nature, wonderful beaches with white sand and crystal clear water. Furthermore it is the main hot spot in the movie "Eat, Pray, Love". Many tourists visit Bali throughout the year to experience their Indonesian culture and food. Many tourists from Europe go there in winter to escape the cold winter season in Europe. So if learning and experiencing a new culture seems like your forte, a visit to Bali can help make that happen. Bali is a very cultural place, but there's some things you should know before you go. The first thing you should know, is that the hotels and vacation homes in Bali are very cultural, sometimes even too cultural. So it's best that you know where you're going to stay, because sometimes, people book a trip to Bali expecting a beautiful hotel, but once they arrive, they're stay in a very small home. So make sure you know where you're going to stay.

Trekkers have a different way of appreciating nature and its bounty. They prefer walking through the entire journey to enjoy the beauty of nature. India offers options galore to nature lovers, trekkers and hikers. Some of the most important destinations for trekking in India include: The Himalayas: A dream destination for adventure lovers, the Himalayas offers a range of trekking routes, which include Auden's Col Trek , Dodi Tal Trek , Dayara Bugyal Trek , and Har Ki Dun Trekking Tour. Visit the unexplored and the off-beat to experience the divinity of the beauty of nature, the simplicity of the people and their lifestyle.  Though there are no hotels on the way where you can put up, the locals here can play the host. Ladakh: The routes that are much trekked in Ladakh include the Marka Valley Trek, the Lamayuru Chilling through the Dun Dung La Trek, the Lamayuru Padum Trek, and the Darcha Padum Trek. The crystal clear lakes and the beautiful valleys in the region make for a pict

In this day and age, everyone's trying to get somewhere fast. An overnight flight can take you where you need to go in the shortest time possible, making it a popular way to travel with cash rich, time poor Britons. However, it seems that more and more people are beginning to appreciate the joys of slow travel. A recent article in the Daily Mail reveals that an incredible 835,000 passengers are due to set sail from Britain's ports in 2012. This figure constitutes a massive 28% increase in the popularity of cruise holidays amongst Britains over the past two years. Why it makes sense to take things slowly Undoubtedly, one of the main attractions of the cruise, is that your holiday begins the moment you board the boat. With a cruise holiday, there's no more waiting around for delayed flights, stressful trips through security or chaotic scenarios at baggage reclaim. Cruises make use of one of the oldest and most majestic modes of transport, so you can experience the joys of

After a long year in the class room your students can become bored and frustrated. School tours are a fantastic way to keep your students interested and engaged in the subject material. By bringing your students on a school tour you’ve given them the opportunity to spread their wings and learn in a style that is exciting and engaging. Guest post from Sally who is a school teacher from Michigan with a passion for educational travel. Colonial Michilimackinac Michigan Time Travellers gives your students a great opportunity to learn about the American Civil War in a fun and exciting way. Fort Mackinac once a hub for fur trading, is now a great way for your students to delve into a different way of life. Immersion is one of the easiest ways to learn, bringing to life an exciting journey that might seem less engaging within the pages of a book. Activities are available for your students to take part in such as marching in uniform, washing clothes as they would have in the 1770s and

Turkey is a holiday haven for British tourists, but just off the beaten track there are stunning local communities, virgin beaches and simple restaurants that are rarely full of the bustling tourists that pack the crowded resort beaches. Guest article from Andy who is a travel advisor and blogger currently working for Simpson Travel.com Butterfly Valley A beach where the only access is by a 50 minute hike from the road or by boat from Olu Deniz is sure to be peaceful. The spectacularly located beach resides at the bottom of a valley, surrounded by cliffs. The beach provides plenty shaded area, but do take plenty of supplies with you as it is a trip for a whole day. Ovabuku Found on the Datca peninsula, this beach exists on a small stretch along with two other beaches, the Hayitbuku and the Kizilbuk, but this beach is by far the most accommodating with a number of fine restaurants close by. The pine forests surrounding the beach do everything to cap off the beauty of this bea

There are so many wonderful things to see and do in Jordan. Jordan tours might include visits to the cities of Amman, the capital of Jordan, or the incredible Nabataeam City of Petra. Visitors may experience the Greco-Roman ruins of Jerash or Wadi Rum of Lawrence of Arabia fame. Adventuresome guests may traverse greatly diverse lands from sea, to desert canyons, to fertile valleys while visiting castles of relaxing in the bathes of the Red Sea. Jordan tours should certainly include a visit to Amman to visit this very modern city in the heart of an ancient land. The heart of Amman offers visitors modern hotels, restaurants, shopping and art galleries. Yet, all around the city there are signs of ancient Amman with traditional coffee houses and artisan shops. Petra is often called the eighth wonder of the ancient world. Petra is an immense, ancient, city carved into the steep, pink rock faces over 2000 years ago. The ancient city was once an important trade centre dealing in silks and

