Opening of New Hotel on Lake Titicaca – May 2008
I have just received information from our agents that this new hotel Titilaka Inkaterra has opened on the banks of Lake Titicaca. It is the first ultra-luxury hotel which is perched on a private peninsula on the Lake, legendary birthplace of the Incas and an ideal base for exploring the natural, cultural and historical treasures of Peru’s most remote and mystical region.

This all-inclusive luxury lodge is a haven for re-energizing after a day of excursions either by boat, private transfers, mountain bike or trekking. Activities you can include are visits to the Andean communities on the Islands of Taquile or Uros; Tours can be arranged to archeological sites and colonial churches or you can spend a day bird watching around the lake. The day’s climax is at dusk when afternoon tea is followed by cocktails served on the terrace at Titilaka, an ideal spot for viewing sunsets and the night time canopy of stars.

I was all set for my return trip to Ecuador & to have a wonderful cruise in the Galapagos Islands in February. But unfortunately I had some bad news the day after I arrived in Quito I had to fly back to UK.

The exciting news is that in 2 weeks time I am going back to Ecuador & will also have a really special treat as I am having a 8 day / 7 night cruise on the newest boat sailing around the Galapagos Islands – the Yacht la Pinta www.yachtlapinta.com
I cannot wait!!. As it is always a good idea to arrive in Ecuador at least 2 days before the cruise I have time to visit the hot springs @ Papallacta & visit the hotel there. As if my trip was not already perfect I am also having a night @ the Finch Bay Hotel in Galapagos before my cruise starts..

I am flying with American Airlines, so it is a bit of a pain going through Miami but it does give me 2 duty free opportunities in both directions, so every cloud has a silver lining!! Also as I have traveled with American quite frequently I have enough miles to come back Miami to London in Business Class – of course they are not confirming that to me now as I guess they want to try & sell the seats @ the hugely expensive full price first!! Fingers crossed for my upgrade though – that would be an amazing end to what is going to be a wonderful trip.

I will obviously be adding a new blog after this trip, so watch this space…

The Dead Sea is a land locked sea situated at the lowest point on earth. It is the most peculiar feeling ’sitting’ in this water, totally supported by the high level of salt you can’t help but float. It is completely comfortable to float in this water and read a book!

As you are floating effortlessly in the warm, mineral rich waters, you see people around the shoreline scooping handfuls of mud from the sea bed and smearing it over themselves before wading into the water. It is the most bizarre sight! There are two very lovely, luxury hotels situated on the Dead Sea that both take advantage of the minerals available and offer excellent spa facilities.

However, don’t leave it too long before visiting the Dead Sea - the water level of the Dead Sea is dropping by about a 30cm (1 foot) per year and Scientists predict that the sea may be dried up by the year 2050!

February 2008 - the launch of ‘La Pinta’ the newest yacht in the Galapagos Islands. What an honor to be on the launch of this lovely, luxurious ship as it left Guayaquil. La Pinta started service in the Galapagos in April of this year offering plush, luxury cabins, with all mod cons including ipods – which proved to be the perfect respite after a long day exploring! This yacht operates only on a 7 day cruise but I really would not want to get off any sooner!

As this yacht was not ready for service we stayed aboard the Santa Cruz. My original preference would be smaller yacht, but I definitely changed my mind as I loved the Santa Cruz – the staff were fantastic, friendly, knowledge and fun – the accommodation was very comfortable and the food was great. The large ship also mean that you can meet more people and I met a lovely group and really enjoyed our excursions to the islands.

After snorkeling with sea lions, sea turtles and penguins we than all returned to the ship to enjoy the last sunset and of course cocktails, when one of the naturalists spotted something in the water and we discovered to our amazement that we were in amongst a pod of 50 sperm whales. What a truly amazing experience, even all the naturalists on board were bowled over by this amazing sight as the pod were feeding and mating, breaching etc.

The Galapagos is one of the most amazing places on earth and has survived virtually untouched since Darwin’s discovery of the islands in 1835.. Our ground agents are in my opinion experts at making your visit the best, never to be forgotten experience.

Jordan has been, for me, one of the places that was always on my ‘must see’ list and when I got the opportunity to visit in March, it lived up to all my expectations. Petra was the highlight of our trip. We arrived in this small but busy town about 6pm and after quickly donning some comfortable footwear, we walked to the entrance to Petra Site. Lit by hundreds of candles and the light of the moon, the walk through a small gap in an enormous rock, called The Siq, can be quite magical although I would suggest leaving a little while after the crowds have passed through so you can experience what it is like in the quiet.

