Old and New Zealand - A Maori-age made in Heaven

Maoris: After the wind has changed direction

If you feel like getting away from it all right now then quite literally the furthest point you can go from the UK is New Zealand. A land of contrasts: North v South, Beaches v Glaciers, All Blacks Rugby v Everyone else. 

If you can handle a 24 hour flight through 12 time zones then you will be rewarded in Aotearoa - Land of the Long White Cloud which is symbolised by a flightless bird (Kiwi) and mixes Maori history with unimaginative new world naming conventions.

Auckland: Sky Tower bungee anyone?

New Zealand comprises two large islands: Te Ika-a-Maui and Te Waipounamu to the indigenous Maoris. Or the North Island and the South Island to everybody else. 

The former includes largest city Auckland and capital Wellington whilst the latter is sparsely populated, mountainous and home to adventure tourism.

Ninety-ish Mile Beach

Most international flights arrive into modern, vibrant and fanatical about sailing Auckland. Head north from Auckland to tropical... Northland which features the country’s best Pacific coast beaches including part time highway, Ninety Mile beach - which is actually only 55 miles long. Trips to swim with dolphins can also be arranged in this region.

Tongariro: Eruption free since... 2012

In the centre of the North Island is thermal Rotorua with geysers and aromatic (i.e. sulphurous) hot springs. This region also includes immense Lake Taupo, wine growing Hawkes Bay and volcanic hot spot Tongariro National Park. Check eruptions before walking here in the summer or skiing here in the winter!

Wellington: Home of rubber footwear

New Zealand’s friendly and lively capital Wellington is named after the Duke of Wellington (the person, not the Brighton pub) and is at the foot of the North Island. It is also the gateway to the South Island. 

The 3 hour Interislander ferry sails through Marlborough Sound - this Marlborough man makes Sauvignon Blanc- to Picton. Spectacular scenery it is, smooth sailing on the Cook Straits it often is not so check the forecast beforehand as the views out to sea are more enjoyable than into a paper bag!

Fox Glacier: Named after a mint

The South Island is for exploring the great outdoors and offers adventure tourism unparalleled anywhere in the world. Self drive to see the most and bear in mind it will take much longer than it looks - there are a lot of very windy roads.

Loop down the west coast to see the Fox & Franz Josef glaciers or take the east coast to Kaikoura for an invigorating swim with dolphins and then onwards to the island’s largest city, Christchurch.

Queenstown: Jumpers for goalposts

Further south is the adrenaline capital Queenstown. Here you will find imaginative ways to scare yourself from jet boating and white water rafting to bungee jumping and canyon swinging (sideways bungee, before you ask). All surrounded by Lake Wakatipu and the remarkable Remarkables mountain range.

The increasing wild and wet south of the island is called -wait for it- Southland. This is wilderness country and is ideal for rain and earthquake enthusiasts. 

Fjord Fiesta: Milford Sound

The South is also home to Fjordland - a spectacular land containing Fjords. Most famous of these is Piopiotahi or Milford Sound -genuinely named after Milford Haven in Wales- a stunning area considered by some to be the eighth wonder of the world (the Sound not the Haven). Take a boat trip to get up close and personal with the cliffs. 

Air NZ: crew perform the haka before each flight

WHEN TO GO: New Zealand has opposite seasons to Europe so aim for summertime between December-February for the warmest weather and apart from the far north, expect similar weather to the UK in general.

HOW TO GO: One stop flights from the UK to Auckland operate via Dubai, Los Angeles, Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong. Stopover opportunities are many given the fact you are circumnavigating the globe.


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World Champions

Standard low cost packages are bookable through my multi destination EyeLine Travel website. 

For tailor made packages including any of the places featured above or just for some information, please Contact me and I will do the hard work for you. All holidays that I arrange are ABTA/ATOL protected.

Mount Cook

For holidays to Thailand, please visit my dedicated website:  http://boutiquethailand.co.uk and visit the Facebook page of the same name for current offers.


