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Posts tagged ‘holiday’

Jan 29

blog-buenos-aires

Favourite travel experiences of the week #16

This is the time of the year when the big travel companies blow their advertising budget.  You can see the adverts on television, from the beautiful looking Thomas Cook advert’s showing off their latest package deals to companies like trivago showing you how much cheaper buying hotel rooms can be.

You also have lucky travel journalists being sent out to survey the good and the great of the latest holiday hotspots and give us their valued opinion.  And that’s where the Not Just a Holiday team come in – we have rounded up some fantastic looking holiday features, giving you some great ideas about where to book your next trip.

The mystique of route 66Photo courtesy of Werkmen.

So, we present our 10 favourite travel stories and features of the week, as well as our holiday recommendation of the week:

1) At Not Just a Holiday we are down for adventure.  But we are not sure we would even recommend this dangerous adventure canoeing the entire Congo River.  Epic.

2) The Mystique of Route 66.  We really liked this feature looking at the legend and history of this much talked about tourist route.

3) Not so much a holiday idea, this feature from Environmental Graffiti showing a Chilean town after a volcano eruption in 2008.

4) How to NOT be a jerk at the airport.  One or two important tips here including ‘Respect the moving sidewalk’.

5) Fancy going to Buenos Aires to try some tango?  Well you need to read this, a nice feature on taking up this classic Latin dance.

6) Before you go on your next flight abroad just be aware this is how your plane will land if there is high winds. Gulp.


7) A nice feature from the Lonely Planet, which gives you a guide to the Very Big Things of Australia.

8) If you have not booked your skiing trip this Winter then check out this feature from the New York Times, Skiing the Spanish Pyrenees.

9) If you want a trip to the Caribbean on the cheap do as this article says and book now.  Some really great practical tips here.

10) Some nice ideas about where to eat out in Berlin.  Horvath here we come.

Holiday of the Week

In one of the most alluring cities in the world, the Algodon Mansion Hotel is a sheer delight in Buenos Aires. It’s best features? 24 hour butlers, 10 luxury suites, a fantastic restaurant, a rooftop pool. If you can afford to splurge then you cannot do any better – well located and lacking in nothing. Go.

The Algodon Mansion Buenos Aires

Dec 30

Aarhus in Winter

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

For our Where in the world did you go feature we have a winter special we have Sarah from London telling us all about a long, wintry weekend in Denmark.

Hello Sarah, tell us where you had the pleasure of getting to last week?

I went for a three day trip to Aarhus, which is the second-largest city in Denmark.

And why did you choose Aarhus as your destination?

Well, a friend of mine is from Denmark and she has been asking me to come for quite a while – she told me this was the best weekend to come as they opened the local Christmas Market and there would be a band and a procession going through town.  I am sucker for ‘glühwein’ and all that wintery stuff so I thought it would be a great little trip.

Aarhus Christmas Market

How much do you think the whole trip cost?

Mega cheap £25 ticket with RyanAir (but I had to wake up far too early!) let us keep the costs down a bit but Denmark is expensive.  My friend Lina recommended we stay in the Helnan Marselis hotel, which was £140 a night for a double, and then general costs like going out eating was a little higher than London prices.  I recommend trying to avoid taking taxis – they are super expensive.  For everything I would say I spent around £500, but I did a fair bit of shopping and eating out!

Aarhus Christmas Procession!

What are your top recommendations from your trip?

Well I discovered that I really love Danish culture – everyone was so friendly and I definitely want to go back one day.  One of the highlights of the trip was meeting a group of students at a local micro-brewery – I probably tried 5 different types of Christmas beer and they were all lovely!

So I guess I should start with the hotel – I would recommend it, especially as a place to go in the Summer as it’s right next to a beach with a lovely view over the harbour.  I thought it reminded me of the dock areas of Lisbon but everyone said I was talking nonsense – maybe so.  The town was also interesting – there was a few different shopping areas including the Latin Quarter, which had some really nice little independant shops and cosy restaurants.  If you want to do some real shopping then stay on the high street “Strøget” – there seemed to be a lot of shops selling expensive homeware.

Apart from that I would say get involved in the local cuisine – my favourite of the trip was Svineriet, a lovely looking restaurant which specialises in intricate Scandinavian food – delicious!

