Leisure Travel e-Newsletter May 2007

Every quarter we draw a winning name. The odds are miles better than winning the lottery (and cost you nothing!), so anyone who has not subscribed to our free eNewsletter, now is the time to be in with a chance of winning the subscribers' prize draw for the 2nd quarter 2007!

Every month we bring you some ideas as to where you may wish to consider going for your next holiday. Sometimes it is not easy to get out of the rut of going back to the same old favourit places, but there are so many wonderful holiday destinations, it's also good to try somewhere new!

This month's selections are:

Key West: Up close and comfortable

You probably know Key West from Hemingway's writing. You may know Key West for its reputation as a legendary party spot?

You may not think of Key West as a destination for your next luxury getaway. But the island has some surprises for you. From world-class resorts and upscale shopping and dining to colourful local haunts, Key West offers a host of indulgences

Luxury Lodging

Just steps from Duval Street (Key West's legendary main street), and no distance from Mallory Square (home of the island's nightly sunset celebration), lies The Westin Key West Resort & Marina. Although inspired architecturally by the island's signature Conch cottages, the resort offers far more than simple pleasures.

The four-story, 178-room resort features spacious rooms, many with vaulted ceilings and water views, and boasts an AAA Four-Diamond rating. There, you can luxuriate in the Westin's Heavenly Bed, replete with a pillow-top mattress, crisp sheets and plush pillows. An on-site concierge can assist with booking daytrips and water excursions. Or, if you choose, just lie back at the tropical pool, enjoy a margarita on the Sunset Deck bar or indulge in a casually sophisticated meal at the waterfront Bistro 245.

If you're seeking a retreat away from Old Town's hustle and bustle, consider a stay at Sunset Key Guest Cottages, also an AAA Four-Diamond property. These luxury cottages are situated on a 27-acre private island just 500 yards off the coast of Key West. You can access the nation's southernmost city via a launch service running 24 hours each day between the cottages and The Westin Key West Resort. The ride takes only 10 minutes.

On Sunset Key, lush landscaping and private beaches await, along with 37 luxury guest cottages, ranging from one to three bedrooms. Each offers views of either tropical gardens or the Gulf of Mexico, and verandas replete with Adirondack chairs. There's also a pool, personal in-room chef service and grocery-shopping services that allow you to have your cottage stocked before you arrive. A complimentary breakfast basket brimming with fresh-baked muffins arrives at your front door daily. You could really get used to it!

Shopping & Dining in Paradise
Upscale dining in the Key West area begins on Sunset Key, with a meal at the waterfront Latitudes Beach Café. The dinner menu offers a broad array of local seafood dishes, along with fire-seared steaks and fine wines. If you choose to dine in Key West itself, consider meals at such upscale eateries as the Grand Café Key West, La Trattoria or Michael's Restaurant.

Key West of coourse has its luxury stores and boutiques. The Key West Winery doesn't make its selection from grapes, but from such tropical fruits as oranges, Key limes and peaches.

The Real Key West

Perhaps the greatest luxury you can enjoy during your getaway is acquainting yourself with the real Key West and uncovering its secrets. Here's one: Hemingway, they say, drank at Sloppy Joe's. This is nearly true. He did drink at a bar called Sloppy Joe's, but at the time, this bar wasn't in the huge locale on Duval Street it currently inhabits. Rather, in Hemingway's day, the bar sat at 438 Greene Street, an address now home to Captain Tony's Saloon.

For a healthy dose of history and Key West culture, go for an authentic Cuban meal at Pepe's Café, one of the oldest restaurants in Key West. It was established in 1909 and has been drawing locals ever since.

To get to know Key West beyond its drinking and revelry, consider renting a scooter and getting off Duval. You'll discover an amazing architectural mélange: Victoriana on Fleming Street, and Conch architecture and cross-gabled cottages on Angela and Elizabeth streets. In fact, if you are interested in architecture, the entire region surrounding the city's funky, above-ground cemetery is worth a look.

