RSSSep|30|2006
And The Airline Winners Are….
Posted by Zahir as News
Here is a list of the winners of the annual World Travel Awards in the “World Airlines” category, held just a few days ago in the Carribean.
Very useful for planning your next trip, I think, but for a look at the other winners, check out the extensive list on their website.
“Voted for independently by travel professionals worldwide, our award winners are having a major impact and influence on the world’s travel and tourism industry. They are the true innovators and benchmarks for our trade, especially in the areas of customer service, technology, operational efficiency, product offering and style”
World’s Leading Airline:
British Airways
World’s Leading Airline Alliance:
Oneworld (Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Lan Chile and Qantas)
World Leading Airline Inflight Meal Service:
Qatar Airways
World’s Leading New Airline:
Etihad Airways
[tags]travel,awards,airlines,world travel awards[/tags]
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Sep|28|2006
World Travel Awards
Posted by Zahir as Arts & Culture, Awards, News
The World Travel Awards was started in 1993 to benchmark the best in the travel industry. Huge numbers reaching the hundreds of thousands of travel professionals from over 200 countries around the world vote each year, culminating an an awards night celebration.
Regional geographical categories are broken down into eight smaller areas representing the different continents, and this is further broken down into smaller areas covering all sections of this fast growing industry. Other awards are also given for specific areas, such as the World’s Leading Sports Resort and so on.
This year’s gala event took place in the Turks and Caicos Islands and was attended by over 350 travel professionals and international VIP’s from around the globe. The number of awards categories was boosted by 50 from last year’s event, reaching an even larger scope of 791.
An astounding 3,600 nominations competed this year, and the …
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Sep|22|2006
Better Holidays With The Kids: The Beach
Posted by Zahir as Family, Getaways, Resorts, Tips
Children of all ages adore the beach, so if you are planning a holiday where all the members of the family are sure to have a great time (and keep them occupied for very long periods), a beach holiday is ideal.
However, like all holidays where the kids are in close contact with mother nature, there are precautions to be taken.
Here are some important things to keep in mind:
1. On the Beach
Beaches have hidden dangers – however calm a beach may seem, be aware of tide times, undercurrents and make sure the children are supervised at all times. Know what any warning signs or flags may mean and choose beaches with lifeguards if possible.
2. At the Resort / Hotel
Know if there are any hazards in and around the hotel. Ask the staff if there are any dangerous stairways, ponds, cliffs etc which you and your children …
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Sep|20|2006
Better Holidays With The Kids: Go Prepared
Posted by Zahir as Adventure, Family, Getaways, Tips
Anyone who has children can tell you that travelling with the little ones can make the experience less of a holiday and more of a logistical challenge (or even nightmare if they’re under 7).
Of course its probably better to take them along as you get to save on long distance calls back home and cut the panic-stricken worry (that something fatal will happen while you’re away) by a rather large margin, but if its a langorous, bestselling-novel-and-adult-conversation-packed relaxing holiday you’re looking for, then call Grandma and leave them at home.
But if you do decide to take them, here are some good tips:
1. Choose a Child-Friendly Hotel
This is, without a doubt the most vital factor as a child-friendly hotel actually expects your offspring to run wild in the lobby, splatter spaghetti and orange juice all over the coffee shop’s table and floor and if you’ve done …
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Sep|18|2006
New Zealand’s Friars Guide
Posted by Zahir as Australia NZ, Getaways, Gourmet, Historical, Hotels, Luxurious, Nature, Romantic
If you’re planning a trip to New Zealand, the Friars Guide is indispensable. In fact I’ve yet to see another guide of its kind anywhere else in the world. For a country as stunningly gorgeous as New Zealand, this guide does it justice in showing you a fantastic selection of places to stay.
So what is it? The Friar’s Guide is a guide to luxurious accommodation in New Zealand for the discerning traveller. This means NO large impersonal hotel chains (although NZ has a few which are good value and pretty darn decent), but a variety of the most wonderful inns, cottages, b&b’s, lodges, homestays and boutique hotels – all of of them uniquely charming and in the most idyllic places. The book’s authors have strict standards, so the properties have to be very high in quality, …
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Sep|16|2006
Honeymoon in New Zealand: South Street Cottages
Posted by Zahir as Arts & Culture, Cities, Historical, Hotels, Oceania, Romantic
On our honeymoon about 5 years ago, we spent 6 weeks travelling around New Zealand by car. Although we booked some of our hotels ahead of time, the most charming place we stayed was found by chance.
