Travel and Leisure Magazine

Pharoah tales

2009-06-30T00:58:00.000-07:00

My first visit to Egypt 23 years ago was an adventure I will never forget. I was in Cairo on a short business trip, but managed to squeeze some whistle-stop sightseeing in between meetings on my final day that would have even exhausted a Japanese tour leader. Time was ridiculously tight, but I didn’t mind as I was heading on to Luxor the next day for some R and R, followed by diving in the Red Sea at Hurghada prior to my flight home.

At least, that was the plan. Renting a taxi for the day in Cairo (as cheap as a single journey I had taken in a London cab), I set off for my prearranged appointments. My lunchtime meeting was at the venerable Mena House Oberoi hotel, right next to the pyramids at Giza. I spent lunch gazing in awe through the windows at the mighty edifices.

With another meeting due later that afternoon,I grabbed 15 minutes at the Great Pyramid of Cheops, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world,

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South Africa – Rugby, Wildlife and Culture

2009-03-16T02:59:00.000-07:00

Trade wind Travel launches their exclusive tour for the rugby enthusiasts, affording them the opportunity to see two giants of the rugby world clash in the second and final tests in June and July 2009. They have designed a tour to South Africa to combine viewing the rugby matches with an opportunity to experience the culture and the wildlife of this wonderfully diverse country.

The tour includes a visit to a cultural village, the Lion Park, where you may very well get to stroke a baby lion. The highlight is a visit to the spectacular Blyde River Canyon and God’s Window and then on to The Kruger National Game Park, to catch a glimpse of ‘the big 5’. There is also an opportunity to visit an original gold mine, going 220 metres below the surface and some of South Africa’s most famous landmarks including Nelson Mandela’s house.

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Mexican Waves

2009-02-16T02:44:00.000-08:00

When it comes to impressively developed ancient civilisations, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more impressive collection than Mexico’s: the Olmecs were the earliest around 1200 BC, followed by the Zapotecs, then the Maya and the most famous of all, the Aztecs. And, despite the worst efforts of the 16th century Spanish conquistadores, these peoples have left us a host of spectacular monuments and art works to savour.

One way of getting to know the country’s ancient history is by staying at Na Bolom, a hotel with is also a kind of museum and research centre in San Cristobal, Chiapas. Each room is decorated with photographs and artifacts from a different local village in the area with strong Maya connections. There are also trips organised to important sites as well as a well stocked library focusing on Mexican history and a garden with medicinal plants

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Something completely different…

2009-01-16T02:42:00.000-08:00

A few ideas for some not so run of the mill holiday activities:

You don’t need to be a line dancing fanatic to take part in the Friday and Sunday evening get-togethers of the Country Line Dance Association of Singapore(www.cldas.com).They meet at Far East Square and get all dressed up for the occasion.
Take a ghost tour of Singapore’s haunted spots with the Asia Paranormal Investigators (www.api.sg).
For extra added tradition at hawkers stalls (see separate box), ask for your food to be served in a leaf. Hawkers used to serve takeaways wrapped in open leaves until a cheaper paper option came along. Now the leaves (the insides of betel nut palmbark) are back adding a gentle little woody flavour to their contents.
Get a foot massage. Foot reflexology is very big in Singapore and there are plenty of specialist centres.
Buy a Singapore Special Edition Monopoly set with Singapore landmarks and tokens in distinct shapes, such as the three-wheeled trishaw cycle rickshaw

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Stress free packing

2008-12-15T00:29:00.000-08:00

JanSport’s Shower Abode will take the time and stress out of packing your toiletrieskeeping them dry, organised and easy to find.

Shower Abode comes with handy stain resistant shampoo and conditioner bottles as well as a soap dish and toothbrush holder to keep you prepared for every morning-after eventuality.

It’s muck-proof, fully lined with pu-coated spill resistant nylon, and the abrasion- resistant bottom ensures longer lasting resistance for many more festivals to come!!!! Shower abode: £24.99 Stockist: 0845 603 1930

Say What

Iko Eco, has just launched the first two-way pocket translator, aimed at helping travellers quickly communicate words, greetings and phrases during holiday or business-trip scenarios.

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Wheelie Good Idea

2008-11-14T23:58:00.000-08:00

Isaac Newton first discovered the Universal Law of Gravity in 1665. It was 320 years late before the travel industry found a solution to moving packages/luggage with wheelies. A brilliant concept that has made many a weary traveller sign with relief.

But little has changed since. Those little handles that come out of the top are just not up to the job. In most cases they merely transfer the weight of a loaded case directly downwards, making the traveller’s arm, shoulder and back twist and ache. Yet a handle can be such a simple thing when designed properly using a basic pivot triangle that connects the case and the handle, loaded flush from the back (not the top) and controllable for people of all heights. So the contents have been shifted to straight above the wheels.

