Archive for April, 2009
I recently came back from another memorable trip to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a dazzling, vibrant place to visit. The pace of development means there’s always something new to see and yet, comfortingly, the old attractions still endear.
Lamma Island
The Outlying Islands provide a wonderful getaway from the hustle and bustle of downtown Hong Kong. Lamma Island is popular as a weekend getaway as it’s less than half an hour by ferry Central. It’s also one of the places to go to for delicious seafood.
I’m not usually one for tours, especially in a place that I regard as my second home, but the Lamma Island Romance Tour turned out to be a fantastic way to experience 3 ‘must-dos’, especially if you’re travelling with children or older relatives (as I was).
The tour, organised by Able & Promotion Tours Ltd, included a mouth-watering seafood banquet at the Rainbow Seafood Restaurant on Lamma Island, a harbour cruise to see the Symphony of Lights show in Victoria Harbour and a trip to Victoria Peak via the Peak Tram (see more on this in a previous post: My Personal Top Five Things to Do in Hong Kong).
Ocean Park
Ocean Park is one of Southeast Asia’s largest aquariums and theme parks and is home to two pairs of giant panda cubs.
On a previous trip, the crowds were such that I vowed never to visit Ocean Park again. Well, I’m pleased to report that the crowds were not as bad as before and have to admit that Ocean Park is actually a rather spectacular theme park.
Perched on a hillside on the southern side of Hong Kong Island, you need a whole day to get around the park. The two sites are linked by a jaw-dropping cable car ride, or you can opt for the free shuttle bus.
Lantau Island
Lantau Island is the largest island in Hong Kong. Originally the site of traditional fishing villages, the island has, in recent years, been transformed and is now home to Hong Kong’s new international airport, Hong Kong Disneyland and Ngong Ping 360.
Ngong Ping 360
Ngong Ping is a breathtaking cable car experience that offers stunning views of North Lantau and the South China Sea. To enhance your experience, you can opt to wait for one of the Crystal Cabins - a glass-bottomed cable car! The cable car takes you to the themed Ngong Ping Village (with obligatory shops and places to eat), from where you can walk to the Big Buddha. At 34m tall, it’s one of the world’s tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha.
Of course, Hong Kong wouldn’t be Hong Kong without the food and the shopping and I will be sharing food and shopping highlights with Your Travel Planner readers in my next posts.
If you’re thinking about visiting Hong Kong and need help planning your trip, please feel free to contact me, Ching Lee, at Go2 Holiday Research, www.go2research.com.
Filed under: Asia Pacific, Destinations, Reviews: Hotels, Places to Eat, Destinations | Hong Kong, Hong Kong Things to Do|1 Comment
It’s been many years since I visited Nepal, but it still ranks as one of my best trips. From the intoxicating Kathmandu Valley to breathtaking mountain ranges, Nepal is a country of diverse and rich geography, culture, and religions.
So it’s with particular interest that Your Travel Planner reports on the launch of the ‘Green Circuit‘ today, an initiative that brings together some of the best responsible travel packages in the South Asia.
The ‘Green Circuit’ is the brainchild of Raj Gyawali from socialtours, a specialist tour and trekking company based in Kathmandu. Currently, the Circuit connects four great experiences around Nepal, India and East Himalaya using various means of ground transportation:
Nepal: Tamang Heritage Trail highlights an ancient lifestyle combined with picturesque scenery and healing baths in natural hot springs; 17 days, heritage sightseeing, moderate trekking, jungle safari
Eastern Himalaya: Red Panda Tea and Elephant Trail explores East Himalaya, one of the top biodiversity hotspots of the world; 22 days, culture, wildlife and tea gardens
East India: Orissa Odyssey offers an adventure through timeless India; 15 Days Kolkata - Visakhapatnam
South India: The Malabar Holidays captures the spirit of old Malabar (now northern Kerala). Live and let live as you meander through Cochin to the virgin beaches of Kannur; 14 days, culture, spice tour, beaches, homestays
If you have the time, the Green Circuit can be done as one long expedition, or taken seperately (and all are customizable). If you’re after shorter experiences, the companies involved are more than happy to discuss alternative itineraries.