Petra is an incredible place, so much more than the Treasury - its most famous building, and as you wonder freely through this ancient city you can still imagine what it may have been like in the times of the Nabeatean people two thousand years ago. Climb the 950 or so steps upto the Monastry for incredible views right across the Wadi Musa valley - its exhausting and takes around 45 minutes but so worth it! We only had a whole day here but left feeling that there was so much more to discover.

I am just back from an amazing trip to Jordan & absolutely loved everything about it.. I definitely want to go back & would not hesitate to recommend Jordan to anyone that will listen to me go on & on about how great it is.

We (Sam & I) started off by flying with Air Jordanian on one of their new aircraft which has had the interior specifically designed for them.. the entertainment system was great, the leg room & space was wonderful & as Jordan is not a dry country we also managed to have our obligatory G&T’s – there is no better start to any trip!!

On arrival into Amman airport we were met by a chap from our ground agents who helped us @ the visa desk & then through to collect our luggage. The journey into Amman city took around 45 minutes but as it was late evening there was not too much traffic. As soon as we arrived in Jordan the people could not have been friendlier. The next morning we had a buffet breakfast, which was great & with lots of choice. Then we were off with our driver to start work & do all the main hotel inspections.. Amman is the capital city of Jordan & there is a lot of construction work going on so in a year or so I guess the modern part will be completely different. The main hotels are the big International hotels so really not a lot to report about them, they are the same the world over.. we even had time to wander around the shops & had a great lunch in a regular Jordanian cafeteria type place. Everyone was so helpful & patient as we choose our food, especially with our lack of Arabic!

The next day we have the tour of the historical part of Amman & the amphitheatre before heading north to Umm Quais & Jerash.. Jerash & Umm Quais are definitely worth a visit & it is so amazing how they have been so well preserved – you can really imagine how it would have looked in Roman Times & that makes history seen more real than just reading about it & having to simply believe what others have written – that was profound of me!! I even had a little sing along with the pipers to Amazing Grace.

We had another night then in Amman, which if you were having a private tour can be avoided by traveling down to the Dead Sea or Madaba.

Our next stop was the Dead Sea & oh my God what an amazing place – it is so bizarre to actually float on the water so easily. We went off to do our hotel inspections & fell in love with the Movenpick Spa Hotel – I so wanted to stay but alas we were not schedules to stay the night in the area & as it turned out the hotel was fully booked. This can be a problem in Jordan, especially for the Dead Sea & Petra – hotel availability can be a problem & early booking is generally essential. Jordan is only now becoming more known by tourists, & especially as Petra is now 1 of the New Wonders of the World more people want to visit but the country do not have the hotel capacity to cater for everyone.
So we did the Hotel inspections & then had time to rush down to change into our swimmers & have a float! I even took along a well know magazine to have my picture taken floating whilst reading it so they could publish it & I would win a new camera.. – not heard back from them though, typical!!

If I had the choice I would stay here for 2 or 3 nights, depending on the routing of my itinerary. It is not far from Amman airport (the airport is quite a bit south of the city) so is ideal for the last few nights or even @ the beginning. It all depends on your preferences & unfortunately availability!

Next for us was Karak castle, which again is an amazing piece of living crusader history. Definitely was worth visiting & easy to visit en route to or from Petra or Wadi Rum..

We were on our way to Petra & were so excited… we arrived @ the hotel & had time to quickly freshen up before we heading out to experience “Petra by Night”. I had no idea what to expect which added to the excitement.. as you walk down before entering the Siq the surroundings are strange as they look snow capped, entering the Siq was incredible . There were paper bags all along the route with candles in them, the candle light off the rocks was just beautiful & then the moon would shine through every so often.. Ideally it is best to see Petra first this way & then, as we did the next day see it in a completely different way in day light.. the night we visited it was really busy so we would have our clients hold back a bit & go down after the main group, then it is quieter (some nationalities just do not know how to be quiet!!) & makes it so much more special. Sam & I came back up before everyone else (there is music etc @ the Treasury) & it was much better in the quiet.. They are talking about extending this to more nights a week- which would maybe help keep numbers down a bit.