Finally, plan for a farewell dinner at Louie's Backyard. Don't be fooled by the casual name – this restaurant is known as one of the best in the South. Dine in this beautifully restored Classic Revival home on Waddell Street, and then have a drink on the restaurant's unique two-story side porch facing the water. This is luxury in true Key West style.

The Azores Islands

The Azores Islands are an archipelago at the Westernmost point of Europe. These nine Portuguese islands were created by volcanic activity hundreds of millions of years ago and still retain the evidence of this cataclysm in their landscape: 7,700-foot mountain peaks, blue and green lakes, green fields and valleys. The Azores have just 240,000 inhabitants in 868 square miles and enjoy year-round temperatures that hover between 14 and 22 degrees centigrade

Why not try a guided week-long cycling and walking tours of one of the islands, that give participants the chance to climb the 3,640-foot Pico de Vara; cross forests of Japanese Cedars, big-leaf hydrangea, and wild ginger; and tour Europe's only tea plantation, which dates from 1883?

Contact us for more information. Our consultants will be pleased to create a holiday, combining any of your chosen activities available on the islands.

Luxury beach resorts, Thai island style

Here, you can wallk out of the villa, dressed only in bathing costume, walk across the small patch of grass to the beach and seconds later, dive into the crystal-clear water and swim across the bay. For many, this is as close to heaven as one could get. Later you can amble back to the villa, have coffee on your private terrace, shower in the little outdoor garden and then head off for breakfast. Your day could be spent between the beach, the pool and the villa.

In the late afternoon, you could go for a walk on the idyllic island or hire bikes and pedal down the sandy lanes that separate the beaches. If you want a holiday away from the crowds, but without sacrificing any luxury, this island resort in Thailand is just what you dreamt of.  The Racha Island resort, about 45 minutes boat ride from Phuket, has been named as one of the 100 "hottest" new hotels in the world by the respected Cond́é Nast magazine.

Accommodation is in white-walled villas. Your every need is catered for – there is a TV and a DVD in the room, a daybed on the terrace and a spectacular indoor-outdoor bathroom in an enclosed garden. The hotel boasts three restaurants, bars, a magnificent swimming pool and a spa. You can even have a massage on the beach, looking out over the gentle waves.

The Racha Resort is one of a new breed of exclusive beach retreats springing up throughout Asia. The region has always had great hotels, but the trend has moved towards smaller, boutique resorts with specialised service and top-notch facilities. There is no fuss, no bother and certainly no queues.

The islands of southern Thailand can boast some of the very best resorts in the world. On Phuket Island there are many world-class resorts, each with their own unique features.

For a relaxed, laid-back holiday, the island of Koh Yao Noi provides a total escape. It is set in Phang-Nga Bay, an area of spectacular limestone cliffs and uninhabited islands, about an hour's boat trip from Phuket. Here you are a lifetime away from the hustle and bustle of commercial life - there are no tacky curio shops, no nightclubs and no timeshare vendors. Your days will be spent exploring quiet little bays, strolling through coconut plantations or just dozing on the patio of your villa.

Let our consultants research the resort that best suits you and your family, from amongst the number or superb options, and arrange a holiday you will always remember with the greatest of pleasure. Why not take a look at our new website to see the range of holidays we could create for you, and the company's friendly and professional attitude towards fulfilling clients' holiday dreams?

Some readers may already know that we have on our website a page entitled "Worldwide Leisure Events", to give surfers information about some of the most famous, interesting and fun events happening in the coming 6 to 9 months, one or more of which you may wish to incorporate into your next holiday.

We have extracted the following examples to give you a flavour, but strongly suggest you check the website page above, to see many more!

Prague Spring International Music Festival, 12th May – 4th June

What better time to visit this beautiful, ever popular city. Make the most of the Spring weather, and enjoy the music provided by the many International soloists and orchestras including the Czech Philharmonic.

