The Amazon announced in the New 7 Wonders of Nature global vote!

Good News!!  The first count of the global vote to elect the New 7 Wonders of Nature has been announced. In alphabetical order, they are: The Amazon, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls, Jeju Island, Komodo, Puerto Princesa Underground River, Table Mountain.

The results will now be checked, validated and independently verified.  Once the voting validation process is completed, in early 2012, the New 7 Wonders of Nature will be officially announced.

The Amazon River has been an alluring dream for explorers and travelers alike.  Today you may discover Earth’s greatest wilderness on unique expedition voyages designed exclusively by Worldwide Holidays, since 1996.

Find out more about the Amazon River

Time might be running out for the classic Cuban cars

Raul Castro, the president of Cuba has recently announced a change in policy which will now allow Cubans to buy and sell used cars from the end of the 1959 revolution. Previously Cubans were not allowed to buy and sell cars which resulted in many very old cars being used by locals to travel around in. These unique Cuban cars have long been an attraction when visiting Cuba. Visitors to the very unique destination could step back in time and experience some of the oldest cars still being used in the world from as far back as 1952 and beyond. Our Cuba specialist, Fiona visited earlier in the year and experienced some of these vintage classics in her April blog post. With these cars still being used today this demonstrates the amount of care and attentions Cubans have taken to keep these cars on the road, many of them are kept in pristine condition!

BBC News recently covered the story  - to view the article and video just follow this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15710861

This weeks news may signal the start of the end for these classic cars as Cubans will now be able to exchange cars for newer models. Travellers who would like to experience the delights of seeing this vintage cars in their prime may want to consider a trip to the unique and intoxicating Cuba before time for these cars runs out!

To find out more about Cuba, why not download our detailed brochure? Or contact our specialist, Fiona on 01202 606160

Argentina re-visited

I have just returned from another wonderful trip to Argentina. As I had already visited Patagonia & Iguazu so this time was heading for Mendoza, Cordoba & Salta- well that was the plan!! I will explain more about that later!!!

So first I stand in Buenos Aires- yes I have been there before but it is such an amazing city & there are always more hotels for me to see. I was lucky enough to have lunch @ the amazing Faena Hotel. There was huge security for my VIP visit but it turned out the security was because Justin Bieber was staying @ the hotel. Faena is a stunning & unique hotel & ideal for clients wanting something extra special. The design of the hotel is really special & here is a photo of me sat in the middle of the long red carpeted hallway..

Now I know at least 20 Buenos Aires hotels so can recommend the best hotel to suit clients preferences & budget.

I went to another Tango Show, the Gala Tango. It was a smaller venue than I had been to before & it was fantastic, the dancers were really close & the food was wonderful – even for a vegetarian!  An evening tango show is a real must for visitors & there are different options to suit different budgets.

From Buenos Aires we also took the boat trip on the Delta de Tigre. It was a great trip & I would recommend it for clients that want some time out of the city & see an area where the local people have holiday homes.

So next I was due to fly to Mendoza, but as I got to the domestic airport it was in chaos- all flights had been cancelled due to volcanic ash coming over from the Chilean volcano.. What a nightmare for everyone. So I stayed on in Buenos Aires for another night & got a bit of shopping done..

As I am always on a tight schedule I was only having 2 nights in Mendoza & the flights were still cancelled the next day so I took the overnight coach to Cordoba, which was to be my next destination. The thought of an overnight bus did not exactly thrill me but it was an amazingly comfortable journey the seats recline into a bed with a foot rest so you can be practically lie flat – just like a business class flight. I am not sure I would recommend it to clients as the flight is much quicker, bit it is an option & got me out of Buenos Aires.

Mendoza will have to be next time!!

Cordoba is a really clean city, full of bars & nightclubs for the huge amount of university students in the city. The historical area of the city is stunning, with cobbled streets with imposing churches & cathedrals. I had dinner & inspected a lovely boutique hotel here called Azur Real – I will definitely use this for clients staying in the city.. from Cordoba clients can also stay in an authentic estancia..

Next I headed to Salta – by plane, as everything was all back to normal.. Salta is lovely & famous for it very fertile land which specializes in the production of a very dry white wine. The city is lovely to walk around & I would really recommend taking the aerial tram ride up to the mountain where you have amazing views of the city & the valley.  From Salta I took a day trip to Cafayate, which I would recommend clients to take as a 2 or 3 day tour. From Salta you go through Quebrada Rio de las Conchas, with some stunning scenery & great photo opportunities, to arrive in the valley of Calchaquies & Cafayate. This is a town for clients wanting to experience the famous wines of the regions. You can stay in some fabulous wineries outside of the town – Patios de Cafayate or Vinas de Cafayate are great options.  Or stay in the town- I really like the hotel Killa, which has heaps of character.

So then I head back to Buenos Aires for my final night of the trip & the next day taking the British Airways direct flight back to Heathrow. British Airways are the only airline with a direct service to Buenos Aires & is an overnight flight in both directions. It is a long flight but it was really comfortable & I managed to catch up on the films I never have the time to see in the cinema.