EyeLine Travel: http://eyelinetravel.co.uk

Thailand: http://boutiquethailand.co.uk

david@eyelinetravel.co.uk

Kiwi 

020 8123 2569

EyeLine Travel Facebook 

boutique thailand Facebook

Twitter (@eyelinetravel, @bouthaique)

Ka Ora Ka Ora!


David Sutherland

EyeLine Travel 

29 July 2016   

Deals or No Deals? Last Minute Summer Getaways

Lates: Not getting what you didn’t pay for

If you have not yet booked an overseas summer holiday then it is probably because you a) prefer rainbathing to sunbathing b) think that Brexit means you are not allowed out any more or c) are waiting for a last minute bargain. 

Despite this week’s hot weather and ensuing meltdowns, three days does not a summer make, as nobody once said. Last minute deals can be good. And they can be very bad. So what are your options for the school holidays and are there any good deals around? 

Summer Holiday Vacancies: Not the Norm

When looking for a Late Deal you should target package holidays as these will be discounted if unsold and are likely to be cheaper than flight only. Note what is included - luggage usually is whilst transfers usually are not. Flexibility with airports and departure times can also open up more choices depending on your tolerance levels.

Of course, there’s a reason why there are unsold holidays to certain destinations or hotels -14 nights all inclusive at the Baghdad Travelodge anyone? - but sometimes the Tour Operators mis-calculate and there is excess capacity in the market.

Cruz Control: Still room in northern Tenerife

This year, parts of Spain and Portugal have sold out but there is availability off shore where around £700pp will get you a 7 night ALL INCLUSIVE stay in a 4* Hotel with Flights and luggage allowance. 

Head to Puerto de la Cruz in northern Tenerife on 28 July for £711pp from Birmingham or on 30 July for £719pp from Gatwick. On 31 July £663pp will get you from Manchester to Funchal, Madeira.  

Take me home, country Rhodes

Elsewhere in Europe, there is still availability in Greece, Cyprus and Malta. Leave Gatwick on 28 July and a 4* ALL INCLUSIVE week in Paphos is £632pp whilst the same from Stansted to Qawra, Malta is £672pp. 

Alternatively leave Manchester on 26 July for Crete and 7 nights 5* Half Board will be £670pp or leave Gatwick on 27 July for Rhodes and get 7 nights 5* ALL INCLUSIVE for £715pp.

Creole: Delicious, Nutritious Mauritius 

Further afield, flight prices are marked up for the peak period and special offers tend to have a catch: August can be familiarly wet & windy in the Caribbean (less so in Barbados and Tobago) whilst Dubai will be the same temperature as a pizza oven. 

Better bets include the Indian Ocean islands. A 4* Half Board week in Mauritius from Heathrow on 10 August is going for £1,343pp whilst a 5* week in Maldives from Manchester on 14 August is £1,304pp

Chaweng gum: Addictive Thailand

Further east and two final choices to consider. Sri Lanka is a good all rounder in August on all coasts as it is between rainy seasons. A 4* ALL INCLUSIVE week here from Manchester is £1,211pp on 15 August.

Alternatively try Koh Samui in Thailand which escapes the monsoons elsewhere in the country. This is not a secret however and availability is limited. There are still some deals such as a week in a 4* Spa hotel from Heathrow for £1,249pp on 16 August.

* * *


If you would like help finding a Late Deal, please Contact me and I will do the hard work for you. Likewise for tailor made packages, information or just to say hello.


Standard low cost packages are bookable through my multi destination EyeLine Travel website: http://eyelinetravel.co.uk . 

All holidays that I arrange are ABTA/ATOL protected.

For holidays to Thailand, please visit my dedicated website:  http://boutiquethailand.co.uk 

Current offers are regularly updated on Facebook and Twitter so please take a look and Like or Follow.

EyeLine Travel Facebook 

boutique thailand Facebook

Twitter (@eyelinetravel, @bouthaique)

david@eyelinetravel.co.uk
020 8123 2569

Better Lates than Never...

David Sutherland

EyeLine Travel 

22 July 2016   

Take a Break - Buy One Holiday, Get One (almost) Free

Cabin Fever: Take a Break

Long Haul holidays are fantastic. But you have to get there. It’s a long way and a lot of sitting down. If you need to connect on the way, highlights include bleary eyed trips to the Duty Free, time zone confusion and security checks. 

