Costa Rica ranked #5 greenest country against climate change

March 11, 2012 Fiona | Comment (0)

Tico Times, a Costa Rican online newspaper has recently reported that Costa Rica has been ranked the 5th greenest country against climate change. The study conducted by the universities of Yale and Columbia noted that Costa Rica is the only country in the top 10 which is outside of Europe that features in the rankings. In addition according to the United Nations Environment Programme, Costa Rica is on track to become fully Carbon Neutral by 2021 which is a fantastic goal.

Worldwide Holidays are pleased to offer many environmentally friendly options in Costa Rica including some of the best eco-hotels including the Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge,  a 165-acre private preserve located within the Golfo Dulce and Pacuare Lodge, one of Costa Rica’s premier eco-lodges and ideally located for river rafting, canopy tours and hikes in the rainforest.

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I have been to the very bottom of our planet – ANTARCTICA

February 22, 2012 Fiona | Comment (0)

As our existing clients will know- we do not sell anything that we have not experienced ourselves. So it fell on me to visit the bottom of the world – the frozen continent of Antarctica. I will be honest & admit that it was a trip that I was not at all sure about.. It is a big trip, to visit a place where there has never been any civilization, somewhere I perceived to be extremely cold & as it is so big- 58 times bigger than the UK, how much wildlife would I really see?

Well I should never have worried, my trip to Antarctica was absolutely amazing & I would go back like a shot – given the chance. Like many people I watched David Attenborough’s Frozen Planet series on TV & was bowled over by the programme. But I was a little cynical & thought it would not be like that in reality these guys were there filming for months. I was so wrong. The wildlife was phenomenal. I saw; Gentoo penguins, Chinstrap Penguins, Adelie penguins, Weddell Seals, Leopard Seals, Crabeater Seals, Antarctic Minke Whales, Humpback Whales, Orca Whales, Hourglass Dolphins & too many types of birds to mention – the highlight being the 2 types of Albatross we saw.

Apart from the amazing wildlife so easily seen on the trip, the facts about this continent fascinate me.

It is the least known of the earths land masses & fewer than 200,000 people have ever been there- that is as many people that visit the special Galapagos Islands in 1 year!! & now I am one of those lucky people!!

Antarctic is the 5^th largest continent based on size but the smallest in population with a population of zero!

From October to February the “summer” months there is 24 hour sunshine & the other 6 months is 24 hours darkness. How strange is that??

 Antarctica is technically the largest desert in the world- as dry as the Sahara Desert. I still cannot quite get my head around that one!!

 Only 2% of the land is not covered by ice & in the winter months Antarctica doubles in size as the ocean freezes in the 24 hours of darkness.

So lets start at the beginning of my trip.. I needed to be in Southern Chile & a small city called Punta Arenas – where the flights to Antarctica depart from. All passengers need to arrive by 3pm the day before so that we can have a briefing on safety, what to wear etc. then the very important boot fitting. Knee high thermal wellie type boots are included & I wore mine everyday for all the excursions, so getting a comfortable pair in the right size is important. Overnight @ the hotel is included as well as dinner in a local restaurant – which was a great way to meet my fellow passengers.

The flight to Antarctica does not always go as scheduled & the decision about take off is 100% the pilot / captains. Safety is paramount & the weather conditions in Antarctica can delay flights. We unfortunately were delayed by 1 day but once we were on board our ship- the Ocean Nova, the Captain & expedition team made sure we did not miss anything. When we arrived at the Chilean Frei Station on King George Island we had to be fully dressed with hats, scarf’s, water proof trousers etc to get off the plane.

We then walked across the “runway” & down through the middle of the Chilean station on our right & the Russian station to the left – or was it the other way around!? I was too excited to remember.

In the distance we could see our ship (you are not supposed to call it a boat as the Captain gets offended!!)  & on the beach the Zodiac boats & the expedition staff waiting to take us to the Ocean Nova- our home for 6 days 5 nights. So we get our life jackets on & we are off on the zodiacs- all very excited to be there. Our bags had been tagged with our cabin numbers back @ the hotel in Punta Arenas, so we make our way straight to the lounge / bar area for a welcome from the staff & crew. By the time this finished our bags were in our cabins so we could freshen up for lunch. The food on board was wonderful, lots of choice & the Chilean wine served with all meals (except Breakfast perhaps!) was very popular. I should say at this point that it is a free bar on board so although I am not a wine drinker I was kept happy!! No-one drank too much at lunch times as we were not too sure how difficult it would be getting on & off the zodiac boats!!