We drove into Nelson, (North of South Island, and said to be the artists town of NZ) late in the night, and after spending the evening at a pretty dreadful motel, explored the city in hopes to find something befitting to a honeymoon.
We walked into a potter’s shop, and after chatting to the proprietor (whom we fondly called the “Happy Potter”), found out that he was renting out a few cottages around the corner from his shop, in historic “South Street”, which was the oldest preserved precinct in New Zealand.
Without a deposit, credit card details or anything to speak of, he cheerfully gave us the keys to “Briar Cottage”- which turned …
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Sep|14|2006
More Tips From The Falls: Lights, Rooms and Ice Cream
Posted by Zahir as Americas, Backpacking & Budget, Family, Food and Drink, Nature, Tips
Very graciously, Jamie has sent us another installation of her riveting Niagra Falls memoirs, giving me full permission to “rip off wholesale”. Another big thank you, Jamie!!
” …I did forget to mention that every night they illuminate the falls, too. The lights for American and Horseshoe come from a huge bank of spotlights on the Canadian side,
and Joshua amused himself by watching the spotlights change so hecould predict what color was next. (I think Bridal Veil was illuminated by a spotlight closer to the fall that I couldn’t see.)
At one point American and Bridal Veil were red, white, and blue, and Horseshoe was red and white; other times they’d decorate in rainbow, or just with vivid colors that had no meaning whatsoever. And of course the whole time you could hear the roar of the water.
Also, in regards to staying and eating there: there are lots of …
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Sep|12|2006
Letter From Niagara Falls
Posted by Zahir as Americas, Nature, Reviews
My husband just recieved this letter by email from a friend of his who had just been to Niagara Falls. It was written so wonderfully, so I thought it was worth sharing. Big THANK YOU Jamie!
“..Had a remarkable weekend — the people over at Niagara are absolutely
wonderful and neither words nor pictures can get across the grandeur
of the falls. I have never seen or felt anything like it. Even my
sons, jaded by anything that doesn’t play on a video screen, were
absolutely blown away.
The falls are in three pieces — Horseshoe Falls is shaped more or
less like a horseshoe, which means that when the Maid of the Mist, the
boats that cruise down at the bottom of the falls, motors over to
them, you are completely surrounded by falling water if you’re in the
front of the boat — which we were. Imagine being in the worst storm
of …
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Sep|10|2006
Hotel Utse Kathmandu
Posted by Zahir as Asia, Backpacking & Budget, Cities
On the topic of “Lost Horizon” (which you can guess by now I have a thing for), I have to say that one of the most memorable trips I’ve ever had was to Kathmandu about 5 years ago.
On the foothills of the Himalayas, arriving in Kathmandu was like I had landed straight into a Tintin book. It was exotic, chaotic, old and smelt of incense everywhere – I loved it.
My husband (then boyfriend) and I stayed at the Hotel Utse in Thamel, the tourist district. It was by no means luxurious in any way, but it had the perfect local flavour we wanted. Oh, and it was also very clean, comfortable, friendly and cheap with pretty good food.
Our room, which was simply furnished had its own bathroom and was spacious enough to include a little sitting area overlooking a courtyard where you could see the …
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Sep|06|2006
Fiji’s Top Five Islands
Posted by Zahir as Getaways, Luxurious, Oceania, Resorts
Hollywood stars have long regarded the idyllic Fiji islands as favourite paradise. And with good reason, its far away from nosing paparazzi (well, geographically miles away from LA at least) with some fantastic resorts offering not just comfort but all-important privacy.
Here are the top five picks for a celeb-worthy holiday in Fijian paradise:
1. Yaqeta Island
Part of the volcanic chain of islands of the Yasawas, here you’ll be treated to seemingly endless stretches of white sand, glimmering blue lagoons and fantastic diving, snorkeling and fishing.
Resort: The Navatu Stars – Huts from $350
2. Denarau Island
In close proximity to the airport through a causeway, this island is a good jump-off point to explore the other islands. Beaches here aren’t famously pretty, but there is an interesting market and swami temple as well as an exciting river jet-boat trip …
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