For more information, visit ‘the Green Circuit‘ on the socialtours website.
Filed under: Asia Pacific, Destinations, Responsible Tourism | India, Nepal, Responsible Tourism, South Asia|No Comments
Today is Earth Day. And when it comes to travel and holidays, there are many sources of information if you’re a traveller or holidaymaker who wants to ensure your holiday has a positive impact on the rest of the world.
Choosing a place that uses solar-powered electricity, or serves local, seasonal and organic produce or one that supports local community projects could be your way of making sure that you travel green.
Here are some suggestions from Your Travel Planner for researching a greener holiday:
Set up in 2001, responsibletravel.com is a good place to start researching holidays that make a real difference to local people and the environment. The site covers over 270 operators and 100s of villas, lodges, B&Bs and small hotels around the world. Each holiday has personal reviews as well as an explanation of how it makes a difference.
This site is a great way to search and make an online booking for destinations, accommodation, tours and activities from local providers and operators, mainly from the developing world.
A unique feature of the WHL network is that each destination booking site is owned and operated by locals. You deal directly with local people in the destination you are travelling to and they say that “unlike other global booking sites, the people you book with will be there when you get there.”
- Green Places to Stay, Alastair Sawday
If you prefer a guide book, Alistair Sawday’s “Green Places to Stay” gives the very best of eco-tourism accommodation around the world. The Alastair Sawday team have sought out and visited people with a passion for the local culture and environment, from the heart of Borneo to the African savannah. The aim is that each place featured provides tangible benefits to local communities and minimizes the impact of holidays on the environment. See www.sawdays.co.uk or Amazon.
If you would like help planning a greener holiday, please contact me at Go2 Holiday Research. As a member of the Fringe RT Networking group, I can help put you in contact with other members who provide responsible, sustainable or eco-friendly travel.
Filed under: Responsible Tourism, Travel Tips | Responsible Tourism|No Comments
As well as a Birthday Fare for London to Shanghai return this week from £349, Virgin Atlantic also has a 5 Day Easter Fare Sale (bookable from Good Friday to Tuesday, 14th April).
The terms for the Shanghai fare are:
- Applies to departure dates of 10 Apr - 27 June 09
- Includes all taxes, fees and surcharges
- Additional credit card charges and weekend travel supplements apply
- Book from 9 April to 10pm on 15 April 09
See the Virgin website for the full list of destinations included in the Easter Sale.
Filed under: Travel News | Virgin Atlantic Offer of the Week|No Comments
As well as sending Your Travel Planner a review of Helpful Holidays, Elaine Swift (who provides excellent copywriting, writing and editing services) also sent us a review of this delightful cottage:
I almost don’t want to write this review of beautiful Cot Manor in the delightful Cot Valley, near St Just, West Cornwall. We’ve just got back from a wonderfully relaxing week there and I’m tempted to keep it as my secret.
However, that wouldn’t be fair to Cot Manor’s lovely, generous owners, Helen and Mike Jay. Nor would it be fair to Helpful Holidays who we made the booking through. So I’ve decided to share my secret.
A special place
Standing in five acres, Cot Manor was originally two cottages and was converted into one large house in the early 1800s.
It sleeps nine, and unlike a lot of holiday cottages, it does so comfortably. There are three good sized double rooms, and a room that sleeps three - great if there are children, but it would be fine for a couple. There were four of us so we had plenty of room.
There are two bathrooms, each with a shower, and one en-suite shower room. The downstairs bathroom is glorious!
Downstairs is a very large room that we dubbed the entertainment room. It has a flat-screen TV with Sky, a DVD player and for extra entertainment, there are pool and table tennis tables. There’s even a priest hole by the main door if you feel like playing extreme hide and seek.
When Helen (who is delightful) showed us around she took us into what she called the G&T room. So that’s exactly what it became for the rest of the week. It’s also where a couple of us battled with two of the many jigsaws supplied along with other games.
The kitchen is very well equipped with pans, utensils, cutlery, crockery as well as dishwasher, washing machine and microwave. There’s a separate tumble dryer in the downstairs loo.
