Nestled in Bow Valley, in the Canadian Rockies, the mountain town of Banff, Alberta, offers a spectacular setting for a retreat into nature.

The town boasts a natural hot springs, where visitors can soak after a day of hiking the surrounding peaks. For those less inclined to hike, there is a gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain that offers jaw-dropping views of the mountains. Banff is home to many renowned dining establishments, where you can enjoy Canadian cuisine in style. Relax at the many spas in the area, or enjoy live music at an outdoor venue.

If you wish to escape the bustle of city life, enjoy a gentle walk through neighbouring Lake Louise National Park. There is a vastness to the landscape, with its thick forests, charming brooks and craggy peaks. The jewel that is Lake Louise, with its stunning, azure-coloured water, is not to be missed. Enjoy the view from the lawn of the Chateau Lake Louise, paddle along the shores in a canoe or take on the seven kilometre, return, hike to the teahouse. The nearby town of Canmore offers further hiking and cycling adventures, as well as golfing and fine dining. 

Banff is located only 140kms from Calgary International Airport. There are numerous holiday rental options for your visit, from charming bed and breakfasts to the prestigious Banff Springs Hotel, which was established in 1888.

For a cruise holiday destination Hawaii probably wouldn’t come to top my list probably because I have never really thought of it as a cruise holiday destination. It is quite a far flung destination and does require time and patience to get there but when you see the surroundings you will realise that it was all worth it.

Because of the distance and the time it takes to get there you tend to find that Hawaii cruise holidays can be expensive, however like any trip if you shop around you should be able to find some cheap cruises to Hawaii on offer, especially if you book in advance. Hawaii is made up of eighth major islands which are Volcanic and each island is made up of at least one primary volcano. Because of this you will find that each island comes with its own distinct climate and each island has something different to offer.

You will find that taking a cruise holiday to Hawaii will cause you to fall into the islander’s way of life; relatively cut off from anywhere else Hawaii has a very relaxed attitude and atmosphere. You will stop off at many of the region’s major islands Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Kiribati and Ensenada, at all of these stops you will find a whole host of activities to keep you occupied during your cruise such as surfing, hiking and horse riding to name but a few. There is also a wide spectrum of breath taking scenery to take in on all the islands as well as a whole host of culture to enjoy.

Most of the Hawaii cruise holidays will start with you flying into Los Angeles and include a 3 night stay there or even Las Vegas, you can also arrange to fly to Hawaii and enjoy a three night stay in a four star hotel right on the beach, with all your transfers taken care of. Most cruises will last between seven and eleven nights on board some of the most extravagant cruise ships offering sheer luxury, you will then be able to enjoy a cruise round the turquoise waters of Hawaii as well as visiting Ensenada (Mexico) with some itineraries.

Hawaii

Picture courtesy of Ricardo y Marta

There are numerous different cruise companies all looking to fill a niche in the market, Royal Caribbean look to offer fun pact, good quality family cruises, Disney aim to keep children entertained and Silversea look to off six star luxury cruises for the discerning traveller. So if you’re looking for luxurious cruise holidays then you should think about taking a break on a Silversea cruise ship to one of many luxury destinations all around the world.

There are not many cruise lines which can lay claim to offering six star cruise holidays, which is what makes them so special, unfortunately this excess also comes with a hefty price tag, however if you’re looking for a holiday of a life time well this is just one you can’t ignore. The company have six luxurious vessels to choose from and on board each you receive a personalised service. In fact to make it extra special to their guests they introduced a butler service for all guests not just the ones staying their elite staterooms, the Owners, Grand and Royal Suites. Not only that, guests can also decide where they get on and off space permitting for an extra charge.

Their ships can hold between 300 to 450 guests and although larger than some of the other luxury cruise lines, Silversea still manage to offer an attentive service to everyone on board. Their ships offer a more traditional elegance and entertainment is less tacky cabaret shows and more grand piano smooth entertainment. You won’t find on board anything too strenuous or too ‘much’. You can’t forget the fine dining either, with staff trained by the Leading Hotel Schools of the World and the menus have been inspired by internationally acclaimed Grand Chefs of Relais & Chateaux.

Silversea offer cruises around the world with destinations including the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Far East, Africa & Indian Ocean, Alaska, and both Polar regions, with various itineraries’ and plenty of port stops along the way.

There is a crackdown in Bulgaria on ‘alcohol tourism’ offered by tour operators to stop people binge drinking. Holiday companies will be black listed if they are found to be breaking the rules and encouraging travellers to drink copious amounts of alcohol. Hoteliers have said they would boycott certain companies that are aimed at encouraging people to drink large amounts by taking advantage of cheap alcohol prices in the Eastern European country.

Although the Bulgarian Tourist Chamber has denied the existence of organised alcohol tourism and that tour organisation do not offer alcohol tourism there is evidence to dispute this. British, German and Scandinavian companies who allegedly offer drinking tours as one of their advertised activities will be hit by the ban.

