Leisure Travel e-Newsletter - Dec 07

One of our travel partners - Classic Collection Holidays - has generously agreed to make a valuable prize available to our readers of this Christmas edition of the Leisure e-newsletter.

All you have to do is read the following and answer the three questions at the bottom of the article, returning them in the free style boxes in the reply form reached by clicking here.

You have around a one in 1500 chance of winning - probably better, as some readers may not take the trouble to try!

Would you like to spend a few days of spring or summer in one of our much-loved holiday destinations? With clear blue skies, warm morning sunshine, blossoming trees, fragrant landscapes, bird song carried on a refreshing breeze, a rustling of palm trees and the gentle lapping of waves on the shoreline….. How can you possibly resist booking a Classic Collection Holiday for 2008.
 
Classic Collection Holidays provide competitively priced luxury holidays to a wide range of sought after hotels and charming rural retreats in Bermuda, Portugal, Morocco, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Dubai. Each holiday is tailor made to your own requirements with flights from your local airport. You choose the flights, from either scheduled, charter or no frills. Private transfers between your arrival airport and hotel are included as standard.

Holidays can be taken over any duration, so if you only have time for a City break in Rome, a golfing weekend to Mallorca or an indulgent Spa package in Cyprus, it can be arranged. For those of you that have more time, maybe 10 nights on the pink beaches of Bermuda or 14 nights exploring Morocco with a twin centre holiday might be just what you are looking for. And don't worry if you like to book at the last minute, at Classic Collection Holidays we can find a holiday to suit your needs no matter how late you book.
 
Lead in prices start from £430 for 7 nights at the Quinta da Penha de Franca, in Funchal, Madeira. All prices are per person based on 2 adults sharing a twin room on a bed and breakfast basis and include daytime scheduled flights and private taxi transfers.

Medway Leisure Travel is easily able to give quotations for Classic Collection Holidays incorporating business class seats on scheduled flights and room upgrades to sea views, junior suites and suites.

To find out more or to book your holiday, contact Medway Travel.

The prize in this competition is a generous "week for two in a 4/5 star hotel in Mallorca" (flights and accommodation incl), during the summer of 2008 (avoiding peak times)!

All you have to do is simply answer the following 2 questions and complete the tiebreaker to enter the Classic Collection Holidays Christmas competition:

[please copy, paste and complete the following italic text into the "your comments" box in the "contact us" response form found on the link indicated below, along with your contact details, and send it to us by 11th Jan. 2008]
 
1. Which Island would you be visiting if you were relaxing on a glorious pink beach? ...............................
2. What flights are available on a Classic Collection Holiday? .................................................................
 
Tie breaker:

I would love to experience a Classic Collection Holiday during 2008 because..........................................

Please use this link for your reply

The draw will take place at our forthcoming Travel Fair, to be held at the Marriott Tudor Park, Bearsted, nr Maidstone - see separate article - on Wednesday 06th February 2008. We hope to see you there, but if you cannot attend, it will in no way affect your chances of winning this wonderful prize.

 

After the excitement of Christmas, when we are deep in Winter, our thoughts automatically move towards those balmy days on holiday soaking up the warm sunshine, exploring places of interest and generally having a wonderful well earned break away from the everyday grind of work.

With this in mind Medway Leisure Travel is organising a Luxury Travel Fair to introduce our clients to some of our wonderful specialist partners and their unique and exclusive holidays. 

As members of the Association of Independent Travel Organisers (AITO), Medway Travel has the specialist knowledge to tailor-make any itinerary to suit your dreams and budget.  You no longer need to be restricted by Tour Operators' itineraries, because our specialist suppliers work very closely with us to ensure our clients have the holiday of a lifetime.

Many of these specialist suppliers do not work with High Street agents and, in order to join this prestigious organisation, one has to pass a careful vetting procedure. This is the reason we would like to take the opportunity of introducing some of them to you.

Specialists so far confirmed are Classic Collection Holidays, Kirker Holidays, Beachcomber, Baltic Holidays, Collette Worldwide Holidays, Travelux, Le Joie de Vivre, Ionian and Aegian Island Holidays and Sunvil Holidays. We anticipate that a number of others are still to accept our invitation to participate.