It needn’t be this way. Why not leave the airport and enjoy a mini city break before continuing your journey? Some airlines even offer special deals to entice you off the flight. Let’s look at some of the most popular stopovers that give you a holiday within a holiday!

Dubai: The Burj al Khalifa

Emirates have just won the best airline in the world award for 2016. With a vast network, you will end up flying with them sooner rather than later. 

Flights operate via their Dubai hub, a city of vast shopping complexes (where you can go skiing), the world’s tallest building (Burj al Khalifa) and mega bling hotels. There’s even an old town. Dubai Creek is what Dubai used to be like with souks rather than skyscrapers. Get ready to haggle.

The Emirati Alps: Watch out Courcheval!

Enjoy top restaurants and nightlife or take a 4x4 trip to the desert for a contrasting experience. The beaches are not bad either but it’s doubtful you will have time for them.

HOW: Fly Emirates from Birmingham, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester or Newcastle to Asia, Africa, islands of the Indian Ocean, Middle East or Australasia 

Bangkok: Wat Arun

If you are heading to amazing Thailand, then the chances are you will pass through Bangkok as this is the main entry point. Resist the urge to head straight for the beach and take a few days to explore the energy of the Thai capital. Fusing old and new with a unique cultural identity and great value prices.

The Grand Palace- eclipses the Crystal Palace

Enjoy the Grand Palace, the massage school at the Wat Pho temple (£10/hour) and a trip along the Chao Phraya river. Follow this with the best local food, a cocktail in the Vertigo sky bar and nightlife to suit all tastes.



HOW: Thai Airways, EVA Air and British Airways fly to Bangkok from Heathrow. Onward connections to the exotic islands await.

New York: The Empire State

If you are heading West to the USA or South America, then you may have to change at one of the US hubs. Some are more appealing than others, Miami rather than Detroit for example but an evergreen favourite (as long as you don’t think about the prices in Sterling) is the original apple, New York. You have to clear immigration (and get an electronic visa) just to change planes, so you might as well get off.

Freedom: The new Manhattan skyline

Choose from the Empire State, the Freedom Tower, Central Park, Wall Street, Times Square. How long do you have? Eat as much as you like/can and enjoy a show on Broadway. Nightlife is comprehensive. Just remember to bring a coat if you are on a November trip to the Caribbean!

HOW: American/British Airways and Delta/Virgin have hubs at JFK and United is at Newark. Connections to all the Americas go from here.

Singapore: Raffles

For those doing the ultimate trip to Australia or New Zealand then breaking up a 24 hour journey is highly sensible. Where better than Singapore, a futuristic city where everything works with it’s cultural heritage also still in evidence. Shop till you drop, eat till you burst and hunt the Happy Hours if you want to have any money left over.. 

Culture Clash: Skyscrapers & Vomiting Lions

Enjoy the views from the rooftop Marina Bay Hotel, take a river cruise through the city, have a Sling at Raffles and leave enough time to enjoy Changi airport - really, it could be a destination in itself and is consistently voted the world’s best.

HOW: Singapore airlines unsurprisingly are based here with onward connections to Asia and Australasia. British Airways also stop here.

Changi Airport T1 

Standard low cost packages are bookable through my multi destination EyeLine Travel website. 

For tailor made packages including any of the places featured above or just for some information, please Contact me and I will do the hard work for you. All holidays that I arrange are ABTA/ATOL protected.

For holidays to Thailand, please visit my dedicated website:  http://boutiquethailand.co.uk and visit the Facebook page of the same name for current offers.

Changi Airport T2

EyeLine Travel: http://eyelinetravel.co.uk

Thailand: http://boutiquethailand.co.uk

david@eyelinetravel.co.uk
020 8123 2569

EyeLine Travel Facebook 

boutique thailand Facebook

Changi Airport T3

Twitter (@eyelinetravel, @bouthaique)

Don’t stop till you get enough..