Action is being taken after several holidaymakers have fallen to their deaths from balconies after drinking sessions in the popular resort of Sunny Beach. Not only that the locals are also fed up by the behaviour of visitors after drunken British holidaymakers were featured in several local documentaries focussing on their behaviour and alcohol consumption on holiday.

Bulgarian Hotel Association member Vesselin Nalbantov said: ‘There should be tougher penalties and a clear message that this won’t be tolerated.’ Local representatives of major tour operators like Thomas Cook and TUI are backing the initiative according to 24 Chasa a Bulgarian newspaper.

A spokesman for the Bulgarian Tourist Chamber suggested the hotels are speaking out to counter bad publicity created by the negative holiday documentaries which have aired in the last few weeks. The ban follows similar measures taken by hotels in Turkey not to deal with holiday companies from Sweden who offer booze holidays with cheap drinks.

This year its reported that nearly 6.6 million holidaymakers have visited resorts in the Black Sea region and the summer 2011 season is expected to be Bulgaria’s best ever in terms of tourist numbers, a 14 per cent increase in visitors compared to the same time last year.

Ireland is famous for beautiful countryside and its friendly people who offer all visitors a warm welcome. In fact, the Irish word “Failte”, meaning welcome, is the name given to the tourist board:  Bord Failte.

The north-eastern corner of the island of Ireland is perhaps less well-known than other parts of the country such as Kerry, Galway, Sligo or Cork. Yet the Antrim coast road offers visitors to Northern Ireland a spectacular journey in itself and provides access to a string of treasures along the way.

If you travel from Scotland, you can start your trip as soon as you disembark from the Cairnryan–Larne ferry. Heading north on the A2, the road will wind around the coastline, with steep red sandstone cliffs to your left, and the sea to your right. On a clear day you can see the coast of Scotland in the distance, in winter months in isolated spots you might witness majestic waves crashing beside you on the shoreline.

The villages along the route are small and self-contained; besides hotels and guesthouses, there are occasional caravan parks peopled by visitors who are fond of spending weekends or holidays by the sea. Waterfoot, Cushendun, Cushendall, all are named for the rivers that run down to the sea. At Waterfoot you can gain access to the Glens of Antrim, a beautiful haven of peace and tranquillity. Abundant in lush greenery, the glens offer many delightful walks to suit all abilities, with occasional shelters for resting and viewing the spectacular waterfalls.

When it comes to taking a cruise holiday many people think of far off destinations and exotic locations such as the Caribbean, America or Asia, for some even the Mediterranean is too close to home. However there can be some advantages to taking cruises that are closer to home, and that’s exploring the best of the British Isles.

When you take a cruise holiday around the UK there are so many different places you can visit, it’s one of the best ways to see all the major cities and sights of the UK including Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland. You are also never too far away from the shore line so unless it’s really foggy, then you should always have something to look at, plus because the UK isn’t that big you will find that unlike other cruises you won’t actually be spending that much time travelling by sea.

Many of the larger cruise companies do offer cruises round the British Isles, however you won’t be stuck on a massive liner like you would be to other destinations, and many run their smaller more intimate ships for these types of cruises so you shouldn’t feel swallowed up by a large number of passengers on board.

So if you want to make the most of Scotland and take ion the sights of Edinburgh and Glasgow, or enjoy a Guinness in Dublin and visit the Tower of London then a British Isles cruise may be just for you.

The vast expanse of the Serengeti National Park, stretching from northern Tanzania into a part of southern Kenya, is one of the greatest places to experience the magnificent wildlife of Africa.

As a UN World Heritage Site, the Serengeti is carefully managed to ensure that visitors are able to get a real safari experience without intruding on the natural world, very definitely red in tooth and claw. At the appropriate time of year the main event is the annual migration of vast numbers of animals looking for fresh grazing. Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, zebra and Thompson’s gazelle pound the plains in search of food, shadowed by the ever-present predators. Lions, leopards and cheetahs, the majestic big cats, vie with jackals, hyenas and others for prey on the hot, dusty land.

Meanwhile, all through the year can be seen elephants, herds of buffalo, giraffes, eland and impala on the ground, with black eagles and hundreds of other bird species soaring in the blue skies above.

Accommodation in the Serengeti is in lodges, luxury tented camps and a range of campsites. All safaris are staffed by experienced guides, well versed in the ways of the African wilds and fountains of information about the wildlife and terrain.

Travelling to the Serengeti can be done by flying initially either to Nairobi in Kenya, which is closer, or Tanzania’s capital Dar es Salaam. Interior flights are then available to Arusha or Mwanza followed by a drive to the park itself.