It was a fantastic trip & I enjoyed everything I saw. The Argentineans seemed amazed that a vegetarian that also does not like wine or coffee would come to their country! As I said in reply – they still sell gin!!

Villa North Shore donated to Julia’s House childrens hospice

Julia’s House children’s hospice in Dorset is a dedicated team of volunteers that provide care to children who Dorset who have life-limiting conditions. The team consists of over 80 Nurses and Carers who are working to offer around the clock care for those children in need. After hearing about the hard work these volunteers do for our local children. I was excited to be able to offer on behalf of Worldwide Holidays my personal Antiguan villa, Villa North Shore as a perfect prize to offer at the recent Julia’s House ball. A whole weeks stay was offered as part of the winning prize which caused alot of excitement for the esteemed volunteers.

Villa North Shore is a luxury Villa in Antigua set within lush and well-tended tropical gardens. The lucky winner will enjoy the many varied amenities within Jolly Harbour which include a fantastic marina, golf and a beautiful Caribbean beaches.

Personally, and at Worldwide Holidays we are delighted to be involved with Julia’s house which have some fantastic aims for the year ahead and the charity indicates that it will cost nearly £2.8m to continue to provide their vital services. If you would like to donate to Julia’s House, the Dorset Children’s Hospice so that they can continue to provide this outstanding service to children in need. You can find the donation link at the bottom of this post.

Donate to Julia’s House

Worldwide Holidays wins TTA Member of the Year award 2011!

We are extremely happy to announce that Worldwide Holidays has recently won the TTA Member of the Year award 2011 at the recent Strength & Vision conference held by the TTA in Barcelona. The award recognises Worldwide Holidays as a TTA member that has demonstrated great strength and vision not only this year, but for many years. Since founding the company in 1996 we have taken pride in ensuring our clients receive the absolute best customer service and protection for their exciting holiday experience. The Travel Trust Association (TTA) offers us the ability to ensure the best consumer protection system the market has to offer. We maintain our excellent relationship with the TTA to offer with 100 percent financial protection.

Our award recognises our innovative ideas, quality of service, and first class customer service. Our passionate staff are always on hand to offer our clients the holiday experience of a lifetime. The award presented by TTA managing director Gary Lewis read:-

Since joining our network in 1996 their business has truly gone from strength to strength.

Through all their marketing they demonstrate an absolute passion for travel – from their use of publishing staff journals which provide reports on their own personal travel experiences, through to their inclusion of climate care into their business, highlighting their support of responsible travel.

The business was founded by their Managing Director, Helen Baillie, after visiting the vibrant, historical country of Cuba and realised it was deserving of a holiday company that understood what made it unique. Since then, Helen says: “Her business has built us a very loyal client base, who value our expertise and personal knowledge.”

Their innovative use of blogging, facebook and mobile apps also demonstrates their vision in harnessing new trends and technologies.

At Worldwide Holidays we look forward to sharing our strength and vision into 2012 where we plan to share our passion in our specialist destinations to provide our clients with the absolute best holiday experience. I would like to thank all our clients who have booked with us over the years and have helped us to achieve this fantastic award. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Stam Tzafos – Complete Travel  2010 winner / Helen Baillie Founder & Managing Director of Worldwide Holidays / Gary Lewis Managing Director TTA

Award winners – Fiona Urquhart and Helen Baillie of Worldwide Holidays

Changes in the Galapagos

There has recently been a lot of very positive press about the stunning & unique Galapagos Islands. The UK National Geographic Traveller magazine had a full feature story on the island, in the July / August edition. Also the islands were voted as the top “Travel Experience of a lifetime” in the August edition of Wanderlust.

From January 2012 the rules & regulations for visitors to the islands will change quite radically. The National park Authority is not allowing any vessel to visit 1 particularly landing site on the islands more than once a fortnight, rather than the current once a week. This has meant that all the operators have had to change the itineraries with different itinerary options for week 1 & week 2.  Some have planned the 14 nights to consist of a 6 night cruise plus 2 different 4 night cruise options; or a 7 night cruise 1 week then the 2nd week they offer a 3 & a 4 night option. Cruises can also be combined to take back to back, creating a longer trip & visiting more of the islands.

Below is a link to a really interesting BBC documentary, discussing the changes being implemented to save this very special & important part of the world.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/fast_track/9554939.stm

Apart from the Galapagos Islands the mainland of Ecuador is also stunning & offers a huge amount of diversity. It is less touristic than its neighbouring Peru & you can visit really authentic markets, travel through the Avenue of Volcanoes, go to the Ecuadorian Amazon region, stay in beautiful haciendas, go to the wonderfully pretty city of Cuenca & so much more…

If you would like to discuss visiting Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands please do contact us & we can put together a wonderful trip for you.

Launching our new mobile app!

Worldwide Holidays are pleased to announce the launch of our brand new mobile application for Android phones. Our new mobile application brings our extensive information about some of the world’s most exotic holiday destinations onto your mobile phone! From the unspoilt beauty of Costa Rica to the colourful atmosphere of Cuba, our mobile app details many of the best hotels, activities and locations.