Sara 4 Aarhus

What would you advise to avoid?

Denmark is pretty expensive – as I said taxis are very expensive but hotels are also pricey so book early and use a website like trivago to get the best deal.

And finally, where are going next?

I am not sure if I am going yet but I plan to visit Canada in the early New Year, if I can afford it.

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

Sep 22

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Favourite travel experiences of the week #11

Yes, we know, we have been very lazy.  We haven´t posted our most popular feature (Favourite Travel Experiences of the Week) for over 2 weeks. 

Very naughty.  To make it up to you we are going to give you a double header this week of our favourite travel experiences PLUS a very special first blog from the newest member of the team, Anne, who has something very special lined up!

Until then, here are our best travel stories and features of the week, in no particular order:

1) Vagabondish give some strong tips and advice about how to make your next trip better value.

2) Want to know the best 100 hotels in the world? The luxury travel brand Conde Nast have gone eight better with their annual list of the top 108 hotels in the world. (We like the look of the Faena Hotel in Buenos Aires!)

3) The Not Just a Holiday team didn´t know much about Suriname, but after reading this feature in the New York Times it very well could be one of our first destinations of 2012.

4) Have you been to the Grand Canyon? If not, read the Lonely Planet´s guide to on getting the most out of your trip.

5) If you love France as much as us you will appreciate National Geographic’s new photo gallery feature, celebrating the stunning beauty of this enchanting country.

France, you are pretty

Sep 14

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

Welcome to our brand new feature on the Not Just a Holiday blog, where we ask our avid readers about where the went on their last holiday and what they got up to!

This week we have Robin from London spilling the beans on his weekend break in Estonia.

Robin does Estonia

Hello Robin, where did you go last weekend?

Hello Not Just a Holiday, I hope you are well! This weekend I went to Tallinn in Estonia for 3 days.

And why did you choose Tallinn?

Well I go away with friends every year and we head to a different place each time. Last year was Brussels and this year we wanted to try something a bit different.

Where did you stay?

In a hostel bang in the middle of the old town and it was perfect. I recommend it. It’s called Viru Backpackers and it was around £15 a night.

Wow – that sounds like good value – How much do you think the whole trip cost?

I think it was about £215 pounds for everything.

What are your top 3 recommendations from your trip?

Hire bikes is definitely one! The old town is quite small so you can get round quite easily.  There is only 1 and a half million people in Estonia so it’s very small and we cycled around the suburbs and really got to see the old town and the new town and all the industrial estates, warships and that was really good.

Stay away from any stag parties that you see around – they all hang out in seedy bars and you if you go to the same ones you will end up paying over the odds.

And just walk around in the small alleyways and side roads. There are loads of little museums and restaurants that are great. Our actual favourite restaurant was Hungarian and was called Kapten Tenkes.  Vanaema Juures, an old fashioned Estonian restaurant, was also good.

Rule 1: Hire bikes

What would you advise to avoid?

Like I said it’s not a big place so there are quite a few stag parties walking about but it’s fine.  Avoid the main Irish bar in the centre and try to head to the smaller Estonian bars and you will have a good time and in the back streets there is lots of interesting stuff going on.

And finally, where are going next?

Next I am going to Bilbao, which is in October.

Nice and pretty

Aug 28

Favourite travel experiences of the week #10

We can all feel it, ‘Summer’ in the UK is coming to an end. An autumn chill is in the air and the days are just starting to get shorter.  In a perfect world we will have an Indian Summer in September to cushion us from the long, dark days of Winter ahead, but don’t count on it.

Although this is all ever so slightly dispiriting, it doesn’t mean that your holidays are officially over for the year or that you can’t plan our next amazing trip abroad. In our regular feature of favourite travel experiences of the week, we give you 5 great ideas and stories found on the web, which we hope will give you a few ideas about where you should be spending on your next trip abroad.

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

1) This is a great ‘to do list’ – no pay the bills or fix the car in sight in this awesome plan from Dave at Go Backpacking.

2) The most expensive hotel in the universe has been unveiled! And it’s got no ensuites, no showers and only freeze-dried food to eat and yet it will cost £100,000 for a short break. Naturally, it’s in space.

3) Some lovely photos from the Almost Fearless team, who give us a short update from Vang Vieng.

