Friday, 17 February 2017

Found in Translation: When the alternative is better


Alternatives: See the World differently 
We are now living in the era of Alternative Facts. Which used to be known as being economical with the truth. Look at the world and not everything is as it seems.

 However, sometimes that is a good thing. I have been looking through the EyeLine Travel dictionary and have found a few places that are much better than they sound and well worth a visit. Let’s look at some places with alternative meanings to help with your holiday planning.

Silly: having or showing a lack of common sense or judgement; absurd and foolish.

Some Scilly people on the beach
There are many places that could be considered ‘silly’ to go on holiday. War zones, disaster zones and Skegness spring to mind. But the winner quite literally has to be the Isles of Scilly, off the southern Cornish coast.

There are 5 inhabited islands that enjoy the warmest climate in the UK. A place to relax, enjoy quiet beaches and a slower pace of life. A place to revive - without the risk of any late nights!


GET THERE: Fly in a small plane to St Marys from Exeter (60mins), Newquay (30mins) or Lands End (15mins). Ferries operate from Penzance (2h45). Take a camera. And a sick bag.

 Bad: not such as to be hoped for or desired; unpleasant or unwelcome.

My Bad. Or is it yours?
Things that are bad are usually the opposite of good. Unless it is in ironic street language which means they are quite good. Or sick. One Bad that is very good is Austria’s Bad Kleinkircham which is a Carinthian spa town where bad means thermal baths (in German). 

In the Winter, BKK (as it is it known) is a ski area favoured by Austrian Olympic legend Franz Klammer. In the Summer it is an outdoors area for hiking & biking. All of which is followed by a serious spell in the hot tub. Whatever the weather.

 GET THERE: Fly to Klagenfurt or Ljubljana in next door Slovenia and transfer from there. By train aim for Villach or the delightful Spittal from Munich or Salzburg.

 Moron: a very stupid or foolish person. 
Morons: Going about their daily business

 There are many people in the world - some of whom in positions of power - that could be described as morons. This includes 65,000 residents of the Cuban town of Morón who prefer Morónista. Or probably Cuban. 

 Located in Ciego de Ávila province, to visit here you would not be as stupid as they sound given that the town is just 30mins away from international beach resort Cayo Coco. Given the soon to be large influx of US visitors, it’s worth going there sooner rather than later.

 GET THERE: Package flights operate from the UK to Cayo Coco. Alternatively fly to Havana and it’s about 8 hours by a more reliable train service than Southern Rail 

 Crabby: unhappy and tending to complain a lot
Krabi: perfect for de-crabbificaton
Crabby is a derivative of Grumpiness and this has no place in your holidays (unless you book through a non-ABTA agent!). The area associated with this name will remove all traces of its namesake. How can it not?

 Change the spelling to Krabi and you have stunning west coast Thailand lapped by the warm and clear Andaman sea, powder white beaches and soaring limestone cliffs.  In fact the only time you’ll get an attack of grouchiness is when you leave.

 GET THERE: One stop flights from the UK to Krabi operate via Doha with Qatar Airways or via Bangkok with Thai Airways. Connections are available from 10 UK airports.

***
I have been to Austria, Cuba and Thailand. The Scillies are the missing link.

***
t: 020 8123 2569

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Alternative: different from the usual or conventional




David Sutherland

EyeLine Travel 

***

Latest Worldwide Offers

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. 
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Friday, 10 February 2017

Modern Romance: Speedy Boarding Mr & Mrs Valentine?

Love is in the air: or under the seat in front of you
February 14th: the day of St Valentine! When loving couples can share their annual romantic moment in a restaurant in Paris, Venice or Barcelona with like-minded people and a specially priced menu whilst having to think of something to say to each other for the entire night. 

 But there are better and more original places to ignite that romantic flame to show you really mean it. Let’s take a look at some alternative destinations for old and new romantics.
Heeere's Stanley: Not a dull boy
Take a trip on the wild side and explore the Rocky Mountains National Park around Boulder, Colorado. Go in Winter for a spot of skiing or in summer for some hiking and bear avoiding. Then what you need is a nice hotel to stay in and what better place than the spectacular Stanley Hotel. 

 If you’re not expecting to get much sleep on your romantic trip then this place is perfect - it was the hotel in Stephen King’s The Shining and is considered one of Americas’s most haunted hotels. Quite a niche market.

 GET THERE: Fly to Denver and hire a car to get to the Rocky Mountains National Park
TOP TIP: Get some skiing in at Aspen, Breckenridge or Vail from December-May.
La Paz: 4,000m up & still you hear the pan pipes
If The Stanley is too much work and not enough play, go somewhere that will really take your breath away. Bolivian capital La Paz is at an altitude of 3,100m. With a cable car to El Alto district at a breath defying 4,058m. 

 When you are ready for an infusion of oxygen, grab a push bike and head down the 56km Yungas road from high point of 4,650m to the subtropical rainforest at 1,200m. Pay attention though as it’s also known as El Camino de la muerte -The Road of Death.  