The next day we had a full day in Petra & believe me 1 day really is not enough. There is so much to see there that you could easily have 3 days. It al depends on how much walking you want to do but there is the option of riding the horses or donkeys. I am very proud to say that I made it up all 900+ steps to the Monastry & it was well worth the effort. Some people took the donkey but I took the challenge & even though at some points along the way I wondered what the hell I was doing, I carried on & got to the top.. It actually was not that difficult for everyone else but I am not the fittest person so it was a bit of a work-out for me..(another note to myself – must get fit for next time!!)

The following day we did all our hotel inspections so did not have the time to go back on to Petra to visit the High Place of Sacrifice, little Petra & many other sites we would have loved to have seen. But the hotels are also important so off we went.. Close by the entrance to Petra is the 5* Movenpick & the 4* Crown Plaza Hotels. The Movenpick is a beautiful hotel & the Crown Plaza has some rooms with a view of parts of Petra. But again these hotels are very popular so availability can be a problem, However if you are staying in the area longer than just 1 – 2 nights to have 1 day in Petra it would be worth staying outside the town & we loved the Taybet Zaman Hotel. It was originally a Bedouin village & therefore has heaps of character. I would definitely have liked to have stayed there & you can get into Petra on a hike from here, taking one of the various routes to the Treasury.

Next for us was Wadi Rum, made famous (for me) by the Lawrence of Arabia film. I will be honest to say that I was a little concerned as to how basic the facilities would be @ our camp, especially considering it was my birthday the next day.. Well it was a very pleasant surprise & spending the night in the desert was fabulous. Waking up with a little bit of a G&T hangover (took supplies with us & drank around our fire) & to Sam “singing” happy birthday was not quite so fabulous!! If you have the budget we can arrange a private camp for you as well to make it even more special (& yes there would be proper toilets!)

Nearly finished…. Next we went to Aqaba & of all the areas it was my least favourite.. it is a very small coastal area & is absolutely packed with tourists as well as Jordanians in search of the sea & tax free shopping. When we first arrived my heart sank, that was until I saw the stunning Movenpick Aqaba Hotel. It is a great hotel, with beautiful gardens (designed by a UK company) & had a wonderful atmosphere & set up.. Aqaba is the ideal place for those clients wanting somewhere to relax, do some diving, be close to the ocean & like to have options outside the hotel for places to eat.

We finished this trip with 2 nights in Madaba, as this is the closest town to the airport closer even than Amman. This town is famous for its mosaics & the 6th century mosaic Madaba Map. Again this is worth a visit & the ideal start or end of your trip to connect easily with the airport.

To summarize, I had a fantastic trip to Jordan & I was already excited about it being our new destination, but after being there it surpassed my expectations & is definitely somewhere that I feel that clients, especially those that have travelled to some of our other countries, would really enjoy visiting. It is hard to explain all that Jordan has to offer & what makes it so special, as it is the actual experience of being there that makes it so wonderful & thought provoking.

Sitting at the crossroads of ancient civilisations between Arabia and the Mediterranean Sea is the Kingdom of Jordan. A combination of stunning desert landscapes and ancient cities, beautiful beaches and, of course, the Dead Sea awaits the visitor. Jordan is an ideal short haul destination to somewhere completely different as Fiona and I are about to find out.

The latest destination to be added to Worldwide Holidays portfolio, Jordan offers a great deal from just a small country. During our visit, we will be visiting the rose city of Petra, camping overnight in the desert just like Lawrence of Arabia and checking out the healing properties of the Dead Sea - if I don’t return looking ten years younger, questions will be asked!

We both return on the 22nd March so check out our photos and blogs on our return.

2008 has seen a very busy start to our year. Fiona and myself off to Ecuador and The Galapagos for a special visit on the newest luxury cruise ship around the Galapagos Islands called: ‘La Pinta’ . With the new destination of Jordan coming on board in March it looks set for and exciting year here at Worldwide Holiday Direct.

I’m back from my first inspection trip in Peru, it was more than wonderful than I imagined it would be. I could write forever on the amazing sights in Peru but then it would end up being a short story. So I think - of course my highlight has to be the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu it was brilliant see this famous place (it has got to be the 8th Wonder of the World – vote online). Our private guide was so good and informative it made it even more worthwhile.

The train back from Machu Picchu was fun with a fashion show and Andean musicians to while away the time. Cusco – what a city so much to see and do and not what I expected, from the Cathedrals to the cult centre of Sacsayhuaman and if you like shopping then Cusco has so much choice you need more than a couple of days.

The train journey from Cusco to Puno was great and you are kept well entertained and well fed. Lake Titicaca was beautiful and the sun was shining such a lovely day.