A view over Vang Vieng

4) We really liked the ‘Mexico: 2 Years In 2 Minutes‘ from Wandering Earl.  Some really fun photos and the Not Just a Holiday team want to go to the underground pools featured in the slideshow at 1 minute 27 seconds.

5) It’s raining in London. We want to be here.

Aug 21

Favourite travel experiences of the week #9

The Not Just a Holiday team are working hard on two new great features, one giving you some great ideas to find something special in Rio and another giving you the lowdown on how to party in Eastern Europe.

Look out for those later this week! Also, remember that we are always looking for new travel ideas so if you think you have been somewhere a bit special, we want to know.

Until then we have unearthed some great stories and features from planet web. Enjoy!

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

1) Not so much a story, but we have included it as it’s a great guide to somewhere the Not Just a Holiday team desperately want to get to – California’s National Parks.

2) Shocking videos showing nature’s true power never fail to make an impression and National Geographic listed the ‘top 10′ of 2011.

3) An interesting interview with Marie Javins. Great stories about where she has been and no doubt some inspiration about where in the world you should be heading next.

Yosemite National Park

Reflection of a mountain peak in Yosemite National Park

Aug 2

Favourite travel experiences of the week #8

We have got some great travel experiences to share with you this week. There’s a bit for everyone – some great examples of a trip featuring some of the world’s most iconic wildlife, a beautiful photo and an unfortunate visa run story. Enjoy.

So here are our best travel stories of the week, in no particular order:

1) We liked the idea of heading out to the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania to see lions, giraffes, elephants after reading the post from Go Backpacking.

2) The 2011 Traveller Photo Contest on Intelligent Traveller was keenly contested.  The interesting part was reading how the shot was taken.  Check out the winning photo and the story behind it.

3) How not to do a visa run. An amusing tale of a Thai-Myanmar border run that just doesn’t go very well.

Selous Game Reserve

Jul 13

It’s here, it’s finally here

The whole team at Not Just a Holiday are thrilled to announce the launch of our brand new website, www.NotJustaHoliday.co.uk.

It’s been a labour of love and we hope that you enjoy it.

We have spent the last 6 months beavering away into the dark hours because we have been lucky enough to visit some of the most interesting places on earth.  We’ve stayed in some truly great places – from beautiful, opulant hotels to rugged but charming guest houses and been amazed by the things we have seen and inspired by people we have met along the way.

From all these experiences we decided that we wanted to spread the word.  To put it concisely, we love finding something extraordinary and then telling you all about it. We want to help you have a trip of a lifetime.

So, a little bit more information about the website:

NotJustaHoliday.co.uk is split into 6 categories. We think it offers visitors the chance to find holiday inspiration in the category that suits their preference – whether you like some serious luxury, prefer to feel the wind with thrill seeking, want to Discover something new or if you need a bit of Inspiration, we think we have got some great ideas about where to go and what to do on your next trip abroad.

Additionally, we have addeed a Our Countries special section, which will be a regularly updated list of what’s best in the countries we have been visiting.

So, check it out, let us know what you think and keep coming back regularly – although small, our team are determined to get out there and show you what’s best in this fantastic world of ours.

Jul 10

Favourite travel experiences of the week #7

Well, what a couple of weeks it’s been at Not Just a Holiday HQ.  We have had never ending problems with our internet connection as well as some genuinely tricky technical problems with the launch of the new website.

However, there is light at the end of this particular tunnel and we are confident (kind of!) that we will be launching the fantastic, beautiful, informing and essential NotJustaHoliday.co.uk website this week.  Yes, that is right, this week.

Until then you will just have to make do with our weekly round-up of our latest favourite travel experiences of the week.  Enjoy.  

1) Although this blog hasn’t been updated since 2008 and reading the whole thing takes ages, we though it was great and worthy of inclusion. Karie and Scott’s European adventure is exactly what it says on the tin.

2) Ahhh the almost fearless team – you really spoil us. Great article about the ‘anatomy of a burnout‘.

3) We don’t know why this just jumped out at us – but as soon as we saw it we thought, ‘yes – we need to go!’ The Muppet themed bar in San Francisco.  Can anyone in the area tell us what it’s like?

That’s it for now – check back early this week though for the big launch!

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