Princess Bora Lodge & Spa – reviewed by the Telegraph

March 18, 2012 Helen | Comment (0)

The Princess Bora Lodge and Spa in Madagascar has recently been reviewed by the Telegraphs’s Nigel Richardson. Calling the unique hotel:

“An Indian Ocean hideaway off the east coast of Madagascar, that combines the simplicity of the South Pacific with the barefoot chic of a boutique Caribbean hotel.”

One of the best features about the Princess Bora Lodge is watching the humpback whales in the Indian Ocean whilst relaxing on an authentic tropical island. “Informal, sun-soaked, discreet: the smallish infinity pool lies above the white-sand beach, parallel to the ocean. Wooden boardwalks thread between tropical gardens and neat bamboo hedging to link the guest villas to the spa and beachfront bar and restaurant.”

With an overall rating of 8/10 by the Telegraph and with an average rating of 4.5 / 5 on Trip Advisor, the Princess Bora Lodge is certainly a place to consider visiting on a trip to Madagascar. Why not take a look at our gallery of pictures before reading Nigel Richardson’s review in the travel section of the Telegraph website.

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

November 26, 2011 Helen | Comment (0)

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

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Time might be running out for the classic Cuban cars

November 13, 2011 Helen | Comment (0)

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

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Villa North Shore donated to Julia’s House childrens hospice

October 19, 2011 Helen | Comment (0)

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

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Worldwide Holidays wins TTA Member of the Year award 2011!

October 6, 2011 Helen | Comment (0)

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

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Visiting the luxury Ezzahra villa in Morocco

June 8, 2011 Helen | Comment (0)

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.

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Returning from my trip to Morocco

May 16, 2011 Helen | Comment (0)

Just returned form my fantastic trip in Marrakesh, Morocco what a fantastic destination just over 3 hours away and a completely different climate and culture.

In a warm temperate climate, we explored the old city within the Medina walls and also the new city, which is well worth a visit. We found the mornings quiet and great time to explore and streets get busier and busier through the late morning and into the evening

Having one of our expert guides for a city tour really helped to explain the history and culture which made sense of the city

Although I dressed with consideration for the Muslim culture you could see many tourists don’t and apart from the interesting street banter from the street sellers, which is all very good natured, we didn’t get hassled.

I visited many amazing Riads, A riad being a traditional house set around a courtyard, which is an old design that keeps the inner part of the house cool and quiet, even the roof terraces are a quiet place to relax.

There are so many special Riads within the medina wall, too many to list but some of my favorite include Angsna Si Said, La Sultana, Les Jardins de la Medina, Riad Kniza and the amazing La Arabe which is not only walking distance to the main square but has the most beautiful Spa and Hamann. A treatment at a Hamann is an absolute must when you visit Marrakesh- a weekly event to all locals, as not only a cleansing session but local ‘gossip’ session- many arranged marriages are ‘born’ here!

You will not only feel completely relaxed and cleansed but totally invigorated.

I was lucky enough to eat at Marrakeshs’ best restaurant Dar Yacout which is a beautiful setting and fantastic food- a set menu including traditional Tagine dishes

Morocco has so much more to offer than just Marrakesh, the Atlas mountains are known for trekking and walking, I also visited Essaouira, 2 hours to the west on the Atlantic coast, huge wide long beach with many kite surfers, wind surfers, dune buggy and camel riding activities on offer, with a mini Marrakesh-like city set in the old medina walls, there is a Morrish fort to explore and I found this area to be a fantastic location for another few days, so much to see and do including visiting where the argon oil is made. This is great to escape to when Marrakesh gets too hot or for more of an active time especially with children (Sofitel has a children’s club), fabulous hotels here incl Heure Bleue, Riad Mumtazmahal, this is a new Riad which is newly created in the traditional opulent style and the more modern Sofitel hotel which offers the benefits of a larger hotel with a big swimming pool and spa but still sympathetic to the Moroccan style.

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Essaouira is famous for its Fish, Seafood, beach and Argon oil.

A few hours north an ultimate relaxation, near to Casablanca on a lagoon by 2 headlands is La Sultana Oualidia which is a very special kind of retreat, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels in the World group, this hotel offers a perfect romantic retreat, with its sandbanks, oyster beds and salt water marshes in the lagoon it offers calm waters joining the 45meter infinity pool, a perfect romantic break or Honeymoon destination.