What can I say about the Colca Canyon and Condors Cross – about ten Condors in the sky an amazing sight to see them soaring up beneath the cliffs but be quick with your camera. My last city was “the White City” of Arequipa, a must to visit is the beautiful Santa Catalina convent it was almost a self-sustained village in its time. What a fantastic two weeks. I hope this has whet your appetite to see Peru - so call me on 01202 606160 and I can get you on your way.

I have just had another fantastic holiday to Costa Rica. I have been specialising in this amazing country for over 8 years & I can honestly say that I have never sold (in the 20 years I have worked in the travel industry) or travelled to a country as special & wonderful in every way as Costa Rica!

It is only twice the size of Scotland (another country very close to my heart!) but offers an unbelievable amount of diversity. All the scenery is stunning but within a few miles it dramatically changes. Yes there are jungles, volcanoes, cloud forests, wildlife & stunning beaches in other places in the world but how many countries can boast all of them??

Not only is Costa Rica a stunningly beautiful country with an abundance of nature, it is also home to the nicest, friendliest & warmest people, many of whom are now personal friends. A trip to Costa Rica can really re-affirm your faith in mankind, & nowadays we all need some of that!! Tico’s have a real passion for their country which drives them to do whatever they can to ensure that you also fall in love. It truly is not about the money they put themselves out so that visitors have the best experience possible.

Having said this there are areas of Costa Rica that have been allowed to develop for major tourism & I now avoid selling these areas. Why travel so far to experience something that you can have somewhere else in the world? Sounds crazy to me, but each to their own but I prefer to leave those companies selling charter holidays to it. I have faith that Costa Rica will always protect its wildlife areas & therefore mass tourism will not take over all the country.

So at the end of April Sam & I went to Costa Rica for our annual girlie holiday, leaving all the stresses behind us (yes I am married!!). We usually only go away for 1 week but to go to Costa Rica we managed to extend this to 9 nights. So as this was Sam’s 1st time to Costa Rica we needed to get a balance of her seeing some of the diversity but not trying to fit in too much.. So we went to 3 of my most favourite areas & hotels & it was a fantastic trip & felt like we had had 3 very different holidays because each area was very different. The itinerary order was not the best, but hey-ho even we are subject to availability!!

My top 3 areas have to be Arenal Volcano, Manuel Antonio & Corcovado in the Osa Peninsula. I count myself as being extremely lucky to have visited & stayed @ Casa Corcovado Jungle Lodge 3 times. I think it is the most special place on earth & the national park has been deemed by the National Geographic Society as “biologically the most intense place on Earth” – so I am in good company! Sam & I also stayed here on our trip & it was again fabulous. On the boat trip to Cano Island we saw approx 60 dolphins & the snorkelling was great – I am proud to say that it was the first time I managed to use the sprouty bit to breath, although I did keep forgetting to breath!!

Manuel Antonio is the perfect combination of beach, relaxation, nature & wildlife. We stayed @ the superb El Parador hotel in a Premium room (the Premium Plus rooms have 1 king size bed only - we are friends but not that close!). We had dinner with the sales manager in the hotels La Galeria restaurant, which was wonderful, but there are lots of other restaurants a short taxi ride away. We also tried a local restaurant called El Avion, which was great value.

Every time I go to Costa Rica, whether on a personal holiday or for a work inspection trip I have to go to Arenal Volcano. To me it is the most awe-inspiring sight. When I managed to get my husband to take the long flight to Costa Rica he had heard so much about Arenal Volcano. I was so excited to go back & no doubt bored him to tears about it. When we arrived in the day time & I pointed it out to him he was so unimpressed that I would not speak to him.. Then as it got dark I was sat in my rocking chair on our hotel rooms balcony & called him out to see the orange lava flowing down.. I eventually went to bed whilst he stayed up most of the night filming the lava & continually waking me up to come & see all the activity!!

There are lots of hotels in this area now to suit all budgets, my favourites are Arenal Kioro, Arenal Springs & if you are on self-drive then Lost Iguana. With Sam we were lucky enough to stay @ the Kioro & it was wonderful, made even more so by the massages we had in the spa.

So that is it for another trip to Costa Rica & as always I was a bit emotional to be leaving. But I am sure I will be back, even my husband (he who hates flying & is married to me??!) is quite keen to take the journey again. I suppose in the meantime I will have to live vicariously through my clients & their trips to Costa Rica!