Our first landing was after lunch at Yankee Harbour. We were met by the cutest inhabitants- thousands of penguins, many with their chicks. They are so lovely & cute but let me tell you – those years of frozen penguin poo that has defrosted in summer makes for a horrible smell!! So a big tip to all clients, especially those like me that are very smell sensitive - have a nice perfume sprayed on your scarf & cover your nose with it!!!

As we had missed 1 day with the flight delay, & as it is 24 hours daylight, one day we had 4 excursions; 1 before breakfast, then the normal morning excursion, then we were off again in the afternoon, finishing the day with an evening trip on to the glacier & seeing heaps of Weddell seals. Generally there are 2 excursions a day & as the team told us this is not a holiday but an expedition they were so right. But I strangely never felt tired. We saw so much each day & even visited an Argentinean station as well as another Chilean station so we could see how the research staff live & learn about what they are researching. Everyone was in awe of the icebergs & how they look so blue in colour- an optical illusion. They are massive & they can just roll around as they are not fixed to the sea bed. One of my most favourite & memorable excursions was the zodiac trip around Spert Island– the icebergs were so beautiful.

As I needed to experience the infamous Drake Passage  I took the last cruise of the season & therefore experienced the flight to Antarctica & then came back with the ship to Ushuaia in Argentina via the Drake Passage – which is described as the roughest stretch of water in the world. I had to do it so I could advise clients correctly. As you can imagine I was definitely not looking forward to experiencing the Drake Passage. It takes 2 days & there is nothing to see apart from waves crashing over the boat. We were lucky -allegedly (my friend on board- Australian Lyn would definitely not agree with the term lucky!) as using the official Beaufort Scale – which measures wind speed at sea – we only experienced 4-5 & close to a 6 on the 2^nd night, out of a top scale of 12, which is a Hurricane force!! Out of the 50 or so passengers I think there were only 3 or 4 of us that were in the bar having a drink!! Several people (poor Lyn included) were not seen for 2 whole days as they could not leave their cabins. I did not feel ill but even I vomited a couple of times – trying to read or work on an iPad are not recommended as I found out!! So my conclusion was that even if you do not get sea sick it is a boring 2 days so to sail there & back would take 4 days!! A complete waste of valuable time. Plus I can imagine that if you were ill on the way to Antarctica the thought of coming back that way would spoil your enjoyment of the fun stuff..

The program for 2012/13 will be a fly – cruise – fly program, so our clients will not have to sail through the Drake Passage at all.

After the Drake Passage we made a stop @ the southern most southern town in the world- Port William. The ship had supplies to drop off so we had some time to walk to the yacht club- an old boat, for a drink or 2. We met 3 British guys in there that had just sailed through Drake Passage in a small sail boat – complete madness if you ask me!!

Back on board we set sail for Ushuaia. When we woke up in the morning we were in Ushuaia- no penguins to be seen but lots of other boats, roads, cars, people, noise etc- talk about a shock to the system.. But all good things have to come to an end & I was to visit Tierra del Fuego that morning- will blog about that separately!/

Now I have been on the “expedition” I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Antarctica to our clients. It is a paradise for anyone interested in wildlife. The feeling of being somewhere so unique & un-spoilt made it probably the most special place I have ever been. It certainly was the trip of a lifetime. I also met some incredible people on board, the staff & fellow passengers were there for all the right reasons & it was a joy to have met them.

So to summarize, my trip to Antarctica was more than I ever expected & I feel privileged to have been there.

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Argentina re-visited

October 27, 2011 Fiona | Comment (0)

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!!

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Changes in the Galapagos

August 26, 2011 Fiona | Comment (0)

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.

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Costa Rica here I come.. again!