Clients can now read and show their friends detailed information about our exotic destinations. Useful holiday tips and special offers are updated regularly, plus you can keep tabs on our travel experts as they travel to our destinations. We’ll  also let you know of any travel news relevant to our specially selected destinations. We hope you find our new app useful – if you have an Android phone please search for us “Worldwide Holidays” or click the download link below.

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.wwh.wwh

Our app is currently only available for Android phones but we are working to launch an iPhone version soon!

A return from Morocco

I have just returned from what was probably my 10th visit to Marrakech and enjoyed a weekend visit to this enchanting city. I also managed to squeeze in an escape to the coastal town of Essaouira, providing me with a respite from the formidable heat in Marrakech.

Essaouira is situated some 2.5 hours west from Marrakech and provides a chilled out break and much sought after sea breeze! For those that love shopping, you are rather spoilt here with plenty of boutique shops offering all the local craftsmanship you can wish for. The beach is also quite impressive, although being on the Atlantic Coast, is a haven for windsurfers due to the winds that prevails along here.

FlyBMI now fly to Marrakech and are soon to launch a 5 day a week service from London Heathrow. I was very impressed with their on-board service especially coming back in business class – a real nice end to the trip!

The great attraction to Marrakech and Morocco is that it can be reached in only a 3 hour flight and you are instantly transported into a unique and historical place, where old traditions still continue to be the way of life and where the people are so welcoming and are proud of their heritage. What I love about this place is that it is so vibrant, colourful and the smells are just so captivating, whether you are enjoying a cup of mint tea on the roof top terrace in your Riad to walking through the souks and watching the locals making wonderful crafts from a piece of metal –it really is amazing to watch.

When you have had enough of walking through the endless maze of the Souks, you can retreat back to your Riad and enjoy the spa facilities or simply sit by the pool with abook.

For those that enjoy the exhilarating things in life, perhaps a quad bike expedition in the Palmeraies or a balloon ride may be just your thing. Certainly for me with a fear of heights I just had to pass on this and settle for a camel ride instead!

Morocco is the perfect weekend trip, if you are looking for somewhere exciting, not so far away and offering a mixture of excellent cuisine, activities and spa.

Do give me a call if you would like more details on this destination, as I would be delighted to share my experiences with you!

Visiting the luxury Ezzahra villa in Morocco

I have just come back from the most amazing private villa in Marrakech – just 20 minutes from the airport which is only 3 hours from London, this idyllic location offers the perfect retreat.

To celebrate special birthdays, family events, friends or family special holidays this is the perfect place. With the warm climate this villa is set in the north of the city, where the King’s Mother has a villa! Quiet and secluded and the ultimate service to make your stay utterly perfect.

With 7 beautiful bedrooms in the main villa this is a group destination. There is also a smaller separate villa which sleeps 2-4 persons -  perfect for honeymoons.  The day starts with relaxed breakfast on the terrace where the days spas treatments can be planned (all included) ‘shall I have my massage round the pool or in the spa, and before for after the Hamman?’ One the days difficult decisions!

Then one can either, relax by the pool, go to the gym, play pad tennis before a delicious lunch served on the terrace – afternoons can offer be relaxing or even a trip in the city with the guide for some shopping or play golf nearby.  Maria, the lovely housekeeper, took  my children has a camel ride in the afternoon, which they loved.

If you have longer than a few days you may like to do an excursion to the Atlas Mountains or Essaouira on the coast, only 2 hours away.  Essaouira is a trendy city with a huge beach and almost a mini Marrakech medina town and a morrish port to explore. This city is famous for the artists who have flocked to this area – I also lovely the excellent fish restaurants and many activities available on the beach in the sand dunes such as quad biking.

All with the thought of returning to pure luxury and of the villa and superb dinner and an evening of music in the berbe tent around the pool or cosy round the fires to try the shisha pipes!

Really a special place I would really recommend for a special escape with family & friends. Read more about the Villa Ezzahra.

[slideshow id=3]

Celebrate Madagascar Independence day with our 10-day tour

Worldwide Holidays is pleased to announce an exciting new tour to celebrate the Madagascan Independence day taking place on June 26th. Our 10-night tour from June 19th to June 27th takes clients on an exploration down south to Isalo National Park before travelling to Antsirabe to celebrate the “Avenue de independence”.

Independence Day in Madagascar is an occasion of great celebrations and is celebrated on the 26th of June. The Malagasy people know too well how to celebrate with food, drink, and some local dance.

Madagascar has undergone significant changes during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Occupying a strategic location off the southeast coast of Africa, the island historically became the target of British and French imperial ambitions. Ultimately, the competition resulted in French colonization at the end of the nineteenth century. The country gained full independence from colonial rule on June 26, 1960.

This tour takes you on a journey south visiting national parks and learning about the local culture before returning to Antananarivo to enjoy the celebrations of Independence Day. On the 25^th June, you can enjoy a firework and laser display at Lake Anosy. On the actual day there is a military parade at Mahamasina Stadium commencing at 9am, followed by a Rossy concert at the same stadium in the mid afternoon.

Read more about our Independence Day Tour