The Travel Fair will take place at the Marriott Tudor Park Golf and Country Club Hotel (Nr Maidstone) on Wednesday 06th February 2008 and will commence at 6.30pm.  There will be a welcome drink and short presentations from our suppliers, followed by time for you to speak individually with these suppliers, in the "Travel Market" session. Buffet snacks will be served and the e-newsletter Christmas Competition prize (generously donated by Classic Collection Holidays) will be drawn (see article in this issue). The Medway Travel team will of course be there and we look forward to the opportunity of welcoming you.

We would love you to join us. Entry will be by ticket only and these can be obtained by completing the "contact us" form at this link and copying and pasting the following (with the appropriate number inserted), into the "My Comments" box:  I would like to apply for .......... ticket(s) for your Travel Fair on 6th February 2008, starting at 6.30pm.

We hope to see you there.

Backpackers are now carrying a staggering £623 worth of goods when they go globetrotting, according to a recent survey.  Gone are the days of packing the bare essentials, as the survey revealed that more than £200 of this is made up of sophisticated equipment.

According to the poll of 1,500 Brits, the mobile phone is the most popular gadget for backpackers, while 60 per cent of them take along a digital camera. Six per cent even carry a laptop. An amazing 70 per cent of these travellers say they couldn't live without all their gadgets.

The backpackers' style has clearly changed quite substantially in the last 10 years. With the convenience of making online travel bookings and the wish to maintain email contact with friends and family, such gadgets are understandably now at the top of the packing list.

Not surprisingly, many backpackers agree that they take too much with them nowadays, but despite the staggering value of their baggage, 48 per cent of those surveyed don't bother to
use a padlock to keep their belongings safe, and almost a third of travellers don't take out any insurance cover.

The main reason for being so ill prepared for mishap or theft is the cost of suitable travel insurance, but surely , at some £5 per week for an annual policy, this is insignificant compared with the peace of mind and support it provides!

This of course applies to everyone who travels abroad, whether on holiday or business, so contact us for details of the insurance cover we can arrange, and add to the relaxed enjoyment of your trip.

 

Half of 400 airline websites are misleading the consumer, according to an investigation by the European Commission.

At last 200 European airline sites are said to be failing to show taxes and charges and refusing to show the lowest fare prominently, but the Commission has declined to name any of the carriers involved, to allow them to improve their websites.

The probe apparently involved 15 national airline authorities across the European Union over one weekend at the end of September. Half of the 400 tested were not complying in one way or anther with EU law.

The Commission could force websites that flout its rules to shut down next year if they fail to improve.

Ryanair responded by saying it had not been contacted by the Commission over the investigation and said all prices on its website home page and media advertising were "fully tax inclusive". 

We believe that when consumers are looking for flights, they do not want hidden charges that they discover only at the last minute. We look forward to seeing what recommendations the European Commission proposes to force airlines to comply with the regulations.

At Medway Travel. We always give clients all the pricing information they need from which to make a fully informed purchasing decision with complete confidence.

SeaFrance plans to increase capacity with a new ferry on the Dover-Calais route.

The move follows a 13% year on year increase in car traffic from January until the end of September, compared with market growth of 5.6%, according to the company. 

The firm, which runs 30 crossings a day, achieved 5.5% growth in passenger traffic over the same nine months last year, compared with an overall market increase of 3%.

The performance has enabled SeaFrance to continue with its fleet investment. The French operator is investigating shipyard availability in Europe for the construction of a new vessel with significantly increased vehicle carrying capacity.

The figures emerged less than 24 hours before Channel Tunnel high speed passenger operator Eurostar switched services from Waterloo to St Pancras to cut journey times to France and Belgium.

The increased capacity on the various cross-channel routes, must mean stronger competition in the future, and probably lower fares

Have you thought of giving an away trip or holiday this year, as a gift with a difference?

India aims for larger slice of cruise sector

India is to upgrade port facilities as it seeks to attract more cruise line calls.

Ports due for upgraded cruise facilities include Mumbai, Mormugao (the port city of Goa); Cochin in Kerala, New Mangalore on the southwest coast and Chennai on the east coast.

Cruise operators are always searching for new destinations and itineraries and India's reputation as an enchanting, exotic and historical destination lends itself ideally to becoming a major port of call.

India is well-located to create and expand regional cruise itineraries. The country's rapidly expanding tourism figures - both overseas and domestic traffic - meant that India could support rapid growth in the  cruise market.

India aims to ensure that its cruise industry is competitive with other international destinations - and that as well as developing existing ports, other possible anchoring sites around the Indian coast are considered

There are also plans for a marketing campaign covering river cruises on the Mandovi and Zuari rivers in Goa, the Brahmaputra in Assam, the Hooghly River in West Bengal and the backwaters of Kerala.