There are quite a few places where you fashion has been mixed with accommodation, such as the Armani Hotel in Dubai, Versace Hotel in Australia and the Missoni Hotel in Edinburgh. Now highstreet fashion too is getting in the mix, and there could be some fashion competition for the Missoni Hotel in Edinburgh, now that Topshop plan to join force with budget hotel chain Travelodge.

A deal has been struck with the retail giant, Arcadia Group to open a hotel that will incorporate a branch of Topshop on the ground floor. Travelodge has announced plans to open a new hotel on Princess Street in Edinburgh and the joint venture with the Acadia Group will see a Topshop situated in the ground floor on the Capitals famous shopping street.

The Travelodge will have 96 and will be companies 13th in the city including one that is currently under construction on Queen Street another on of Edinburgh’s prime shopping streets.  Both of the new hotels are scheduled to open in the summer of 2012, with the creation of at least 40 jobs.

According to Travelodge they have agreed a 35 year lease with Arcadia Group Ltd, which represents a £10m investment. Travelodge’s other hotel on Queen Street which has 85 bedrooms, is being funded by Standard Life Investments and is being built in a vacant office block owned by Standard Life’s UK Property Fund.

The hotel on Princess Street is a Category B listed building and was Scotland’s very first steel frame building. So there is a lot of history there.

Guy Parsons, Travelodge chief executive, said: “Growth in Edinburgh has been one of our major priorities. We have committed around £60m to new hotels in the city in the last few years. The demand for low cost, good quality accommodation in Edinburgh is a growing market and we are still looking to further invest in Scotland’s capital. Arcadia forward funding our new hotel in one of the most prestigious locations in Edinburgh just demonstrates how flexible the Travelodge development model is.”

The new hotel is great news for fashionistas, who will barley have to get out of their beds to go shopping in their favourite highstreet store. Plus it’s a great idea for those staying in the city and find themselves without the right outfit to wear on a night out in Edinburgh. If they are staying in the hotel you will be able to go and get a new frock whilst you’re getting ready, all without leaving the hotel.

However it all could prove too much of a temptation for some and you could find that your cheap room at the Travelodge comes with a heft hidden cost……. Clothes!

Known as ‘Gateway to the Americas’, Miami is a city that attracts people of all ages and persuasions. With its 15 miles of golden beaches and Biscayne Bay, Miami is a sailor’s delight just waiting to be explored.

Miami is home to one of the largest cruise ports in the US and is referred to as the cruise capital of the world. If you are contemplating a cruise, Miami is the perfect destination. The city offers visitors sunny days, thousands of forested acres, beaches and small islands just waiting to be explored.

Miami’s Miracle Mile may be one of the first places visitors will head. Located in Coral Gables, the Miracle Mile is one of the city’s major shopping districts. Do not miss out on seeing the Freedom Tower that was built in 1924 and remains an important landmark. If you have children with you, your holiday should include a day at the Metrozoo, which is one of the best wild animal parks around.

The entire family may enjoy a day at the Seaquarium. This 38-acre park includes majestic killer whales, sea lions, manatees and porpoises. If you still have room for adventure, add the Everglades National Park to your list. The Everglades are in a category of the world’s largest parks that will take you through marshes and swamps. They are home to countless wildlife, including alligators.

Sun worshippers will want to head straight to North Miami Beach where they will quickly discover more than 7 miles of parks and beaches. This area of Miami consists of four small communities, Bal Harbour, Surfside, Sunny Isles, Haulover Beach and Golden Beach.

Royal Caribbean International has always been a cruise company with big plans. The company has released two new ships: Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas and nothing can compare to be bigger than these.

They both weigh a whopping 225,000 tons and can easily carry up to 5,400- They are currently the largest cruise ships afloat.

Royal Caribbean Cruises has also pushed the boundaries of cruise innovation over the past 25 years, being the first to introduce atriums which are found on most modern ships today. Not to mention the huge variety of entertainment features such as ice rinks, water parks, rock walls, zip line, and carousels. The Night time entertainment is also spectacular!

Cruising with Royal Caribbean isn’t the best for the faint-hearted; however, due to their size, you should be able to find a quiet corner somewhere without a problem.

The cabins on the newer ships are incredibly spacious and are continuing to grow, with most fitted with large sliding windows and even balconies!

The food, is mouth-wateringly good and has numerous venues across the ship ranging from dress-up to dress-down so you are sure to find something that fits your tastes.

Even though the cruises on offer are spectacular, you still need to do your homework to ensure that you pick a cruise to suit you!

Royal Caribbean International strives to produce fun-filled and entertainment-focused cruises, suited to all ages; however specifically more suited to those in the 30s to 50s age range. The type of vacation it offers fits everyone from: families and couples to singles looking for an affordable, value for money get away. The cruises have a variety of destinations including: the Caribbean and Alaska from North America and Europe and Canary Islands accessible year round from Southampton on