David Sutherland

EyeLine Travel 

15 July 2016   

Forexit: Avoid a Pounding in Currency Friendly Destinations

Exchange Rates: the Sharks are circling 

With the declining value of the Great British Pound, are we to revert to Victorian era holidays: Isle of Wight instead of Ibiza, Barry Island instead of Barbados and Skegness instead of the Seychelles whilst waving farewell to our occasional friend, the sun?

In a word, no. So where will your money now go furthest? Let’s have a look at some long haul destinations that still give you more bang for your buck. Well, Pound anyway.

Sri Lanka: A postman’s nightmare

Mention Sri Lanka and you think of tea, elephants and a recent cricket series whitewash. But this diverse, fascinating and now peaceful country has plenty more than its Indian Ocean beaches to offer with a fast growing great value tourism market.

Inland hill station Kandy makes a great base for exploring the cave temples of Dambulla and ascending large rock Sigiriya. To the south is colonial Galle and serious wildlife awaits at Yala National Park. Then you can have a well earned rest in a beach front All Inclusive resort.

HOW: Fly to capital Colombo. Add a stopover in the nearby Maldives or en route in Dubai.

WHEN TO GO: December to March is high season and dry on the coasts. May to August is monsoon time in the busier south but drier in the less developed north east.

South Africa: Be a Cape Crusader
 

The South African Rand makes this one of the best value countries to visit now. Head north to Kruger National Park for a world class safari experience. Then take a leisurely trip along the coastal Garden Route from Port Elizabeth to the Western Cape.

But allow plenty of time for stunning Cape Town. Visit Robben Island, Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront bars and restaurants before heading out to the Cape of Good Hope and returning via a wine tasting stop in Stellenbosch. Great food, drink and prices.

HOW: Fly to Johannesburg (for Kruger) or Cape Town (new Gatwick flights in Winter 16.)

WHEN TO GO: With opposite seasons to Europe, go there when it’s cold here.

Argentina: Better without Jeremy Clarkson

Like good wine and steak? Try great value Argentina. Lively Buenos Aires is hard to leave but this country is all about nature. Visit the Iguacu Water Falls on the Brazilian border before heading towards the Andes.

Go to Patagonia for Glaciers, mountains and whales. And Wales, as it has a Welsh speaking region and you really want to have a rack of lamb down there, washed down with a top quality and excellent value Malbec - perfect after a day horse riding and pretending to be a Gaucho.

HOW: Fly to Buenos Aires direct or via Madrid. Take internal flights as it’s a big country.

WHEN TO GO: Again, opposite seasons to the UK. It’s cooler the further south you go so hiking and rafting in their summer or skiing in their winter. 

Thailand: The beach with the golden sand

Finally, for great beaches, high quality accommodation and mouth watering food, try Thailand as this country represents a bargain. Choose from big resorts or remote islands. Spa retreats or Full Moon parties. Energetic Bangkok or relaxed Chiang Mai. 

It’s not all about the beaches so leave time to visit Buddhist temples, trek through rainforests, learn to dive, go rafting, visit hill tribe villages, haggle in the markets and take a Thai cookery course. Or you can relax on the beach.

HOW: Fly to Bangkok (direct) or Krabi, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui with one stop.  

WHEN: High and dry season is December to March everywhere. June to August is wet in some areas but is high season in Koh Samui where it rains in October/November instead.

Standard low cost packages are bookable through my multi destination EyeLine Travel website. 

For tailor made packages including any of the places featured above or just for some information, please Contact me and I will do the hard work for you. All holidays that I arrange are ABTA/ATOL protected.

For holidays to Thailand, please visit my dedicated website:  http://boutiquethailand.co.uk and visit the Facebook page of the same name for current offers.

EyeLine Travel: http://eyelinetravel.co.uk

Thailand: http://boutiquethailand.co.uk

david@eyelinetravel.co.uk
020 8123 2569

EyeLine Travel Facebook 

boutique thailand Facebook

Twitter (@eyelinetravel, @bouthaique)

Money’s too tight to mention, can’t get a visa waiver extension...

David Sutherland

EyeLine Travel 

8 July 2016