There are a variety of attractions to see when you are in the Big Apple. In fact, New York offers so many sights and sounds that may run out of time to fit them all in during your trip. But there are five attractions that should definitely not be missed while visiting the island of Manhattan, so be sure to plan accordingly. Flights to USA Book flights to New York with Etihad Empire State Building Take a journey to the top of the Empire State building for one of the most fantastic views of Manhattan. Located midtown at 34th Street and 5th Avenue, the Empire State Building is a beacon from most points in the city and visitors can head up to the 102nd floor Observatory for a panaramic view of the city. Tickets can be bought at the Empire State Building (the kiosk is on the 86th floor; a ticket booth can be found at the Empire State Building's entrance; or guests can purchase them in advance online). Statue of Liberty Lady Liberty is synonomous with New York, and while sh

One of the joys of traveling overseas and visiting different countries is being able to taste local food and delicacies. Scotland has a proud tradition of producing great food, and there are lots of restaurants specializing in fantastic local produce such as seafood, beef or soft fruits. Although going to restaurants is all well and good, the best way of getting a true insight into Scottish cooking is by booking a day at one of the numerous cookery schools across the country. During a day at a cookery school you will make new friends who are as into food as you are, learn new techniques and time saving techniques, and acquire some superb new recipes with which to impress your friends when you return home. This is a guest post from Morag Peers who works for a nationwide same day passport service . The service comes in especially handy when busy travelers suddenly realize their passports have expired, and need a last minute passport renewal in order to make their trips.  There ar

Greece is easily identifiable on a map of Europe for its islands, of which there are over 6,000 in total. In antiquity, Greece was a land entirely shaped by this geography. The fact that it was a land of city-states is often lost on us when we consider the ancient Greeks as a civilization. And then we have great cultural works like the Odyssey , the story of a man wandering from island to island in a way that modern travellers might emulate in a rather more drunken fashion. Nonetheless, only 227 of the islands are inhabited, only 78 have populations above 100 and of these, far fewer are actually names that are well known. Crete, Lesbos, Rhodes, Cephalonia, Corfu and few others can claim to be household names. This leaves many islands which are completely worth visiting, that have the benefit of fewer tourists and a more authentic experience. Zakynthos With rival islands like Cefalonia, Corfu and Odysseus’ Ithaca nearby, Zakinthos is easily overlooked among the islands of the Ionia

Mexican free-tailed bats are a common sight in the Lone Star State, but it is not often that one can encounter several hundred thousand of them at the same time. In fact, certain places in Texas feature millions of these flying mammals, and watching them has become somewhat of a hobby that is funneling tourist dollars into local economies. Several great locations exist where sighting these amazing creatures flying in masses, and these are three of the most popular. Austin’s Congress Street Bridge The most infamous bat viewing area sits in the state capital, just southeast of Inks Lake . A colony that is estimated to be a million and a half bats strong lives under the Congress Street Bridge, and it is thought to be the largest urban colony in the country. These creatures burst out from their shelter under the bridge around dusk each evening in the warmer months. Keep in mind that this particular group of bats will migrate to Mexico for the winter season. Viewing them is so popular w

Sandwiched between Mount Vesuvius and Phlegraean Fields, the capital of Campania is well known as one of the oldest cities in the world. Enjoying a rich history of art, culture and fine foods, Naples houses a population of around one million citizens, as well as being the luxurious destination of choice for thousands of holiday-makers every year. Established under Greek rule in the 8th century BC, this thriving centre played a key part in the adoption of Greek cultural practises into Roman society, and takes credit for the creation of historical resident Virgil and even fast-food favourite, pizza. Those seeking a sun tan with a side of culture need look no further; Naples really is the city that has it all. Unusually for a self-proclaimed 'cultural hub', the real sights are located outside of the city centre. From ancient ruins, to grand monuments, Naples is home to several styles of architecture including Baroque, Renaissance and Medieval. As a visitor to the city your f