BA flight to serve MSC Cruises in Med

MSC Cruises is to use British Airways flights from Gatwick to serve the Genoa departures of its newest ship MSC Orchestra, next summer.

Flights will enable passengers to take up to 23kg of luggage for the eight-day cruises. These call at Naples, Palermo, Tunis, Palma, Barcelona and Marseille.

Transfer time from Genoa airport to the port is around 15 minutes and passengers will have access to a private lounge.

Prices for the Sunday departures between May and October start at £569 including BA flights and transfers.

This greatly adds to the convenience of passengers, and we will be delighted to research and arrange all the details of your trip, including of course tailoring additional days in Italy at either end of your cruise.

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Our specialist cruise consultants, Astra and Stephen will be pleased to discuss your interest in a cruise holiday and advise you on a shortlist of the best options to suit you. They will also be able to tailor arrangements at either end of the cruise, to make the holiday even more memorable!

Over the next few months, we plan to run a series on some of the best destinations and hotels to stay at, for diving enthusiasts, who also enjoy their general surroundings.

This month's selection is:

AUSTRALIA  Great Barrier Reef - Lizard Island Resort

Home to the largest collection of coral reefs in the world (with more than 400 varieties of coral), the Great Barrier Reef is deserving of its World Heritage Site status.

Surrounded by a fringing reef, Lizard Island is home to a contemporary, Down-Under-casual resort that takes full advantage of the area's marine wonders.

Care to observe century-old giant clams or swim with the massive-and amusingly curious-Potato Cod? You can take the introductory Discover Scuba, a PADI open water referral course (this must be booked ahead) and nocturnal dives.

When not splashing around, hide away on one of 24 beaches, hang out on the private deck of your airy villa, indulge at the day spa or dine at Osprey's Restaurant.

The Caribbean -  Bonaire - Bonaire Buddy Dive Resort 

 

Bonaire is one of the Caribbean's least tourist-developed and least visited larger Islands.

With one of the most striking underwater worlds, it's also a scuba diver's haven. On average, Bonaire's underwater visibility exceeds 100 feet, and the average water temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Operating for 25 years now, Buddy Dive Resort is a full dive centre, situated in an unhurried, unspoiled natural paradise. Accommodation is no more than a giant stride from the fringe reef, accessible just a few feet from the shore.

The reef is perfect for diving and snorkeling, day and night. Drive and Dive packages include a rental truck to take advantage of the 60 dive sites accessible from the shore. Dive Buddy houses a fleet of custom dive boats, rental equipment and a well-stocked "Drive Thru" offering air and nitrus tanks.

Buddy's is a DAN member and a PADI 5 Star Gold Palm Resort. All divers pay a nature fee of $25 per year to support the preservation of the local Marine Park.

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Whether you are a keen diver or someone who would like to take it up, contact our consultants who will be able to advise you on where best to go.

 

Staying In Bill Gates's Favorite Resort

Where does Bill Gates go for vacation?

To one of the most luxurious destinations in the world - the beautiful Mnemba Island Lodge. This paradise is on a secluded island only a stone's throw from the Zanzibar coast. The lodge is surrounded on all sides by the picturesque beauty of the serene blue Indian Ocean. The hotel with a cool and soothing ambiance, is ideally suited for a peaceful and private holiday or a break from the frenetic city treadmill.

The beach-side retreat comprises 10 lavish bandas (or villas) with en suite bathrooms and the vivid outdoor verandas from which to enjoy the natural surroundings of the resort. There is a special guest area inside the hotel, which provides a panoramic view over the vastness of the sea. A warm bath by the pristine sea-beach is one of the many attractions of the place. The enchanting island with the exotic hotel is bordered with vibrant vegitation on its fringes.

The Mnemba Island Lodge provides various activity sports like, scuba diving, fly fishing, snorkeling, windsurfing, kayaking, swimming and bird-watching. Care is taken to ensure the conservation of various rare natural flora and fauna like giant turtles, ghost crabs and spectacular tropical fish that dwell in the region. The exotic resort also specialises in a variety of relaxing massages as well as some soothing therapies for its visitors.

The restaurants at the hotel with a thatched rooftop give in an exotic view of the spectacular beach and the coral reefs beyond. Fresh fruits, vegetables and a rich variety of fishes constitute the prime meals of the day.
Having been nominated as one of the three most romantic ocean destinations in the world by a well known travel organisation, the Mnemba Island Lodge sets itself apart from the rest with its extravagant luxury and hospitality.