Cannes Film Festival, France,                          17th - 28th May

Whether you are a film lover, or like to go out celebrity spotting, this could be the time for you to visit the South of France.

Devil Dancers of Venezuela,                             14th – 15th June

In many towns, all within a day’s drive of Caracas, church squares come alive with the brightly dressed, and masked Devil dancers, celebrating the eve and day of Corpus Christi.

Fete de la Musique, Paris                                  21st June

On this longest day of the year, artists from around the world descend on Paris, offering a variety of free concerts across the city, in a choice of venues.

Marrakech Popular Arts Festival                   2nd to7th July

With a wide selection of flights now available, Marrakech has developed into an up and coming short- break destination. Why not visit now during the festival, with its traditional folk performances, and you will experience a little extra Moroccan culture.

Calgary Exhibition and Stampede                6th to 15th July

Ten days of family entertainment and fun can be found at the Stampede, one of the world’s greatest rodeos. Wagon races, bucking broncos and bull riding events, are all part of this world famous event. It’s a must, for summer visitors to Western Canada.

Antigua Carnival                                          28th July to 7th August

Visit the Caribbean anytime in the year and you are bound to find a carnival somewhere. Now it’s time for Antigua – make a visit and join the party.

Jazz in Marciac, France                             31st July to 15th August

Every year this small town in the south – west of France becomes home to one of the world’s finest jazz festivals. With free concerts held in the main square during the day, exhibitions, and evening performances, there is plenty for everyone to enjoy.

Edinburgh International Festival              10th August To 2nd September

Why not take a short break and visit one of the world’s greatest arts festivals. For 3 weeks, Edinburgh is filled with classical music, opera, theatre and dance, making it one of the most exciting cities to visit this Summer.

White Night, Rome                                        8th September

Spend a night on the town in Rome, with this annual event. Over 100 events take place across the city, with 22 film theatres, 28 theatres, 24 museums, 51 art galleries and 9 cultural institutes staying open all night. Shops and food outlets are also open for the night, and free transport provided after 10pm.

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We have not listed travel arrangements as there are often countless options available. Please contact us about any which interest you and we will be happy to research the most suitable for your requirements.

 

The number of Britons taking cruises grew again last year, this time by 12%, to 1.2 million. This was double the British cruise numbers a decade ago and it is forcast to increase by a further 300,000 in 2008.

The latest statistics from the Passenger Shipping Association reveal that the UK cruise market showed the biggest growth rate of all European source market countries.

Within the overall package holiday market, which was stagnant in 2006, the equivalent share of cruises increased from 5.6% in 2005 to 6.3% in 2006, the PSA said.

The Mediterranean continued to be the most popular cruise destination, with 22% growth last year to represent 38% (or 452,000) of UK cruisers. This was followed by the Caribbean with 17% of the market. 

The Mediterranean will grow significantly as the main cruise destination area this year, according to the PSA, while Western Europe (non Mediterranean) has continued to increase as a cruise destination, reflecting a growing trend towards short cruises from UK ports.

The number of people taking fly-cruises increased by 13% last year, with growth attributed to a big increase in capacity aimed at the UK cruise market.

The ex-UK trend is predicted to grow with Navigator of the Seas replacing Legend of the Seas, doubling Royal Caribbean International's capacity from Southampton. Other capacity increases will come from MSC Cruises as it begins sailing from the UK for the first time. Princess Cruises is also adding to its capacity from Southampton, with more sailings with Sea Princess and Grand Princess. 

PSA director Bill Gibbons said: "Last year proved strong for the UK cruise industry, but next year is poised to be even better, with fantastic growth coming from the launch of 12 new or refurbished ships.

If you have not yet experienced a cruise holiday, you may perhaps not know where to begin in selecting the one to suit you, from the vast choice you have available. This is where our specially trained expert cruise consultants can help. They will discuss your lifestyle and holiday preferences with you and from there, research some of the most appropriate opportunities, and then guide you through to the ultimate selection. Cruising can be a very cost effective, relaxing and enjoyable holiday, as more and more people are discovering.