Whilst designing this unique luggage handle Live Luggage has also made it robust, tactile and cool looking but claims most importantly it gives absolute control.

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Chinese Eclipse

2008-10-14T01:08:00.000-07:00

The total eclipse of the sun is one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena. The one due to occur next year in China on July 22nd 2009 is expected to be the longest of the 21st Century, predicted to last five minutes and 40 seconds.

Special trips to China for it are being organised, including two by China specialist, WendyWu Tours - a 16-day ‘China and Eclipse Experience’ and an eight-day ‘Eclipse and Shanghai Spectacular.’ Both tours include flights, transport, accommodation and meals. Top astronomy author Stuart Clark will be on hand to share his knowledge and experience.He will be making a special presentation for tour members in Hangzhou on the banks of the Qiantang River on the day of the eclipse itself.

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The Singapore Slings

2008-09-14T03:04:00.000-07:00

Quickly, what is the first thing that comes into your head when you hear the word ‘Singapore’? Sling? Rugby Sevens? No spitting? The trouble with countries you have not visited yet is that it’s hard to get past years and years of accumulated clichés. Just as France is not full with cyclists in stripy tops with garlic round their necks carrying baguettes under their arms, not everybody in Singapore heads for cocktails at Raffles (well, not all the time). The sea has always played a key part in Singapore’s history, largely because it occupies an excellent natural spot on major sea routes on the edge of the Malay Peninsula. During the Middle Ages it was called Temasek or ‘Sea Town’ as well as Singa Pura (‘Lion City’). Its strategic importance was not lost on the empire building British during the 18th century in their continuing battles against the empire building Dutch and consequently Sir Stamford Raffles (yes, it was named after him) turned Singapore into a world famous trading city. More recently, it became a famous theatre of war during World War II when it was taken by the Japanese forces and held by them from 1942 until 1945. Today, there are plenty of locations around the country where you can findout more about these often dark times.

One of the most interesting is Changi Chapel and Museum which include artifacts, photographs and drawings from the time of the occupation which meant imprisonment for over 50,000 soldiers and civilians. Visitors can stay for a service on Sundays at 9am.

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Liverpool where the Merseybeat goes on

2008-08-14T02:32:00.000-07:00

The City Beat five other hopefuls - Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Newcastle/Gateshead and Oxford - to win the much-coveted prize and organisers are now promising to put on ‘the most spectacular celebration of culture in the history of Europe’. A grand claim indeed, but there is certainly much to enjoy in and around Liverpool. Festival planners (www.liverpool08.com) promise a year-long festival of art, architecture, ballet, comedy, cinema, food, fashion, literature, music, opera, science and theatre. And they’ve got plenty to shout about. Liverpool has:

● the largest collection of Grade II listed buildings outside London
● the fifth largest cathedral in the world
● one of the busiest film locations in Britain

Here are our top tips for where to go, what to see and where to eat. Enjoy your
trip!

The Beatles Story

Perhaps the city’s most famous export, the Fab Four are celebrated in this musical experience which looks at The Beatles from their earliest beginnings right up to the present.

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Indian Summer

2008-07-14T01:06:00.000-07:00

This summer, London will host India Now, a three month celebration exploring Indian culture and India’s contribution to London life. There are a whole host of events to explore from food to fashion and from fine art to Bollywood musicals.

If you’re into haute couture don’t miss the V & A’s Fashion in Motion exhibition, which opens on the 7th September and showcases Indian designer, Manish Arora. For fine art followers the Noble Sage art gallery will present ‘India Now’ from the 1st to 14th September, while on the 2nd September, Regent Street will be transformed into an magnificent Indian streetscape.

There will be a fantastic array of music, spectacular sculptures, food stalls and artisans.

Finally for all musical lovers Indomania Weekend on the 17th/18th offers a ‘musicians, artists and writers extravaganza’ on the South Bank.To find out more visit: www.visitlondon.com/india

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Essential packing

2008-06-09T01:05:00.000-07:00

Perfect for maximum comfort during a long haul flight or the first step of getting into the relaxation groove once you arrive, this ‘yoga suit’ from a range by Carolyn Cowan starts at just £30. www.devotion.co.uk.

Great for those chill evening breezes, this wrap around shawl in red (available in black) £45 www.erichill.co.uk .

And Going Green

Large Flower Embroidered Top adds a fresh spring feel to casual trousers. This lovely green collarless cotton tunic has contrasting aqua hand-embroidered detail - not to be forgotten when it’s essential to be kool. £30. Sizes 10-18.

Great Beaded Sandals - Flatter your feet with these attractive flip flop style sandals with sequin and iridescent bead finish. £18 Sizes: 4-7.

