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Posts tagged ‘skiing’

Apr 2

Favourite Travel Experiences of The Month #23

A happy Easter to you all! With the weather in Northern Europe being so unpredictable at this time of year, that can mean anything. This month the Not Just a Holiday team look at articles embracing spring as a time for travelling and new experiences, featuring trips both in the UK and further afield. Although the winter is still lingering in some areas we kick things off with a top tip for skiing in France. We have found some inspiring photos this month including National Geographic’s snap of the month for March and Murad Osmann who has developed a global photo collection in an interesting and unique manner.

Here our top 10 features of the last month:

Pyrenees Skiing

Courtesy of girolame.

1. Think of skiing in France? Think of the Alps? Think again! See why the Pyrenees is more affordable, more enjoyable and more… French.

2. Photo of the month from National Geographic is a stunning shot of a manatee off the coast of Florida. An absolute must-see!

3. Photographer’s girlfriend leads him around the world. A unique set of photos from across the globe taken by Murad Osmann.

4. From the Amazon to the Nile, the Mississippi to the Danube, almighty rivers tattoo the worlds surface and make for some awesome wet and wild adventures. Lonely Planet list their top waterways of the world, how many have you been on?

5. Ecuador’s spectacular trainline reopens this summer after 4 years of renovation! The pictures are quite remarkable, it certainly on our ‘must-visit’ list!

Train to Quito

Quito-bound train, Ecuador. Courtesy of jsbarrie.

6. Spring can often be the best time of year to travel, the sun starts to appear more often and the natural surroundings are astounding wherever you are. National Geographic give us their top spring trips from bourbon tours in Kentucky to Europes largest marshland in Romania!

7. Enjoy the finer things in life? Michelin- starred chef Heinz Beck gives his top 10 restaurants the world has to offer.

8. Winter is nearly over, celebrate with a wide range of Spring breaks. You could find yourself anywhere from a Welsh farm-stay to a gypsy caravan tour of Cumbria.

9. Similarly, you could learn to rock climb in the Peak District! This video is a crash course from pro climber Mina-Leslie Wujastyk.

10. Wherever you are on the globe, hangover food is always required at some point or another. Browse through the suggested world top 10, from as far afield as Korea and Israel. We can personally vouch for a few, Poutine in Canada being a personal favourite!

Holiday of the Month – Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

The largest and oldest national park in Croatia is also the most outstanding! Home to sixteen lakes and countless waterfalls, it is a natural paradise year-round. Perfect for hikes to suit all abilities, whether you are after a full day marching through the picture-perfect scenery or you just fancy a gentle stroll between two areas. There are road trains and boats to take you between the varying sectors if you prefer.

It is possible to see the highlights in a day but equally there is enough to keep you fascinated for a week long trip and there are plenty of options for accommodation ranging from camping to luxury hotels. We chose to drive down to the area for the day, it is about 2 to 3 hours from either Zagreb or Split. No trip to Croatia is complete without. That is a fact!

PlitviceCourtesy of sobrecrocia.com.

Feb 9

Favourite Travel Experiences of the Month #21

January is tradtionally a quiet month spent recovering from the expenditure of Christmas, but not for the Not Just a Holiday team! We spent a particularly cold month visiting some of Europe’s top winter destinations as well as branching further overseas to adventures in South America. As the year starts to progress and the temperatures begin to rise, Spring arrival allows us to explore destinations closer to home. The first half of this month’s post looks at European gems just a few hours away and then we move further afield, featuring adventures in New Zealand!

Take a look at our top 10 features of the last month.

springphoto courtesy of Alan1954

1. ‘No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.’ Yet many Brit’s have seen just a glimpse of the place we call home. The Guardian provides the ultimate travel guide to England. Perfect for discovering hundreds of things to see and do right on your doorstep.

2. Accommodation can often be a big chunk of any travelling trip, for those who like comfort at a small cost, check out the 10 best luxury hostels in Europe.

3. As the fresh spring air descends across Europe, there is no better time to crack out your bicycle or walking boots! Guardian readers give their top tips, featuring the 500 miles of footpaths on the Isle of Wight and the beautiful Lon Las Ogwen cycle path, in Gwynedd.