So please contact Stephen or Astra and also see our website for a small number or typical examples of the huge variety we can advise you about.

 

Visitors to the Grand Canyon are now able to walk 70 feet beyond the canyon's edge and peer 4,000 feet down to the canyon's floor. This may sound like a cartoon or a nightmare scenario (depending on your resistance to vitigo!), but the horseshoe-shaped Skywalk, made of glass and steel, makes it safe even for the most timid. It has also upset environmentalists and many members of the local Hualapi tribe.

Critics of the Skywalk accuse the developer of scheming to convert a natural wonder into a tourist trap; tribal members are concerned about nearby burial sites. But, in the end, the tribe—a third of whose members live in poverty—needed the money. Tribal leaders hope a $25 stroll along the Skywalk will become the focal point of a new local tourism market, which will include $50 tours of their reservation, river rafting, helicopter rides, and other attractions.

It will certainly be an experience “to dine off” for a long time afterwards, so contact us and let us include a visit to this spectacular site when you visit Colorado.

 

Many  people complain that, in their experience, venues and travel agents never bring any creative intelligence to bear in putting together their proposals.

“Lack of creative thinking/alternatives offered during negotiations,” was the response selected by more than one-third of meeting planner survey respondents who were asked what aspects of dealing with supplier salespeople bug them the most. A hotelier who heard this confessed, “I think we should do a much better job of sending creative proposals.”

Also, common practice, when contracts are sent to planners, seems to be for hotels to include a note that simply says “contract attached” – effectively indicating, “this is our standard package and you’re luck to get the chance of booking with us”!

If this is your experience too, then you'll be pleased to know that at Medway Travel (as you will see from our Groups & Events section on our new website,) our specialist Groups and Events consultants take a very different approach, We take pride in offering alternatives and suggestions during the on-going dialogue, which leads up to the formulation of the final plan and quotation.

Whenever possible, we explain things like, “given your budget, we proposed x, but for y pounds more, we could do z.”

Or, “if you can accept only two menu options at Tuesday night’s dinner instead of three, we would come in under cost on that event and could put the savings toward those table decorations you wanted on Monday’s banquet”.

Or “ If your party flew out on the earlier flight, it would save enough to enable a coach transfer instead of having to use public transport”.

So, please contact us with your Group or Event plans, and we will work closely with you to make sure it is tailored carefully to your objectives and that you squeeze every penny of value out of your budget.

Four new routes are being launched by British Airways from Gatwick this summer including daily flights to Newquay in Cornwall.

The new domestic link was followed by three flights a week to Sarajevo, daily flights to Dresden and three flights a week to Port of Spain in Trinidad.

But flights from Gatwick to Hassi Messaoud in Algeria, Newcastle and Riga in Lativa have been suspended from the end of March.

Meanwhile, flights to Vancouver from Heathrow will operate from Terminal 1 rather than Terminal 4 from June 1.

In this section we bring you some of our outstanding offers that are currently available. If any of these are of interest, or have given you food for thought, please do contact our specialist consultants. They will be delighted to assist you and have a vast selection of other tempting alternatives to help you to choose from, some of which are also on our website, so please take a look at them too.

 

Bangkok and Phuket from just £929 per person – includes 5 free nights in Phuket

Spend 4 nights staying at the Novotel Bangkok, in the heart of the city, followed by a 10 night relaxing stay at the Bay Hotel, in the popular resort of Phuket.

Travel between 1st May and 30th June.

Includes return flights from Heathrow with Thai.
Accommodation based on Room only in Bangkok, and room and breakfast in Phuket

Mauritius – Stay 7 nights and get 7 nights free – from just £1199 per person

Set amid tropical gardens, overlooking the turquoise waters of Blue Bay,we are pleased to offer the  Blue Lagoon Hotel, at this amazing price. The hotel is located on the south east coast of the island within a 10 minute drive to the historical village of Mahebourg, and offers a wide range of land and water sports.