Discovering the true Tunisia

The luxurious hotel, Gammarth: The Residence, Tunisia is an ideal destination. Nestlling neatly on the serene golden beaches of the Mediterranean, the hotel is a walk from the ruined city of Carthage and not far from the city of Tunis.

Apart from its amazing location, the hotel also offers exclusive hospitality and services.

The hotel has 170 lavish rooms with marbled bathrooms, large bedrooms, and beautiful picturesque balconies. Along with the excellent accommodation, the hotel also claims to have some of the best restaurants and bars in which to relax. The Moorish Cafe as well as the poolside bars and clubs also provide cool refreshments.

Le Salon, one of the entertainment haunts at the hotel, provides amusement and fun during the evenings. There are other facilities including Tennis and a vast swimming pool. During summer season, the children's club becomes active, allowing parents to relaxi on the warm Mediterranean shores or in the adjacent garden.
The hotel's Thalassotherapy Spa - 'Les Thermes Marins de Carthage" - is known for its excellent healing and restful ambiance.

The hotel is situated in a superb location. There are a number of things to treasure and discover close by, such as The Blue White Artisan Village of Sidi Bou Said, the Bardo Museum in Tunis, the Great Mosque - Djemas ez Zitouna, the Medina in Tunis, Cathedral of St. Vincent-de-Paul. These are all "must-see" places to visit.

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 For these and many other wonderful holiday opportunities, contact our leisure travel specialists who will be delighted to advise you on the best destinations for your 2008 holidays, depending on your preferences and the time of year you have in mind.

 

This year, many people are escaping the repetitive nature of Christmas in the UK with its inevitable James Bond reruns and endless mince pies, by booking a Christmas holiday abroad.

Some of the most popular destinations include the Big Apple, the bright lights of Vegas, the ancient treasures of Rome, the chic boutiques of Paris, and the cosmopolitan city of Barcelona.

Our consultants will be pleased to arrange an "Away Christmas" for you and your party, or a short "recovery break" afterwards, if that is your preference! But we suggest you don't delay, as some of the best opportunities get booked up well in advance!

Wherever you are heading, we can take the hassle out of your Christmas getaways by booking private or shuttle transfers and all those other small extras that can take the hassle out of travelling at peak "getaway" times. So do contact us soon!

Israeli scientists are said to be building a giant concrete reef to lure more divers and snorkellers to the Red Sea, without endangering one of the world's most diverse coral communities.

Thousands of divers and snorkellers flock to the popular Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat to marvel at the spectacular ocean life attracted by its coral reefs, but intensive diving is damaging the reef and researchers want to protect nature without restricting tourism in a country already battling television images of bombs and bloodshed.

A contraption the size of a small house, made up of six concrete blocks weighing 4 tonnes each seems to provide the solution. Hulking blocks of concrete might not immediately appeal to divers used to weaving between wild, multi-coloured plant life. But after just a few months in the water the reef has attracted more than 20 species of fish.

Other resorts have used shipwrecks as artificial reefs to attract divers, but it is claimed this project is one of the first to construct a purpose-built reef, using specially designed concrete and silicon to hold coral in place.

At the moment the concrete blocks look stark, but Israeli and Jordanian researchers are growing rare species of coral in nurseries and hope to create a flourishing community within 2-5 years - a feat that might take up to 100 years in the wild.

Once the coral is ready, divers "plant" it into holes drilled into the concrete blocks. The project will also provide a research base for marine ecologists since some 40 different types of coral are clustered on a 10-metre strip of Red Sea coral reef compared with four or five on the same area on Australia's famed Great Barrier Reef.

The artificial reef, near Eilat's popular Coral Beach diving spot, was started as an experiment but researchers say if it proves a hit with divers and protects the reef, it could be replicated elsewhere.

If you are interested in diving, our consultants can advise on the best, most suitable places in the world for you to go, bearing in mind the level of your expertise and other requirements. So please contact us for a discussion.

 

Additional Stansted Express trains linking the airport with central London are to run from the new year.

An extended timetable from January 2 will see 13 extra services a week. The aim is to ensure that late arriving and early departing air passengers have the choice to travel seven days a week, according to the company.

The changes will see the 00.30 Stansted to Liverpool Street, which previously ran in the early hours of Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings, run daily.