4. Skiing in England? Who would have thought this possible! There is no need to go abroad to experience the slopes this season, head to one of six ski centres in the north of England!

5. There are some things that perhaps are not so great about England, London has the worst average vote for its hotels! Top is Dresden, time to book the next flight to Germany!

NZ Bungee Jump

photo courtesy of cedartree_13

6. New Zealand is only nearly everyone’s ‘to visit’ list, and it’s not hard to understand why. Your trip is guaranteed adventure and National Geographic show you how!

7. It is not just NZ you can find some adventure, the new craze of zip-wires is seeing the longest zip-wire open in Wales, have a look at other epic rides across the globe.

8. Discover the underwater magic off the coast of Malaysia, just watch out for those monsoons!

9. First-time travellers are often put off by negative press regarding risks and scams. Be smart, read up on 10 common travel scams and how to avoid them and put your mind at ease.

10. Whereever you are in the world, it is always good to party. Learn about how different cultures tackle hangovers, you might pick up some tips!

Holiday of the Month – Den Haag, The Netherlands.

This month we were looking for an overseas trip on a tight budget, we were recommended Den Haag in the Netherlands. Just an hour from Amsterdam it is a well connected city with a lot to offer if you scratch below the surface. Known better in England as The Hague, the common initial perception is a city with a strong political presence, home to multiple international instituations. Whilst this is true, there is a lot more on offer here. It is a facinating city for history buffs with countless museums and galeries depicting Holland’s eventful past, it is home to the Dutch royal family who inhabit Huis ten Bosch in one of the cities many large parks, begging to be explored. A trip to the seaside town of Scheveningen, at first feels like going to a poor imitation of Blackpool but when the sun brings the dutch beach-goers out, it comes alive as a bustling tradtional seaside resort.

Reflections of Binnenhof and Grote Kerk in the Hofvijver pond

Reflections of Binnenhof and Grote Kerk in the Hofvijver pond. Courtesy of Digi-Jo

Dec 5

Favourite Travel Experiences of the Month #19

December is here, which means great things (snow, Christmas markets, Santa Claus) and bad things (freezing mornings, lack of sunlight for three months and, worst of all, Christmas jumpers). Therefore, the  Not Just A Holiday team have decided to help you through the start of winter with some great features, showcasing skiing trips, learning a new language and German Christmas markets, to name just a few.

Feast your eyes on the following!Ski!

photo courtesy of Skistar Trysil’s

1. The winter is certainly upon on us, which means only one thing, ski season! MSN Travel gives you their guide to the cheapest places to ski this winter.

2. For the cheapest way of getting to the slopes this season as well as general travel bargains, we recommend looking at HolidayPirates.

3. Everyone likes to save a few pounds if they can whilst travelling but can you take it too far? Check out the argument against ‘Pound-Foolish travel‘.

4. Want to learn a new language? Get the 1,000 most popular words down first and you could master it in 22 hours!

5. If you have never been to Hong Kong, it will be high on your list after watching Gregory Kane’s fascinating highlights in So Long, Hong Kong.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kabacchi/

photo courtesy of kabacchi

6. For those of you have not yet seen Gunther Holtorf’s 23 year road trip, it is a must watch. Taking his beloved Mercedes, ‘Otto’ to places as far apart as Brazil and North Korea, a truly inspirational traveller.

7.  North Italy’s hidden gem – Vicenza. More than a Palladian masterpiece say our friends at The Guardian.

8. Off to Paris any time soon? Don’t go before a quick browse of these top 8 tips for Paris travellers.

9. Global art project Before I Die utilises public spaces to bring together peoples thoughts. Well worth a moment of your time.

10. With new hotels springing up every day across Asia, A Luxury Travel Blog summarises the best of the bunch.

Holiday of the Month

As it will soon be Christmas we thought we would share with you our favourite budget Christmas trip, Germany’s 4th largest city; Cologne. Its easy to see why Cologne is a top destination this time of year; it is home to seven bustling Christmas markets to put you in a festive frame of  mind. With so many markets to choose from if you are short on time be sure to prioritise Neumarkt, Cologne’s oldest market for a good mix that summarises the German Christmas market experience perfectly.

