Looking for a bit of sun and heat?

I think that we are universally agreed that this year's summer was one of the worst on record and with the long range weather forecast for the next eight years not particularly encouraging, perhaps it's time that we had a conversation about the 10 hottest places around the world that we should consider for that next holiday. By some measures, Bangkok is actually considered the hottest big city on earth. The average temperature for the

Familiarity Breeds Contempt — Part 2

In last weeks' blog I was going on about the fact that we probably attribute too much importance at times to far away destinations and not enough to the ones that are located closer to home. perhaps the best example of this phenomenon is London. London is one of the world's great capitals with more than enough history, culture, architecture and attractions to last a lifetime and yet how well do we really know it?

Disneyland —for the eternal youngster in all of us

My first exposure to the Disneyland 'experience' was almost 30 years ago when I visited the original of the species — Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. Having also been born in 1955 — the year that Disneyland first opened to the public — I felt an immediate affinity to the place. Since then, I have been back a couple of times, not only to the Anaheim park but also Florida and Disneyland Paris. In fact

Day 4 in Puglia

Is there anyone out there who doesn't love Italian food? I don't think so. It is justifiably regarded as one of the worlds' great cuisines and not a lot of people know that French cuisine — often regarded as representing the pinnacle of gastronomic excellence — actually derives from Italian influences which were introduced into the French Royal Court around the time of the Medici's. See — you learn something new every time you read this blog!

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’

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

Fancy travelling business class?

Travelling business class is one of those experiences that most of us rarely get to enjoy — unless of course you're a corporate hotshot or you're loaded. You'll be delighted therefore to note that SAS airlines are currently running with a promotion that is offering roundtrip business class fares to various points in Scandinavia for as little as €296, including taxes. Travel must be undertaken between April 26th and September 2nd of this year. Like

40 is a nice round number

Everyone has heard of the 80:20 rule but have you heard about the 40:20 one ?  OK, I'm teasing a bit but I just thought that it would be a nice way to introduce a bit of good news for all you 'Mickey Mouse' fans out there! Disneyland Paris is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2012 and as part of those celebrations (which, incidentally, are going to last for about 12 months) they are offering

Move out of your comfort zone

The world is a big place. We know that we're stating the obvious here but it's worth mentioning if only because we find that most people tend to return to the same places year after year. Nothing wrong with that at all, particularly if those places are ticking all the boxes in terms of cost, convenience, friendliness, value for money, accessibility etc. It's a shame though that more people don't push the proverbial boat out

Istanbul — Here I come!

I'm off to Istanbul tomorrow. Never been. Previously known as Constantinople and Bysantium, Istanbul has got to represent one of the greatest concentrations of antiquities and past civilizations in the whole world. I'm only staying for three days and am there for business so it won't all be sightseeing but I'll try and pack in as much as I can and keep you informed. I can't say that I know a whole lot about Turkish

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!).