April 12, 2011 Fiona | Comment (0)

This time next week I will be frantically finishing off all my work so I fly out to San Jose, Costa Rica & forget about work for the next 12 days.. that is the theory anyway!!

When I say “fly out” this is said with optimism as we fly Heathrow to Miami with BA. So let’s hope they do not go on strike & affect my flight!! Surely they know I am travelling & will not wish to upset me? !! :]

I have been selling & visiting Costa Rica for nearly 13 years now & I do think I deserve a “proper” holiday there.. This means not moving areas every other day & visiting numerous hotels to look longingly at their gorgeous swimming pools!!

Last year I was technically having a holiday but I moved around too much & still inspected lots of hotels. I think I took 6 domestic flights- all @ ridiculously early times. So this year I will be strict with myself & completely enjoy the hotels I stay with. I have obviously chosen some of my favourite hotels. The order is not perhaps ideal but I am there over high season Easter so cannot complain!! I start with one of the most amazing places to stay- in the world- Casa Corcovado Jungle Lodge.

Then to Arenal Volcano- which I missed out last year for the first time ever!! Here I will stay @ the Kioro- my favourite hotel mainly due to the en site hot springs. I used to go to this property & recommend it to clients when it was juts a tented restaurant. At that time the lava flow was directly in from of the property & there was no where better to see & hear it. But the lava flow moved round not long after the hotel was built & now for the first time since 1968 it has been quiet (I don’t want to use the word dormant) for the last few weeks. But nobody worry I will get it sorted out when I am there & lava flow will be restored!! Well I did visit Sri Lanka & the day I left the problems with the Tamil Tigers was resolved..

After sorting out Arenal Volcano we head to Manuel Antonio & the El Parador Hotel. 4 nights in the same hotel – the first time ever on a trip to Costa Rica & I cannot wait!!! The swimming pools at the El Parador are lovely & the views absolutely stunning.. Here my best friend will be the sun lounger!!

Well I hope you do not miss me too much.. you all have Easter & the Royal wedding to occupy you.. maybe I will get up at 4am Costa Rica time to see the wedding- lets just see how I feel & if it is on @ the El Parador Hotel..

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Holidays to Cuba – A step back in time

April 6, 2011 Fiona | Comment (0)

1952 Cuban Car

Cuba is a fascinating country, with such an interesting history.  Not so long ago, back in 1959 Fidel Castro along with Che Guevara & others successfully overthrew the American backed Cuban dictator Batista, taking back the 75% of foreign owned land & nationalised it all. When all the Americans quickly left Cuba they had to abandon all their cars. These vintage cars have been maintained ever since & many of them kept in pristine condition. The Cubans are such happy & welcoming people. They may not own much materialistic things- like houses or cars but they have a love of life that you cannot help but be drawn by. They love their music & dancing- it is everywhere you go in Cuba.

I have been to Cuba I think 7 times before & apart from the first ever trip, this last one in February was the best.

I had never been to the city of Santiago de Cuba before & I loved it. Santiago is located at the southern tip of Cuba- a very long drive or domestic flight from Havana. Rather than wasting time travelling I opted to fly with Cubana from Gatwick to Holguin (flight then continues to Havana). I was pleasantly surprised with Cubana, the plane was comfortable & although it does not have the individual tv screens as Virgin have, the flight was fine. On arrival into Holguin airport we could have had a few nights @ Guardalavaca beach, but we wanted to get to Santiago straightaway.  So we had a 3 hour private transfer to Santiago arriving at the colonial Casa Grande Hotel in the centre of the historical part of the city. The Casa Grande is a beautiful building & yes it may not be in pristine condition but is in a great location & has lots of character. There is also the Melia hotel which has a swimming pool, but we were in Santiago to enjoy the city & would have plenty of time later in the trip to relax around a pool!!

Santiago is a very different city to Havana & has more of a Caribbean feel to it. It is certainly less touristy than Havana, but that will be because it is harder to get to!! We only had 3 nights here & the first night we arrived quite late so really only the 2 full days. Now I have been to Santiago I would recommend it to clients who want to experience a city a little less touristy than Havana. Santiago is reputed to be the birth place of reggae music- so here you have a huge mix of music. On the Saturday night in the park across from the Casa Grande Hotel there was a group of men playing guitar & singing – they were fantastic & would take requests. They were not doing it for money but because they enjoyed it- the bottle (s) of rum no doubt helped!! It was a great atmosphere & no loutish behaviour!!

