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Archive for November, 2011

Nov 28

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Top 5 Winter Getaways

Artic Spa Sailing

Between February and April you and 11 of your nearest and dearest can hire the artic Spa Boat for three days of extreme winter indulgence.  By day you’ll be gliding around the Lyngen Alps and by night you’ll be hot footing it between the on deck hot tub, and sweating it out in the wood-fired sauna. You really won’t have to lift a finger as below deck your personal chefs rustle up a gourmet treat as you sit back, relax and take in the icy winter skyline.

 Aurora spectacular, Finland

Nasa have promised that this winter 2011/2012 is going to be the best for catching a glimpse of the Northern lights for 50 years!  But, this is not the kind of thing you can book – you can never guarantee how much you are going to be able to see – so to maximize your chances of the best view we’d recommend travelling with an expert, especially if you want to properly understand what you are looking at. Check out aurorahunters.com for some more information about tours. This is more than a winter get away – this is a once in a life time kind of deal!

Aurora spectacular!

Courtesy of Hauker H

Sun, Ski and Apres Ski, Mont Blanc

For me, there is no better winter getaway than a week on the slopes, and Mont Blanc is the crème de la crème when it comes to scenery, après ski and variety.  There are plenty of runs of varying difficulty all over the mountain and each lead to new and exciting avenues to explore. If you are lucky enough to have sun you will be spoiled with the most spectacular views of the Alps and the towns below. And, even if you aren’t a skier, there are plenty of beautiful walks and cafes to enjoy at the lower levels of the mountain.

Luxury Igloo Experience, Austria – Zillertal Valley

What better winter getaway could there be than spending the night in your very own luxury ice suit. After a long day on the slopes why not head down to the luxurious saunas and kick back before enjoying the five course gourmet dinner included in the price of your igloo. If you need to get anywhere fast, or you like the wind in your hair, we’d definitely recommend driving your own team of eager Siberian huskies through the white Austrian forests. Don’t worry about getting cold – you’ll be very comfortable in your ice suite tucked up in your expedition-grade sleeping bag.

Zillertal Valley

Courtesy of WeeJames

Christmas Market, Germany

In the West, early winter is synonymous with Christmas and what better way to get into the festive spirit than enjoy a bustling Christmas market. Heidelberg is a fantastic place to visit during the months of November and December with its fairy tale castle and magical Christmas market. As you wonder through the twinkling taverns and sip on a steaming cup of gluhwein you can’t help but be taken under the spell of Christmas cheer.

Nov 16

Stockholm Christmas

Our Favourite 3 Winter City Breaks

Read on for our 3 alternative European winter city breaks!

We asked the trusty team to come up with three great options for a city break this Winter.  However, none of the options were allowed to cover the more obvious winter city break destinations like Paris, Prague or our very own London. We wanted our staff’s top recommendations for somewhere a bit different, but  equally as fantastic for a short break.

There were lots of great ideas but we have condensed it down to our three best suggestions.  We have also included the lowdown on where to stay and eat.   And the best thing about this article? We have included a beautiful video of Bern, which rocks out to an ’interesting soundtrack’ – enjoy.

Malaga, Spain
Tips from Sara H
I went to Malaga last winter after reading a recommendation in the Guardian.  And I wasn’t dissapointed. I flew in on the Friday after work and stayed in the lovely Hotel Zenit Malaga, which was located in the city centre and looked after me very well. The city was made up beautifully for Christmas, with a real festive colours everywhere.  We also went to a free concert which I think they do every year.  Every restaurant I went to also had great food – my favourite was El Pimpi, which was a popular tapas restaurant that gives you a real feeling of going back in time.

Hotel I stayed in: Hotel Zenit Malaga
Favourite Restaurant: El Pimpi
Top Tip:  Go to the Tetería El Harén, which plays music and from Thursday to Saturday!

Malaga Christmas
Christmas in Malaga

Juanpol

Stockholm, Sweden
Tips from Marisa P
I have been to Stockholm a few times and it is a beautiful city, especially in winter. The last time I went it was covered by snow and, although it felt freezing, walking the streets gives you a real Christmas traditional atmosphere.   We walked for hours and also went on a lovely boat ride.  We didn’t catch this last year but on the morning of Lucia Day (December 13) a mythical figure called ‘Lucia and her maidens come early in the morning, before dawn, bringing light in the darkness’  - I have heard that is is a beautiful spectacle. Last time I went I stayed in the Berns Hotel, which is located in the Berzelii Park, and I thought it was great – very cool.  My favourite restaurant was definitely Gondolen, which served local food and it felt like a nice place to hang out.

Hotel I stayed in: Berns Hotel
Favourite Restaurant: Gondolen
Top Tip:  Just walk around the Christmas markets if it’s not too cold – so beautiful!