If the masses of gifts and decorations don’t take to your fancy then the markets should not be overlooked for their high quality range of German food from the traditional sausages to the seasonal gingerbread the markets are the number one place for a cheap eat.

Cologne Christmas Marketphoto courtesy of rachel_titiriga

Mar 26

Favourite travel experiences of the week #17

Berlin

Well this is embarrassing…

Our favourite travel experiences of the week have been missing for one whole month.  Although the team have been busy on our Twitter page, there hasn’t been a lot going on Our Holiday Diary. So what can we do to redeem ourselves?  Well, the first thing we can do is round up the best of last months travel experiences from around the world for you to read, watch and enjoy!

So, without further ado, we present our 10 favourite travel stories and features, as well as our newest feature of showcasing our holiday of the week:

1) 36 Hours in Long Beach, California doesn’t sound too bad does it? The New York Times kick us off in style.

2) Berlin double header this week.  First comes a great Berlin Food: Favorite Neighborhood Meals Under €10.

3) Berlin has been one of ‘the’ city destinations to go to in Europe for some time.  This feature from the Guardian gives great ideas for a walking tour.

4) Some really great ideas for a foody holiday. Rustic Italy: places to stay for food lovers.

5) Great, great, GREAT skiing video showing off some amazing ‘urban skiing‘.


6) 10 of the world’s unsung places from the Lonely Planet.

7) A little bit closer to Not Just a Holiday HQ, some nice ideas for Spring walks around London.

8) Deep inside Kenya’s underground reggae scene – a virtually unknown music community.

9) Matthew Williamson, the fashion designer, on his 15-year love affair with India.

10) Under the water in the Antartica. Another great video on Vimeo. Beautiful.

Holiday of the Week

Luce d’Alma Resort & Spa

Recent winner of a TripAdvisor award, the Luce d’Alma Resort & Spa in the Gili Islands is a fantastic option for a luxury pampering trip with a real touch of exotic luxury.  The hotel boasts a cute swimming pool, has sixteen large contemporary furnished cottages with king size beds.  As well as that there is a modern fitness area and spa facilities with jacuzzi and sauna.  And the best bit? A private peach with some great snorkelling. A stunning location.

Photos of Luce d'Alma Resort & Spa, Gili Trawangan
This photo of Luce d’Alma Resort & Spa is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Oct 4

To Ski or Not To Ski – That is the question!

Ski's up!We know it’s only just the beginning of October, but as the nights draw in and the weather gets chilly, we can’t help but start thinking about a winter getaway.

Speaking personally, whenever I get the chance, the highlight of my year is hitting the glorious snowy slopes for a long weekend, or if I’m lucky, a whole week – pure, snowy bliss!

Over the years of going skiing I have found that different destinations can provide a ski trip that differs greatly and have a particular strong point.  Therefore, I have put together a mini-guide on where you should be heading to this Winter depending on your preference:

Good night life
If its après ski you’re after, somewhere like Val d’Isère, France is where you should head.  The skiing is great throughout the season, although very busy in peak times, but après ski is one of the best. There is a surplus of bars, restaurants and clubs and they’re all open until the early hours. This is a ski hard –party hard destination.

Beautiful scenery
If it’s all about the scenery somewhere like Zell am See, Austria might be more your thing. The views are spectacular, and the slopes are less crowded – especially higher up. The best thing about Zel em Zee is that you can ski there all year – the glacier has snow in and out of season. In season the snow is amazing and the views magnificent.

First time on the slopes
If this year will be your first time, you’re probably best heading to somewhere like Les Arc, France. There is a range of nursery, green, red and black slopes that make this a great place to learn to ski and the après ski isn’t half bad.

Night Skiing
Les Arc also offered the best night skiing! At the top of the mountain, after fondue, too much wine, and some stomping on the tables in your ski boots, they let you ski down the mountain in the dark and behind your now foggy (beer) goggles! Although possibly not the safest thing to do – an amazing experience. Perhaps something for the last day of your holiday – just in case!

Whatever you go for, all the destinations have one thing in common – some great skiing opportunities. Have a great trip!

Anne Harris

Ski Jump!

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