Spooktacular places to put the real Shock into Tober

Be Afraid

Be Very Afraid

October is a month with an identity crisis. It can be Stoptober- to give up smoking- or Notsober if you wish to take up drinking. 

But most commonly it’s Shocktober due to Halloween when a use is found for pumpkins and people wear scary masks. If however you really want an authentic fright, try visiting these places.  

Bone Church: Remains of the Day

The Czech Republic makes rather good beer. That’s not all they make. Back in the 1300s in the town of Kutna Hora, the burial site was so popular they ran out of room. So they built the Sedlec Ossuary - The Bone Church - using excess human bones. 

More than 40,000 human bones have been used to ‘decorate' the church - there was obviously a shortage of magnolia paint - including the main chandelier which uses nearly every bone in the human body. You might need a beer after visiting here. 

GET THERE: Kutna Hora is located an hour by train from capital Prague, an ideal weekend break with reasonable prices. There are regular flights from across the UK to Prague.

Brazil: Snakes on an Island

Sometimes our perception of animals creates fear, especially in Hollywood. So if you happen to be shipwrecked and seeking land 90 miles off the coast of Brazil, you probably want to avoid Ilha de Queimada Grande, known locally as Snake Island. 

This place is inhabited by golden lancehead vipers (up to 5 per square meter) which have evolved to live up trees and use their uniquely strong venom to catch birds. Frankly you would be better off taking your chances with the sharks than heading into this place. It’s actually illegal to visit anyway although you shouldn’t need to be told that. 

GET THERE: Fly to Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro and there are plenty of exciting places to visit in Brazil. For a healthier wildlife experience, head to the western Pantanal region. 

Mexico Chucky: It’s a Doll’s Life

Mexico already outdoes Halloween with the Dia de los Muertes - the Day if the Dead - but a genuinely frightening place has to the Isla de las Muñecas - Island of the Dolls - which is full of hundreds of abandoned dolls. 

The collection was started by a local man who found a drowned girl’s body and put the dolls up to ward off evil spirits. He was subsequently found drowned in the same spot years later. Hire a boat and driver to visit the island - if you dare - just make sure they come back for you before dark...
 
GET THERE: The island is located in the Xochimico suburb in the south of Mexico City. Catch a football match at the nearby Azteca stadium for an alternative scary experience.

Antartica: Bloody global warming

Any remote wilderness area can create a psychological scare and a look at the price tag for a cruise to the Antarctic will certainly give you a fright. Whilst cabin fever is likely to be limited to the sea conditions of the Southern Ocean, a visit to the Ross Sea will allow a view of the unsettling waterfall on the Taylor Glacier known as the Blood Falls.

Ok, it’s not actually blood but iron rich high salt content water that is starved of oxygen underground. It certainly looks the part and if you are a long way from anywhere and you see this, good luck sleeping soundly. Helpfully, the nearby peak is called Mount Terror...

GET THERE: Antarctic cruises depart from Ushuaia in southern Argentina or Bluff in New Zealand’s South Island. You will need plenty of time, good sea legs and a healthy bank balance.

***

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

For tailor made packages or just for some information, please Contact me and I will do the hard work for you. 

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

For Ski and Snowboard Short Breaks, visit http://alpineweekender.co.uk

e: david@eyelinetravel.co.uk

t: 020 8123 2569

All holidays that I arrange are ABTA/ATOL protected.





EyeLine Travel Facebook 
boutique thailand Facebook
AlpineWeekender Facebook

Twitter (@eyelinetravel @bouthaique @alpineweekender)

Be afraid. Be very afraid. At the Bureaux de Change...

David Sutherland

EyeLine Travel 
Creepy Crawley

28 October 2016

Grand International: Long Haul holidays for a Bag of Sand

Bargain Hunt: This isn’t one of them

You get what you pay for when you go on holiday. Or do you? With Sterling doing a passable impression of the Zimbabwe Dollar, holiday budgeting has become more difficult. Frankly, you are looking for the best bang for your buck. Well, Pound anyway.

There are still some good value countries on the map and there are always good deals around without sacrificing your principals! Let’s see how far you can go with a budget of £1,000 per person for flights and a hotel. All holidays are equal - but some are more equal than others...

Greatest invention ever: the swim up Bar?

The Caribbean is the ultimate pull out the plug and relax destination. With high prices to match you would think. But head to the Dominican Republic to a Five Star All Inclusive Resort and a week will cost about the same or less than in Europe with better beaches and weather - obviously outside of the Autumn Hurricane season!

The Dom Rep has reinvented itself and standards are high. With excellent value for money, it is a genuine competitor to Europe if you don’t mind the 9 hour flight. And the swim up bars will quickly help you over that!

THE DEAL: 7 nights from £999pp at the 5* Dreams La Romana Resort & Spa in Bayahibe departing Gatwick on 2 May17 on an All Inclusive basis including Private Transfers.

Best way to get to Southampton? Slowly

If you prefer a more leisurely journey from the Caribbean without jet lag or luggage restrictions then you can get a great deal on a repositioning Cruise when ships return to Europe for the summer season. 