Every year millions of people come to Edinburgh to experience the stunning architecture, incredible events, world class festivals and epic scenery. A great many of those that visit will venture down the self-catering route, be it to save money, enjoy greater freedom or just because they want to be in a specific location. Self-catering is a great way to visit Edinburgh but if you aren’t prepared you can end up cold, hungry and bored. With this in mind, here is a 5 point guide to ensure that you make the most of your visit to Scotland’s inspirational capital. Eating Out One way of approaching self-catering is to see it as a chance (or an excuse) to eat out every night. If this is the case then you are in luck because Edinburgh is home to some of the finest restaurants in the world. These include Michelin starred restaurants such as The Kitchin , Martin Wishart’s and The Plumed Horse. The Itchycoo Bar and Kitchen overlooking the Royal Mile is part of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Edi

Some of the best of the wide-open spaces that people dream about are located in Arizona. From the breathtaking desert views to the bustling cities, between the brilliant sunshine and the multitude of natural wonders, Arizona is perfect for visiting and perhaps settling down with the family. Over three hundred days of sunshine each year make the Scottsdale area of Arizona a prime place for raising your family. Arizona new homes are at their lowest prices ever, and even in this economy the number of foreclosed homes is decreasing. Access to beautiful wilderness parks and plenty of outdoor activities like hiking, are prime reasons to look into purchasing a home in one of Arizona's bright new neighborhoods. It is a wonderful state for raising children and offers good schools along with safe streets. Home to some of the most amazing wonders of the natural world--including the Grand Canyon--Arizona offers immersion into the unique and stunning natural beauty of the United States. The Can

Guest post from Sally Roberts who is a keen author with an interest in broad spectrum of topics. Travelling abroad whether for business or pleasure isn’t only about the excitement of choosing the destination, hotel and places to party. Before departing for sun-drenched beaches, or an exotically located boardroom, there is the case of a foreign exchange service to consider. Foreign exchange – trading the local currency for a foreign one - is complex, but this complexity can easily be overcome by opening a Forex account and learning about the trading experience, which will not only benefit you on your future travels, but is a brilliant long-term investment. For anyone travelling overseas it pays to know your options for foreign exchange. Some service provider fees are extremely high whereas others won’t take away from your holiday experience by keeping half your money for their commission. It certainly pays to be educated on trading in Forex, as well as buying from foreign exchange se

There's good news for holiday making Brits looking to stay on home turf during the Olympics – a number of hotel chains will be offering a significant discount to domestic customers. The government initiative is designed to encourage British tourists to take their break within the UK during the games, so if you don't live in London and want to see the Olympics you can expect more than a fifth off the price. This will mean that almost everyone who wants to will be able to get a place to stay at a reasonable price. The news followed Jeremy Hunt's speech at the Conservative Party Conference and aims to make an extra 50,000 jobs in tourism. This is combined with new rules about subletting of apartments, aiming to reduce the amount of people charging extortionate rates for rooms and taking advantage of the potential boom. The majority of events will take place at the new Olympic Park in King's Cross, London. However, there are multiple events from the Millennium Stadium in Ca

Are you in or planning a trip to Aberdeen and have no idea where to visit? Following the success of Tech Fest the city has attracted much interest for visitors to Scotland. Here we have searched around and listed 5 places to visit in Aberdeen. Pitmedden Garden & Museum of Farming Life. Admission to Pitmedden Garden is is £6 for an adult ticket, family ticket is £15.50, 1 Parent ticket is £10.50 and concession is just £5, which are very reasonable considering the size of the gardens. As the name suggests it’s a huge garden displaying a huge array of colours and smells. If you are into gardening then this place might be a great place to draw some inspiration for your own garden. Continuing with the theme of gardens ‘ Duthie Park Winter Gardens ’ is the most visited place in Aberdeen by tourists. Unlike Pitmedden Gardens, these are covered and therefore are open throughout the year. Home to a huge amount of cacti (over 600 different species), they also houses bananas and fer

China is one of the most interesting places to spend your holiday. A Chinese holiday offers a wide variety of options. There are China tours which focus on the Great Wall. Other tours visit the popular temples and other forms of religious iconography. China is known for its manufacturing prowess, because of this there are many tours which take visitors to different types of Chinese malls and markets. There are also tours which focus on important Chinese cities or the nation's natural beauty. No matter what your interest in China is there are excellent tours which can help you to better understand and enjoy it. The Great Wall is China's best known tourist attraction. People worldwide know of the wall and take trips to China to see it for themselves. China tours help visitors to understand how and why the wall was built. Tour guides provide unique insight about the construction process of the 8,851 kilometre wall and the use of natural land forms and earthen fortifications to