Stockholm Christmas
A Christmas market in Stockholm

Michael Cavén

Bern, Switzerland
Tips by Mathieu B
To be honest when I first invited to Bern I wasn’t that interested – I had never heard of it as a tourist destination and the few people I asked about it where of the same opinion.  So, after eventually being persuaded of it’s merits I headed out in December 2010 for a 3 day trip.  What a place - I loved it.  It’s everything you could want in a cosy Christmas trip – it has so much character (it’s actually a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site).  The most interesting area is the old town, which has lots of well-maintained  historic buildings in amongst charming cobbled streets.  We also went to see the Bear Pits, which although it was cold, was a nice walk and are a throwback to Bern’s past.

(November is also a good time to go as they have the The Onion Market, which takes place on the fourth Monday in November with visitors ‘pour in’ for their onion’.)

Hotel I stayed in: Novotel Bern Expo
Favourite Restaurant: Metzgerstuebli
Top Tip:  I think the centre is just great to walk around and I found everyone I spoke to very friendly and there is a really a nice atmosphere in the old town.

Nov 6

60 second interview: Where in the world did you go Tom?

This week for our super duper Where in the world did you go feature we have Tom from sunny Devon, giving us the low-down on a week in ‘sunnier’ Moraira, Spain.

Tom in Spain

Hello Tom, where the devil did you get to last week?

I went to Moraira, which is a small beach town in Spain, roughly half way between Valencia and Alicante.

And why did you choose Moriara?

We go there every year – I am very lucky because my parents own a holiday villa out there so when it’s not being rented out we try and go as much as possible. The villa’s in a beautiful little town which is very close to the beach.

How much do you think the whole trip cost?

Haha… well, this doesn’t really take the real cost in to consideration: I would say around £60 at a stretch but obviously, being a poor student, I got away with not paying for too much.  I know the flights cost around £50 return to Valencia and then the villa can cost anything between £400 and £1,200. depending on the season – it holds up to 8 people so it’s quite good value.

What are your top recommendations from your trip?

The beach is very picturesque and not too busy – you can do some great snorkelling and, although I get a bit nervous in deep water,  it’s so clear you can spend hours looking at the fish and marine life.  One of my favourite beach activities is kayaking, which you can easily rent without having to book.  There is also a slightly hidden beach, as you can go on the main road from Moraira along the coast to El Portet there is a interesting little cove you can get to.

Altea, which is a bit further down the coast, is a pretty little town. It’s best feature is the old town which is much more traditionally  Spanish.

There are also loads of nice, chilled out bars in Moraira. If you walk along the coast at night you will be spoiled for choice for places to drink and chill.

What would you advise to avoid?

To be honest I haven’t got any complaints – although there is not much in the way of night life so you shouldn’t go there if you want to party every night.

And finally, where are going next?

I am going to do a ski season in France in Val d’Isère.

Courtyard

Nov 2

New York, New York - we enjoyed the video

Favourite travel experiences of the week #13

So let’s get it over with.

The clocks have gone back and it’s getting dark and cold.  It’s not going to get much better for the next four months and it’s suddenly got very hard to get out of bed in the morning.

Not our favourite time of the year here at Not Just a Holiday Towers.

But at least we have the internet to cheer us up.  And cheer us up it has, with loads of fun travel stories, fantastic looking trips and some wonderful holiday diaries that we have been really getting in to!  The week, for us, has been taken over by the Wanderlust Travel Awards, which invites readers to ‘rate their travels of the past year’.  We love these kind of awards and we have been typing away working on our answers in the office, hoping that one of us is lucky enough to win the lovely looking prize.

We have also been looking at our favourite travel websites and we have found some cracking stories to cover this week, showcasing great photography, a lovely looking trip to India and a wonderful video from New York.  Enjoy!

So, in no particular order, check out our best travel stories and features of the week:

1)  Want to know how your caveman ancestors ate? No, OK fair enough, but there is a fun new restaurant in Berlin where you can eat and dine like one. They serve ‘organic, unprocessed fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, and herbs.’  We will go as long as you can shout “Wilma!” when you want your food.

2) We are really getting into the New York Time’s 36 hours in series, and we thought the latest Cape Town special was great!  Some excellent tips for dining and wining.

New York, New York - we enjoyed the video

New York beats

Photo courtesy of WanderingtheWorld

3) Matador Network showcased a cool video from New York, showing off everyday city life to a backdrop of a ‘street drummer banging on buckets’.   Nicely done and some interesting looking characters.

4) Oh, what a view!  The Guardian Travel team present a truly scenic way to stay in India in Kerala and the Western Ghats.

5) Whilst we are on the Guardian website, they have a great new feature showcasing a year in Tokyo, with some gorgeous photos  from Paul Church’s blog.

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