After our 3 nights in Santiago we took the domestic flight up to Havana. Being in Havana is always a real highlight for me. It is a city that really makes you feel like you have gone back in time by several decades, back to the 1950’s. The city is so vibrant & with a little imagination you can picture how beautiful the buildings were in their hey day. Much of Havana is being renovated so the buildings are getting back to their original splendour- it is a slow & expensive job but they are getting there little by little. A walk along the Malecon on a Friday or Saturday night is like going to several parties. All the Cubans are along here playing music, drinking rum & courting.

On the Sunday we made our way to “La Rumba de Cayo Hueso”. It is a fabulous Afro-Cuban musical get together every Sunday from 12pm.  Really highly respected musicians & dancers come here to play Rumba, not the ballroom version but a complex rhythmic music generally only found in Cuba. The dance is flirtatious between a man & woman.  The singers & dancers change as people take their turn, it is fascinating a great experience. This was my first visit & I wondered why I had never been before..

When in Havana there is a lot to see & do. We had 5 nights this trip & that was perfect. We also had some relaxation time by the hotels roof top pool. My favourite hotel in Havana is still the Parque central. The rooms are great, the huge buffet breakfast wonderful & the 2 roof top pools are ideal to cool down in when the mid day sun hits..

I also went to Trinidad, the Cuban city for the day- just to see some hotels. It was a long day trip & not one that I would recommend taking from Havana. It was 5 hours each way!! But there was no availability in any of the hotels so it was either go for the day or not at all!. Although it was a long way for a day trip it was worth seeing Trinidad. It is a really pretty city with very old cobbled streets & colourful buildings. It is much better to go & stay there for 2 or 3 nights so that you can visit the old town etc in the morning or late afternoon- when the hundreds of day tourists are not there. It is a popular day trip from the beach area of Varadero so by lunch time there are lots of coaches & too many people. So if by staying a night or so you can avoid the middle hours of the day when this little city is busy & enjoy it at it quietest time. The 5* Grand Hotel is a beautiful colonial hotel in the heart of the city. But if you want to have some beach time but only be a 20 minute drive to the city then I really like the Costa Sur Bungalows. The hotel is the Club Amigo Costa Sur & is the smallest beach hotel in the area. The regular rooms are not so good but the bungalows are lovely & on the beach. For me the perfect way to enjoy Trinidad is to have 2 nights @ the Grand Hotel & then move to the beach hotel.  This is perfect for clients that really do not want to stay in the large resort area of Varadero. By staying at Trinidad beach you then also have the opportunity of going back into the city.

After 5 nights in Havana we were ready for a rest, so with a heavy heart we said goodbye to Havana having the short transfer to Varadero beach, for our final 5 nights in Cuba. Varadero gets slatted a lot by people but it is a gorgeous beach & yes it is very touristy with lots of big international hotels- but at least Cubans live there. I am not a big fan of the Cayo’s, the islands along the coast. Yes they are on lovely beaches but as they are so isolated Cubans do no actually live there & are brought in to work for a week & then go home for a few days before returning to the Cayo to work some more. We went into Varadero Town one evening to the Casa de la Musica & were so lucky to see a famous Cuban band called Los Van Van playing. It was a great night & full of local people. This band is huge in Cuba & we were so lucky to be in the right place at the right time. They have played in the UK before with the tickets selling @ £30. Here in Varadero we got in for 10 CUC’s – £7!! Bargain. The rest of the time we relaxed on the stunning beach watching the Pelicans & drinking cocktails. At the internationally managed resort hotels the food & drink are an excellent standard- maybe too good as we drank & ate far too much!!

So we than had to come home :[ . Any spare currency was spent on buying more bottles of Havana Club @ duty free. The Cubana flight, as on the way over, was perfectly on time & even arrived 10 minutes early. We arrived to grey skies & rain- welcome home!! But at least we had got away from the UK’s miserable weather & had a fantastic holiday – one that I will never forget..