Flowers in every room
But it’s the little touches and its owners that make Cot Manor so special. There were camellias and other flowers from the garden in every room. A fire had been laid for us in the G&T room. In the luxurious downstairs bathroom there was an array of different types of Radox - great if you’ve been out walking the coast path all day.
There were towels (nice ones) in every bathroom, and the bed-linen and other furnishings are all of a high standard - not always the case in holiday cottages. Also unlike other places - everything worked!
From the moment we arrived we were encouraged to treat the house as our own. Helen and Mike were on hand if we needed anything. As was Bumble their very sweet sheep dog.
It’s so peaceful - we woke up every morning to birdsong and even heard an owl on a couple of afternoons.
The area
St Just, the local (very small) town is a ten minute walk away through the back gate and across the fields. Bizarrely, it’s also a ten minute drive away. It’s not a quaint or picturesque Cornish town but we really love it. There’s something very honest about it.
A visit to the Cook Book shop for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea, (or all three) and a leisurely browse of the second-hand books, is a must. St Just has several galleries, the best of which are the Great Atlantic and the Windswept.
Cot Manor sits in Cot Valley which leads down to Porthnaven beach and the Atlantic Ocean. It’s not a sandy beach but it’s full of fascinating boulders which are protected so put any thoughts of garden decoration out of your mind!
If you fancy a bit of a challenge, you can take the coastal path from here to spectacular Cape Cornwall. It’s not too difficult a walk, just a bit steep in places. It takes you past Ballowall Burrow - an ancient burial chamber at Carn Gloose.
You can turn this into a circular walk by walking up a road from the Cape into St Just, stop for tea at Cooks, then carry on across the fields to home at Cot Manor. Ah bliss. I wish we were still there.
For more information on Cot Manor, see the Helpful Holidays website.
Filed under: Cottages, Destinations, Reviews: Hotels, Places to Eat, Destinations, UK & Ireland | holiday cottages in cornwall, review|No Comments
Virgin Atlantic are now into their 6th week of special fares (as part of their 25th birthday promotions).
This week the offer is London to the CARIBBEAN (Barbados, Antigua, St Lucia) return from £599.
The terms are:
- Applies to departure dates of 19 Jul 09 - 16 Aug (St Lucia from 17 Jul 09 - 16 Aug)
- Includes all taxes, fees and surcharges
- Additional credit card charges and weekend travel supplements apply
- Book from 2 April to 10pm on 8 April 09
Visit their website for more details and more news of their weekly offers.
Filed under: Destinations, South & Central America | Virgin Atlantic Offer of the Week|No Comments
Helpful Holidays, a company who specialises in self catering holiday cottages in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset, were mentioned in Your Travel Planner’s ‘Things to Do for Families at Easter’. So I was very pleased to receive this review of Helpful Holidays from brilliant copywriter, Elaine Swift.
We’ve just got back from a wonderfully relaxing week at the beautiful Cot Manor in the delightful Cot Valley, near St Just, West Cornwall.
We made the booking through Helpful Holidays and the service we received was excellent. We’ve used them lots of times before and they’ve never let us down. The descriptions on their website and in their brochure are very accurate and we haven’t been disappointed.
The staff are helpful and courteous and the follow-up service is great. When I phoned to book they asked for debit or credit card details to take a deposit and the balance at a later date. I got a text a couple of days before the balance was due to remind me they would be collecting it.
I got booking confirmation in the post with good directions and information about Cornwall. There was also a cheque for the £100 damages deposit to be cashed on our return - provided we didn’t break anything of course!
When we returned home, I got a welcome home email with a survey to check that everything had been up to standard.
Overall Verdict: Great service from a company that lives up to its name.
What a great review! Visit www.helpfulholidays.com to find a cottage for you and remember to visit their Special Offers page which has upto 25% selected properties during April - June. If you don’t have time to search, contact Go2 Holiday Research; I’d be happy to help.
Filed under: Cottages, Reviews: Hotels, Places to Eat, Destinations | holiday cottages devon, holiday cottages dorset, holiday cottages in cornwall|1 Comment
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