And if you need help getting into a holiday mood try this wonderful hand made turquoise lontar palm bag decorated with sparkling sequins. £20. All from www.traidcraftshop.co.uk.

One of Bod Lip Balm’s key ingredients is paw paw, which apart from being rich in vitamin A and C contains an enzyme that’s considered a great help for healing cracked skin. Then there’s shea butter, which as we already know promotes healing, suppleness and elasticity, and cocoa butter, which softens and protects.

Available in two yummy flavours – luscious mint or vanilla smooch – the pot is small enough for your jeans pocket: £6.50. Try the website - www.greenface.co.uk - which has heaps of other luscious products, just right for holiday face saving.

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Morocco bound

2008-05-09T00:25:00.000-07:00

Morroco, especially Marrakech, was for many years a must stop on the old hippie trail. Although the magic that brought the tuned-in and dropped-out crowds in the 1960s and 1970s is still here, things have changed, not least that instead of spending several days in a crowded minibus travelling overland, you can now fly direct from the UK not only to Casablanca but to Fez, Agadir and Marrakech itself. It’s also very good value for money, though it would sound strange to describe it as a budget holiday destination.

Despite decades under Spanish and French colonial rule – which produced the new town quarters to mirror the old Medina districts in the major cities - this is still obviously very much a traditional Islamic culture with the vibrant indigenous Berber way of life in no sense under threat. My own first introduction to Morocco was as a 19-year old student when I spent the whole of a summer wandering around the country. It was a marvellous experience, one that I’ll never forget (especially as it was my first introduction to the art of haggling: see below for some hardwon advice!). You could easily spend six months travelling around the country and only scratch the surface – on that first visit I spent most of my time in Marrakech and the High Atlas mountains and while I didn’t regret a minute of it, the brief time I then spent in Tangier, Casablanca (which feels more French than Moroccan in many ways) and Fez gave me an appetite to return.

World Heritage Site

Fez – a former capital of Morocco - may not have the international fame of Marrakech and is rather more traditionally conservative, but it is more than a match for it architecturally and is arguably the country’s intellectual centre, home to probably the world’s oldest university and nearly 800 mosques: the Al Qarawiyin Mosque, Morocco’s oldest, retains its original minaret, built in 956. The city has over 8km of fortified walls but it’s the medina, the whole of which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is absolutely unforgettable, not least because it’s so narrow and mazelike that first-time visitors are almost guaranteed to get lost within it.

It’s also a bustling and very much working area where transport is by bike or donkey, never car, and you can happily stumble around for others, enjoying the specialities of each district, whether they be dyers, potters, woodcarvers or weavers. As in the of Morocco, if you get the chance of quick peek beyond these labyrinthine walls into the patios behind, make the most of it – that Tardis feeling of hidden depth and light is truly astounding. As well as being famous for the high standard of its handicrafts, Fez is also home to one of the world’s most important music festivals, the annual week long Fez Festival of World Sacred Music which attracts internationally famous musicians such as Ravi Shankar and Youssou N’Dour. A great blog about Fez is The View From Fez at http://riadzany.blogspot.com.rest.

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Australian Extravaganza

2008-01-25T02:44:00.000-08:00

It's hard to imagine a destination with quite so much to offers as Australia, whether you are looking for chic cities, wonderful wild life or spectacular scenery. But first thing first: Australia is a big place Very big. You can't 'do' it in a week. What you can do is focus on one aspect of it's many attractions and than the tailmormake a holiday which adds some variety to your trip.

Perhaps the most natural starting point for a first timer to Australia is Sydney, truly one of the world's most...

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Article taken from the issue: January

How IT smes can become MNC's

2007-12-04T03:14:00.000-08:00

Tailor-made travel to Croatia

2007-11-28T01:53:00.001-08:00

If you've always wanted to create your own 'bespoke' adventure holiday, Hidden Croatia could be the answer. This independent travel company now offers apersonal service with tours to locations that are off the beaten .....

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Dubai just not a desert

2007-11-02T05:03:00.000-07:00

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Christmas Break!

2007-10-23T23:08:00.000-07:00

If you’re looking for a special somewhere to spend your 2007Yule, take a look at Robert Seymour’s suggestions for a merry Christmas.

Weston Manor Again, a historic place to spend Christmas which dates back to the 11th century and was owned for hundreds of years by the local major landowners the Earls of Abingdon and Berkshire. It was converted into a hotel in the 1940s and is now owned and run by the Osborn family.

Bedrooms are pleasant, the restaurant is excellent (and has been for at least 10 years when I had my own wedding reception in the Baronial Hall here!), and the grounds are very relaxing. If you feel like a Christmas dip there’s an outdoor heated pool. As well as individual
Christmas packages, you can also book the whole place out for your exclusive use (in
which case you have to fill all 35 bedrooms).
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