Fly to Barbados and join P&O’s flagship Britannia to exotic outposts including Dominica, St Maarten, Tortola, The Azores. And Southampton. All meals are included and the prices of drinks are comparable to UK pubs and unusually are all in Sterling.

THE DEAL: 13 nights from £999pp on Britannia departing Barbados on 11 March17 for Southampton. Includes flight from Gatwick to Bridgetown, Full Board and an Inside Cabin.

Shangri-La di da: Smug Factor 10

For a big adventure, take a trip to Malaysia and visit steamy Borneo for beaches, diving and monkeys. Not necessarily at the same time. It is a long journey but with the warm South China sea, multiple activities and Spa facilities you will soon be over that. 

There are boat trips, snorkelling and diving or visits to the rainforest for the active. The Beach and Spa for the inactive. Or shopping in the markets of nearby Kota Kinabalu for those must have items to strategically place around the house for when you have visitors.

THE DEAL: 10 nights from £971pp at 5* Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa in Borneo departing Heathrow on 27 November16 with Private Transfers and Ocean View Room. 

Bargain Thailand: Phuket, why not? 

Alternatively, you could head to the opposite coast of neighbouring Thailand for the spectacular beaches of the Andaman Sea and high standard hotels of largest island Phuket. Enjoy vibrant markets and nightlife, relax on the beach or explore the nearby islands of Phang Nga and Koh Phi Phi. 

Increase your skill set by learning to dive, making Thai food, visiting a Thai massage school or practising Muay Thai. Useful for a relaxing fish based dinner party that no one will criticise.


THE DEAL: 9 nights from £999pp at 4.5* Kata Thani in Phuket departing Heathrow or Manchester on 20 November16 with Private Transfers in a Deluxe Room with Breakfast.

***

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

For tailor made packages, to book a trip to any of the places featured above or just for some information, please Contact me and I will do the hard work for you. 

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

For Ski and Snowboard Short Breaks, visit http://alpineweekender.co.uk

e: david@eyelinetravel.co.uk

t: 020 8123 2569

All holidays that I arrange are ABTA/ATOL protected.




EyeLine Travel Facebook 
boutique thailand Facebook
AlpineWeekender Facebook

Twitter (@eyelinetravel @bouthaique @alpineweekender)

A picture is worth a thousand Pounds...

David Sutherland

EyeLine Travel 
Crawley

21 October 2016

Steeps, Deeps, Bumps, Dumps and Après. Hello Winter!

Non binding contract: Blame the skis!

If you like snowy weather, crowded public transport and strenuous exercise whilst hungover then you are probably very much looking forward to winter. Because that means it’s time to go Skiing and Snowboarding. 

You may then be interested to know that by the end of October, there will be 7 resorts open in Europe so you don’t even have to wait! Here’s a preview of the season with four of my personal favourites.

More Zine: Is 650km far enough?

FRANCE is the home of purpose built ski in ski out resorts: vast convenient lift linked areas with self catering apartments modelled on sinkhole estates. Food is good, après ski variable and the music ideal for fans of the work of Phil Collins. 

My pick is the traditional style town of Morzine in the huge Portes du Soleil area (just the 650km of runs). It is well located for access to Les Gets and Avoriaz and has a good range of hotels and chalets. 

The GOOD: Big lift linked area; The BAD: Low altitude; The UGLY: Neighbouring Avoriaz
APRES TIP: The Cavern Bar for shots. It stays open late if you can.
GET THERE: Via Geneva. It’s a short 90 minute road transfer so ideal for short breaks

Zermatt: Scenery takes your mind off the bill

SWITZERLAND is the archetypal alpine county. High mountains, high standards and unfortunately high prices. But you do get what you pay for and the scenery is unbeatable. Verbier has a cult following, Davos is superb but if you only go to one place, make it Zermatt. 

Dominated by the Matterhorn and with a top height of 3,820m, snow cover is never a problem. Long runs go back into town or over to Cervinia in Italy. Just make time for lunch with some of the Alps’ best mountain restaurants.

The GOOD: Big and snow sure; The BAD: Slow mountain access; The UGLY: The prices
APRES TIP: The Hennu Stall for live music and throwing snowballs at gondola competitions
GET THERE: 3-4 hours from Zürich or Geneva. It’s car free so expect to end up on a train.

St Anton: Now easier to get back to the Moosewirt

AUSTRIA is made up of traditional villages with comfortable hotels, state of the art lift systems (with heated seats!) and raucous après ski fun. This year, the Arlberg region of St Anton-Lech-Zürs will become the largest lift linked area in Austria (310km). 

St Anton is for the enthusiasts whether it is the off piste from the Valluga to the new Run of Fame circuit covering 65km and 18,000m vertical. You might just need a drink after that which is fortunate as there are plenty of places for the day and night time. 

The GOOD: Fully linked now; The BAD: It can be busy; The UGLY: Leaving the Mooserwirt  
APRES TIP: The on mountain Mooserwirt is legendary as is the pitch dark descent home. 
GET THERE: 2 hours from Innsbruck or Friedrichshafen, 3 hours from Zürich. Road or rail.