Travel dates between 1st May and 13th July – Bookable at any time.
Price includes  14 nights accommodation on an All Inclusive basis, and return flights with Air France from Heathrow.

Price based on 2 adults sharing a standard room.

Golden Triangle, India - from just £795.

The three destinations of Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, together make up the ‘Golden Triangle’ and offer the perfect introduction to the colours and sights of northern India.

This group tour includes:
2 nights Delhi , 2 nights Jaipur, 1 night Bharatpur and 2 nights Agra.

Return flights between Heathrow and Delhi

Travel within India by air– conditioned vehicles, with knowledgeable, local guides in Delhi, Jaipur, Fatehpur Sikri and Agra, and a resident naturalist in Bharatpur.

Valid for travel until 29th June

Cyprus – savings of £161 per person

Located opposite the old harbour in the centre of Paphos, the Annabelle is an exclusive family – run hotel, decorated to luxurious standards.

Enjoy a one week stay and receive a complimentary room upgrade to a twin / double  sea view room. Depending on dates, brochure 7 night prices start from £843 - £1017 per person.

Price includes British Airways flights from Gatwick, and accommodation on room and breakfast basis.

Offer valid until 31st May

Mantaray Bay, Barbados –An exclusive luxury property from £690 per person

Stay 14 nights for the price of 11 or stay 7 nights for the price of 6- in addition to complimentary water sports.

Enjoy uninterrupted views of the Caribbean sea, from this luxurious townhouse property. Set amid tropical gardens, this US5 million dollar villa is fully staffed with a cook and maid, and enjoys all the latest technology including cinema television and wireless internet as well as a wet bar, BBQ and oversized plunge pool. Guests also have use of infinity pool, serving just 5 properties.

Offer valid from May to 15th December.

Price from £5530 for 14 nights accommodation for up to 8 guests –  equating to just over £690 per person.

With fares to Barbados starting from just £498 plus taxes, we believe this is an exclusive opportunity not to be missed.

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These holidays offer just a snapshot of the vast range of holidays available around the world which we can create for you, so please contact Astra, James or Sue on 01622 608265 or email us at leisure@medwaytravel.co.uk for your own personal choice.

 

A recent poll of more than 1,700 people over the age of 50 asked respondents to name the location of their first ever holiday and also where they last visited.

The research coincided with a report from MPs criticising the state of many seaside towns across the UK.

The poll underline the fact that there is a growing trend amongst the mature market to combine long haul destinations with traditional seaside resorts in the UK in their annual holiday plans, as they seek more diverse locations in which to holiday.

British coastal resorts formed all but one of the top ten destinations for respondents first holidays, with Blackpool, Skegness and the Isle of Man being the most popular responses. In contrast, the over-50s now list Australia, USA and Germany amongst their top ten most recent destinations

Spain was the only destination to feature in both lists, demonstrating the perennial appeal of a year-round pleasant climate and a well established tourist infrastructure.

The relative popularity of making the long trip 'Down Under' and visits to the States underlines the trend that the over-50s are now prepared to travel long distances.

"Other research in 2006, found that the over-50s took on average one domestic holiday per annum to supplement two or even three trips abroad.

The over-50s can be seen to account for 40%, of all consumer holiday spending in the UK, and it is still rising,. Furthermore, it is no surprise that, with this age bracket containing many retirees with greater time flexibility, high levels of disposable income and a taste for experiencing new cultures, there is an increase in the range of destinations visited.

Top ten destinations last visited in the over 50s age group, are (in order of popularity):

1.. Spain

2.. Scotland

3.. Tenerife

4.. Australia

5.. France

6.. USA

7.. Blackpool

8.. Cornwall

9.. Malta

10.. Germany

If you are interested in a new experience, why not contact our experienced holiday consultants who will be pleased to discuss your ideas and advise on destinations which you would find stimulating, enjoyable and memorable?