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Cuba comes to us!

January 21, 2011 Fiona | Comment (0)

As many of you will know I love my holidays to Cuba & will be back there again in February!! Exciting news is that in April, Cuba is coming to us- well London anyway!! For those of you that want to salsa dance there are workshops in the day & the parties start each evening.

The event runs from the 8^th to the 11^th April. Full details & ticket information can be found through the following link.

http://www.londoncubancongress.com/

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Returning from my trip to Cuba

December 22, 2010 Fiona | Comment (0)

Hola..

Am back from yet another wonderful trip to Cuba.. AND I missed all the snow everyone was texting me about!! There was not a sign of it o my return so wonder if it was all a joke!! This was a quick week’s holiday so was primarily to relax & get some sun. Varadero beach is so lovely & again this year we had the pelicans bobbing by, a few feet from our sun loungers!! Bless them..

Many people slat Varadero beach because it is very touristy – but my thoughts on this is that yes there are a lot of hotels but at least Cubans live in this area. If you go out to one of the Cayos- like Cayo largo, Santa Maria, Ensenachos etc you are in a hotel & no Cuban communities around. The staff are brought in to work then go home every so often for a few days. At least in Varadero you can go out to local restaurants & Cuban nightclubs- if you want to.

Even though I only went for a week I had to have at least 1 night in Havana- which was my last night on this trip. It is such an amazing city & I love it. It really is like stepping back in time with all the old cars & buildings. This time I had dinner @ the Hostal Valencia Paella restaurant- it was lovely & the vegetarian paella was really tasty.. See they are even catering more for us difficult vegetarians- who also don’t eat fish!! Things really are changing.

Well it was too short a trip & I cannot wait to go back in February- for 2 weeks. This time hitting Santiago de Cuba, Havana for 5 nights – cant wait for that & finishing @ the beach for 5 nights before coming back to the cold – oh & work!!! ..

I cannot stress enough how people need to visit this amazing island before the American mass tourist market start to arrive & with it their demand for MacDonald’s, KFC etc..

If you are thinking about a trip to Cuba please do not hesitate to contact me any time! You can also request our full e-brochure for Cuba which contains a wealth of information about Cuba locations, hotels and activities.

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Worldwide Holidays launches new online airport parking service

December 10, 2010 Fiona | Comment (0)

Worldwide Holidays Direct are pleased to announce our partnership with a valet airport parking service Meteor, available at the main UK airports. This is available to book on our website from Friday 10th December 2010. The new service will allow clients to book valet parking where your car is collected & returned to you at the airport terminal. We have used this service ourselves and found it to be a fabulous way to arrive & leave the airport- hassle free, no self parking & no shuttle buses required!!!

Booking valet airport parking could not be easier with Worldwide Holidays and Meteor Meet and Greet. Clients simply go to www.worldwideholidays.co.uk/parking where you can find a simple easy to use form. Just fill out which airport you require, when you are travelling and our system will calculate the best price for you!

If you have any questions about this new service please feel free to contact us.

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Watch out Cuba!

November 24, 2010 Fiona | Comment (0)

A quick blog before my trip to Cuba on Sunday. For many of my clients I am sure you will already know that I think Cuba is the best place to go in the Caribbean. There are fabulous beaches, wonderful colonial cities to visit, history, wonderful people, lots of very cheap rum & of course fantastic weather!! I tend to go in November / December, as the weather is so nice there & so horrible in the UK. And I get a tan for Christmas!

This time I am only going for 1 week, so 6 nights relaxation on the beach & then the obligatory nights in Havana- I could never go to Cuba without staying in Havana- it is one of my most favourite cities in the world.

Next February I go to Cuba for 2 weeks for a friends “special” birthday & we go to Santiago de Cuba, then 5 whole nights in Havana (highlight!) & then the last few nights on the beach.

Watch out Cuba I’m coming back- again!!

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Find out more about Cuba, the unique and intoxicating country that Fiona is visiting next week. A holiday in Cuba offers an incredible experience; Cuban culture, exciting history, palm fringed beaches, historic Cuban charm and of course the cigars and Cuba Libre!

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