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

When it comes to the best place to live in the world, Vancouver has held the top spot for the past ten years, easily unchallenged however this year the Canadian city has been knocked from its top spot by Melbourne, Australia, in the twice-annual list produced by the Economist’s Intelligence Unit. Unfortunately this year Vancouver which is known for its ‘spectacular natural beauty and relaxed West Coast way of life’ has to make do with third after the Austrian city of Vienna took second place.

Melbourne which is the second most populated city in Australia scored well on transport and education which put in in the top spot, out of 140 cities which are ranked of factors such as stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure, which bodes well for those lucky enough to live in this ‘top’ city.

It’s thought that a couple of things resulted in the loss of the number one spot for Vancouver including increased congestion throughout the city, however after the list was compiled Vancouver also suffered from widespread rioting in June which could affect its place on the list in future.

Unfortunately it wasn’t a good show for European cities, only two featured in the top ten; Vienna, in second spot, and Helsinki, Finland, in seventh place. For the UK London didn’t fair that well landing in 56th place, with the capital been let down by the perceived threat of terrorism and the rates of violent and petty crime and it could get worse for us in the future thanks to the recent riots in London. New York was also another city to suffer from the perceived threat of terrorism and the rates of violent and petty crime coming in in 53rd.

The Top Ten List

1. Melbourne, Australia 97.5
2. Vienna, Austria 97.4
3. Vancouver, Canada 97.3
4. Toronto, Canada 97.2
5. Calgary, Canada 96.6
6. Sydney, Australia 96.1
7. Helsinki, Finland 96
8. Perth, Australia 95.9
9. Adelaide, Australia 95.9
10. Auckland, New Zealand 95.7

At the bottom of the list sits Dhaka, Bangladesh at 139th and Zimbabwe in 140th!

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.

Travelodge, the budget hotel chain, who are normally known for their cheap city accommodation are looking to expand their reach to the countryside. The company has announced plans to open 37 new hotels that will this time be in the countryside, as they focus on expanding into areas near the UK’s 15 national parks.

Currently Travelodge have 475 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain and they are now looking to invest £135million to expand into the countryside, to cater for people looking for affordable accommodation in the countryside. They also are looking at increasing the number of hotels to 1,100 hotels and 100,000 rooms by 2025. Plus as part of this new development drive the company is undertaking, Travelodge has recently exchanged contracts on a hotel in Glossop in the Peak District.

The company which launched in the UK in 1985 are looking to secure sites in locations near to national beauty spots such as Aviemore in the Cairngorms, Betws-y-Coed in Snowdonia, Grasmere in the Lake District and Minehead in Exmoor.

According to Chief executive Guy Parsons many more Britons are holidaying in the UK now rather than abroad in a bid to reduce costs in this difficult climate, he said: “Traditionally, Britons have opted for a coastal or city break but as more Britons explore the UK they are rediscovering new holiday hotspots and, as a result, we have seen a significant surge in rural breaks.”

The company have seen an increase in visitors to the small number of rural hotels they currently have, these include: Barnstaple in Exmoor, Porthmadog in Snowdonia, Cockermouth in the Lake District and Scarborough in the North Yorkshire Moors.

The company’s new hotels will vary in size depending on location and will be anything from 30 bedrooms to over 100 bedrooms and it’s expected that the expiation will create more than 500 jobs across the UK.

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.

Although we are currently still in the summer holidays, there is no harm looking ahead to your next holiday, if you’re like me and like to enjoy some winter sun then you should check out the cruise deals that are around at the moment. Sometimes it’s nice for those of us without families to get away out of the school holidays and a winter sun cruise holiday offers plenty of opportunity to do that as well as escape the miserable UK weather.

The Caribbean is a top winter sun destination and a two week cruise will be a great way to relax and unwind as well as catch plenty of rays. Cruise lines offer itinerary’s which feature destinations such as Florida, Bahamas, Mexico, Dominican Republic and many, many more. Plus the Caribbean sees some high temperatures around this time of year and you are also out of hurricane season.

If that’s a bit too far for you  to travel, then other destinations that are popular for autumn/winter include; the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Temperatures in this region are still fairly warm, and obviously much warmer than the UK which makes it an excellent time to get out and explore, without the hot temperatures of summer or the large amounts of tourists that you see.

Keep an eye out on the web for cheap cruises for winter sun or if you are unsure what‘s best for you then speak to your travel agent who will be able to steer you in the right direction for the best deals.