Additional 01.00 and 01.30 Stansted departures will run in the early hours of Monday, Friday and Saturday mornings. Other additions are early morning connections with Liverpool Street.

If you wish to use the train for your transfers to or from Stansted - or any other airport - please contact us for details and we will gldly book your journey for you.

Stansted claims to be proud of its record of encouraging passengers to use alternatives to their car to get to and from the airport. Around 40% use public transport which is the highest figure for a major airport in the UK and one of the highest in Europe. 

 

An airport lounge dedicated to leisure travellers is to be opened at Gatwick by Virgin Holidays and will be available for holidaymakers flying to Florida, Las Vegas and the Caribbean.

Covering 7,340 square feet with dual-aspect runway views and floor to ceiling windows, the so-called 'V ROOM' is to open next spring. Entry will cost £15 per adult, £10 per child (age 2-11), with infants free. It will have three distinct areas catering for children, adults-only and families. 

The family space will feature a soft play area, telescopes and games, to keep children amused until boarding.  The adults section will include newspapers and internet access, whilst a tech zone will feature the latest video games and opportunities to surf the internet.

Users of the lounge will have a café serving hot and cold complimentary food, soft drinks and coffee. Virgin Holidays claims that their V ROOM is the first lounge of its kind to be opened by a tour operator and is aimed at providing yet another "extra" that differentiates them from their competition. 

Our consultants will be pleased to book this facility for you when you have chosen a Virgin Holiday with Medway Leisure Travel

A 1,539-room hotel with 42 acres of water park is to be opened  on The Palm in Dubai, in early autumn next year, with bookings available from February . To be known as the Atlantis, The Palm, rates start at $454 a night.

The $1.5 billion property will cover a 113-acre site and is described as the first "truly integrated entertainment resort' in the Gulf state.

The resort, a joint venture with Dubai government-owned Istithmar, will be located at the crescent of the man-made Palm Jumeirah, which is currently under construction.

The water-themed resort, initially unveiled at World Travel Market, will include a three million gallon marine habitat and underwater exhibit which will be home to hundreds of species of marine life including sharks and manta rays.

An 11-acre Dophin Bay and an Aquaventure water park featuring water slides, cascades, tidal waves and rapids will also be featured.

Children will be catered for with clubs for three to 12 year olds, six to 12s and teenagers and pre-teens.

This is the first resort to open on The Palm Jumeirah, and guests are being  offered an opportunity to be part of a momentous occasion, to be party to and stay on one of the most talked about islands in the world and experience what is the ultimate entertainment destination.

So why not have something to look forward to, during the first half of next year, and let us arrange a break that will be an international talking point for months afterwards?

Ryanair has been voted the worst airline by British travellers for the second year running.

A third of people in the UK polled, voted the Irish no-frills airline their least favourite. 

The main reasons given were delays and cancellations, unfriendly staff, uncomfortable seats and poor legroom. A fifth of British travellers apparently also put "price gouging" on their list.  

British Airways, which came top in the survey last year, slipped to third place overall but was voted top airline by travellers outside the US.

American Airlines was the favourite airline among worldwide respondents.

Travellers selected these airlines as their favourite primarily because of their friendly and helpful staff, good on-time arrival and departure records, and comfortable seats.

British travellers rate personal comfort more important than others, the poll revealed.

Heathrow and Chicago's O'Hare were nominated the world's least favourite airports, with Amsterdam's Schiphol rated the best. The top three key features that make an airport great are

1. they are easy to navigate and get to the gate         
2. They provide clean toilets 
3.  There is good parking   

The survey found that British travellers are less enthusiastic than the rest of the world to embrace eco-friendly practices. Forty-five percent of Brits said that they were unlikely to visit an environmentally friendly hotel or resort, compared with 30 percent worldwide.  

Only 12% of British travellers are very likely to go hiking, five per cent cycling, nine per cent sailing and seven per cent engage in an adventure activity, compared with 21, 10, 29 and 15 per cent respectively for all travellers.

The survey results also suggested that the following destinations would be most popular in 2008:

  1.. Jerba, Tunisia

  2.. Makandi Bay, Egypt

  3.. Phangnga, Thailand

  4.. Kovalam, India

  5.. Sabaudia, Italy 

Whether you are one of those in the minority and likes to have an active holiday, or are among the majority and like to relax, our consultants will enjoy creating exactly the right arrangements to suit your ideal, so why not contact them now and see what they advise?