Whistler: Welcome to Twin Peaks 

North America offers something quite different from Europe such as less crowds, more snow and compulsory hot tubs. At current exchange rates, CANADA offers the best value and the place to go is Whistler, BC (British Columbia - it’s not that old!)

With a long season and plenty of snow coming off the Pacific, the largest area over the Pond has plenty to offer and the two mountains of Whistler and Blackcomb are now linked by Gondola. The resort itself is purpose built with lively bars and restaurants. 

The GOOD: Lots of snow; The BAD: Not lots of sun; The UGLY: Rain on the lower slopes 
APRES TIP: Get an Instructor/Guide and go where they go. Don’t expect an early night!
GET THERE: It’s only 2 hours by road from Vancouver. But that’s 10 hours flight from the UK.

***

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

For tailor made packages, to book a trip to any of the places featured above or just for some information, please Contact me and I will do the hard work for you. 

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

For Ski and Snowboard Short Breaks, visit http://alpineweekender.co.uk

All holidays that I arrange are ABTA/ATOL protected.


david@eyelinetravel.co.uk

020 8123 2569

EyeLine Travel Facebook 
boutique thailand Facebook
AlpineWeekender Facebook

Twitter (@eyelinetravel @bouthaique @alpineweekender)

There's no business like Snow Business..

David Sutherland

EyeLine Travel 
Crawley

14 October 2016

Go-vember: Leave the Leaves to Get a Festival Fix

November: Make your own entertainment

November is the calm before the Festive storm. Usually associated with bad weather, left over pumpkins and leaves which keep regenerating over and over again in gardens and drives whilst paralysing the rail network.

The one quite literal bright spark is the 5th of November where an attempt to blow up Parliament is oddly celebrated with bonfires, fireworks and usually rain. So let’s look at some of the warmer alternatives to enjoy in November.

Aguardiente: Your my best amigo you are

The small Cantabrian town of Potes in the mountainous Picos de Europa area of northern Spain sparks up between 13-15 November this year with the Fiesta Del Orujo. This celebrates distillation of locally produced grape spirit Aguardiente.

It comes in several flavours -presumably to take the edge off it -and is consumed is large quantities along with local tapas dishes long into the night which won’t feel cold at all by then. Clear your head afterwards with a spot of hiking dependent on the weather. 

GET THERE: Potes is just over 100km from Santander (the city not the bank). Hire a car or go by bus (2h). Fly to Santander or lose weight in the Bay of Biscay on a ferry from Portsmouth.

Oaxaca: Wasn’t Halloween last week?

For something warmer and a little darker, head to Oaxaca, Mexico on 1-2 November for the Diá de los Muertos, the cheery sounding Day of the Dead. This is a celebration for those who have passed on and involves reflective daytimes followed by lively evenings.

Spectacular costumed parades are respectful but celebratory based on the Aztecs belief that death is a form of rebirth. Expect a frighteningly long night with food and music.


GET THERE: Oaxaca is a one hour flight south of Mexico City which has flights from Heathrow. Probably worth getting rid of the skull face paint before going through security.

Lanterns: Which one was mine again?

Next up we are featuring a double header from Thailand. Head to second city Chiang Mai for the best Festivals of Light from 13-15 November. Yi Peng involves releasing thousands of Lanna style lanterns into the sky, hopefully far away from the airport. 

Loy Krathong is the releasing of banana leaf boats with flowers, candles and incense on to the river. Together the two are the spiritual process of cleansing the soul and make quite a sight.

GET THERE: Chiang Mai is a 1h by air from Bangkok. Enjoy the city and its markets and with a few days more, go trekking in the hill tribe areas or visit an elephant sanctuary.

Furred Fiesta: Macaque handed

The second place in Thailand to visit is Lopburi between 25-28 November for the Monkey Banquet. This involves around two tonnes of fresh fruit, rice and nuts being placed around the town of Lopburi for the 3,000 resident macaque monkeys to eat. 

It is believed the furry residents bring good luck to the town -except when they chew through the phone cables- so this is their reward and they have free reign to go where they please. 

GET THERE: Lopburi is about 3h by train from Bangkok, less by bus or taxi. It can be visited in a long day or take 2 days and combine with the temples of ancient capital Ayutthaya. 

 ***

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

For tailor made packages, to book a trip to any of the places featured above or just for some information, please Contact me and I will do the hard work for you. 

For holidays to Thailand, please visit: http://boutiquethailand.co.uk and check out Facebook for current offers.








Coming soon, Ski and Snowboard Short Breaks with AlpineWeekender. We’re on Facebook and Twitter.









All holidays that I arrange are ABTA/ATOL protected.


david@eyelinetravel.co.uk

020 8123 2569

EyeLine Travel Facebook 
boutique thailand Facebook
AlpineWeekender Facebook

Twitter (@eyelinetravel @bouthaique @alpineweekender)

Vanity of the Bonfires!

David Sutherland

EyeLine Travel 
Crawley

7 October 2016