GET THERE: Fly to La Paz (El Alto) via Miami or Santa Cruz via Madrid
TOP TIP: Make time of the vast lunar landscape of the 3,600m high Uyuni salt flats
Thailand: Spice up your life
If you think you need to spice things up a bit then you should head to stunning Thailand where you can get a villa with a private pool for the price of a night at a Travelodge on Valentine’s night. Enjoy stunning vistas and an agenda of remarkably little. Holiday perfection.

 Head out for a nice meal - who doesn’t like Thai food? - but go local rather than the Hotel for an authentic experience. Pepper steak Thai style sounds good. Or Neua Pad Prik - a combination of fried beef, shallots and large amounts of bird’s eye chilis (not frozen ones!), one of the world’s hottest (100k Scovilles in case you were wondering). This should quite literally set your evening alight! 

GET THERE: Fly via Bangkok for Krabi, Phuket & Kohs Samui, Phangan, Phi Phi and Lanta 
TOP TIP: Stopover in vibrant capital Bangkok for culture, shopping & nightlife
The Look of Love: Love. Actually. 
If being scared, out of breath or on fire just doesn’t do it for you, you could always show how much you are in love by actually being in Love. In Canada. 

 Love is many things but in this instance it’s a small, cold town in the middle of Saskatchewan with a current temperature of -16C. Snow is forecast for the 14th, so if you can get there you probably won’t be able to leave (much like the Stanley Hotel) and the absence of a Love Hotel means you will probably end up staying with one of the 30 residents. Or in your car. How romantic!

 GET THERE: Fly to Saskatoon and it’s 163 miles from there. If you can find true Love.
TOP TIP: Don’t go there. And if you do, don’t lick any metal poles.  

 ***
I have been to the Bolivia, including the Road of Death and extensively to Thailand. I have not yet made it to Colorado and I had to look up Saskatchewan on a map. 

***
t: 020 8123 2569

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Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Holidays are good for you!
David Sutherland

EyeLine Travel 

***

Latest Worldwide Offers

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. 
Latest Thailand Offers

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



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Sunday, 5 February 2017

2017 Trends: Where in the World should you go this year?


Wet & Wild, Pyongyang: Not on the list yet
If you are still thinking about where to go this year and want to go somewhere different then you can’t go wrong with a bit of advice from Lonely Planet. Gone are the days when this was the guide book that could show you how to travel the world for 10p a day. It’s moved on to cover all budgets without losing that pioneering spirit of adventure. 

 So let’s have a look at some of the countries they recommend as being the places to go in 2017. 
Oman: The Empty Quarter; apart from sand
Think of the Middle Eastern cities and you think Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha as modern metropolises in the desert. However, relatively unvisited Oman stands out by not really standing out. 

 Modest Muscat has the feeling of a welcoming Arabic city with souks that haven’t changed in centuries. Activities include desert excursions & diving. Accommodation is in elegant high quality hotels on an untouched coastline.

 GET THERE: Fly direct to Muscat from Heathrow or regionally via Dubai/Doha/Abu Dhabi
BEST TIME TO VISIT: October to April is ideal; June-August is for oven enthusiasts.
Bermuda: Great place to disappear to
If you are looking for an island with a touch of British influence and think the Caribbean is a bit over done then try the remote Atlantic option of Bermuda, made famous by its triangle. 

 Elegant, laid back and nowhere near anywhere else, it boasts great beaches and diving and is less crowded than its Caribbean counterparts. This year it hosts the America’s Cup yacht race. Triangle, Schmiangle.

GET THERE: Fly direct from Heathrow or via USA (2h) if you like Immigration queues.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: An all year destination. May to October is peak season for US visitors
Cartagena: Eat this Dulux
Some places have a reputation that precedes them. Colombia is one of them like Johannesburg or Croydon. But today’s Colombia is a remarkable, energetic and safe country to visit. 

 Think Caribbean beaches, Rainforests, Colonial towns, coffee plantations and vibrant Bogota. Travel is easy, people are friendly and the music is infectious. Just don’t buy any commemorative packs of flour to take home as a souvenir!
GET THERE: Fly direct from Heathrow to Bogota or via Madrid to Bogota and Cartagena
BEST TIME TO VISIT: A year round destination; December-February is high (price) season
Nepal: Yes can Kathmandu 
If you have just completed your annual month in the gym and think you can climb Mt Everest, prove -go to Nepal. This extraordinary Himalayan country is back in business now after the destructive earthquakes of 2015 and they need tourists. 

 From crazy Kathmandu to the stunning trekking routes of Annapurna and the Khumbu valley to lower altitude wildlife reserves, this country will give you memories to last a lifetime. It is also very good for weight loss.

 GET THERE: One stop flights to Kathmandu operate via Middle East or India
BEST TIME TO VISIT: February-April and September-December are the trekking seasons

***
I have been to Oman, Colombia and Nepal. Bermuda is on the list!

***
t: 020 8123 2569

All holidays that I arrange are ABTA/ATOL protected

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Twitter (@eyelinetravel @bouthaique @alpineweekender)

I don’t know what you did last summer...



David Sutherland

EyeLine Travel 
Crawley


***

Latest Worldwide Offers

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. 
Latest Thailand Offers

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