I didn’t manage to visit Fez on this trip, but Moreno our Senior specialist with 8 years experience selling Morocco, knows this area, I’m excited he’s brought this destination to us and look forward to sharing it with our clients.

Read more about Morocco

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The Cahors charity cycle challenge

May 9, 2011 Helen | Comment (0)

This September I will be following up with another cycle challenge following last years Irish Charity Cycle challenge. This year I will be taking part in the Cahors Challenge with my team mates cycling 500 miles in relay from St Malo to Cahors in the Midi region of south western France. Over £3,600 was raised last year for charity and I hope we can beat that record this year. 100% of our teams’ sponsorship will go to worthy causes and is divided up as follows:

50% of what we raise will be donated to Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation.

25% will be donated to the Arthritis Research Campaign (arc), one of the UK’s leading arthritis research organisations. Jacqui’s father recently died after suffering with crippling rheumatoid and arthritis and Lupus for many years and Jacqui would like for some of our sponsorship to go towards helping to find a cure for these degenerative diseases.

25% will be donated to Friends of Forest Holme, which is an independent charity dedicated to raising funds for Forest Holme hospice and specialist palliative care unit in Poole. One of our dear friends is suffering with terminal cancer and Forest Holme have provided her with amazing care at this difficult time.

Your support is greatly appreciated and we have set up a Just Giving account for sponsorship. We start our 2011 challenge on 29th September under the historic walls of the maritime city of St Malo. We will cycle from Brittany into Normandy and head south over the Loire to spend the first night in Saumur.  Then, following river valleys that climb into the foothills of the Massif Central, we will spend the second night on the outskirts of the city of Limoges. We will ride south towards the headwaters of the Dordogne on day three and the Challenge finish line is the 14^th century medieval bridge over the river Lot at Cahors.

To sponsor my team please visit our Just Giving account at http://www.justgiving.com/2011CahorsChallenge.

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Top 10 volcanic sights in Ecuador

February 22, 2011 Helen | Comment (0)

Lonely Planet have put together a great article on the top 10 volcanic experiences in Ecuador. At number 1 they list Quito a city which is ideally situated for exploring the highlights of Ecuador, the city is currently located by an active volcano. Taking the tram up to 4000 meters you can be sure to spot some fascinating views.

Number 2 – Cotopaxi

Located in the Andes, the Cotopaxi volcano rises to a height of 19,347 feet above sea level. The Cotopaxi, which means “neck of the moon”, is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. With the last recorded eruption occurring as far back as 1904 the mountains are now very popular with climbers. Climbing the mountain takes about 6-7 hours and an incredible view can be enjoyed for those who manage to get to the top.

Number 3 – Salvador island’s lava fields

This location takes you to the Galapagos Salvador Island where you can find age-old lava crusted into shallow pools, caves and geological swirls. Stunning creatures like the lightfoot crabs populate the pools adding vibrant colour to the landscape.

Number 4 – Hot springs at Baños

Thermal pools in the jungle, Baños is the perfectly location to visit bathhouses to soothe in the most fresh health giving materials.

Number 5 - Quilotoa crater lake

Explore a bottomless crater as you look down from the watch tower or walk around the crater which is 6 hours walk in total. Canoe’s can be hired to explore the mouth of the volcano.

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If you would like to read more you can visit the Lonely Planet website for the remaining five volcano highlights in Ecuador. You can also find out more about Ecuador the land of immense contrasts on our Ecuador holiday pages. Read This Post

Moreno’s Madagascar trip featured in Travel Daily and Madagascar Tourist Board

January 10, 2011 Helen | Comment (0)

Our specialist for Madagascar, Moreno Intranova who has recently returned from a fantastic trip to Northern Madagascar has been featured in the first Madagascar Tourist Board newsletter. The newsletter included an extract from Moreno’s Worldwide Holidays team journal which said:

“I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Madagascar. They told me it was unique. It was just that! I found it most rewarding, interesting and the people were very friendly. My highlights were definitely meeting the lemurs, the beaches of Nosy Be Islands and also meeting the local people in their villages and learning more about their culture and way of life.”

More information on the office of Madagascar tourism can be found at www.madagascar-tourisme.com

Moreno thoroughly enjoyed his trip to Madagascar. Whether you are after beautiful beaches, national parks or a combination of Madagascar’s highlights our Madagascar specialist can help put together the perfect itinerary for you. Our latest Madagascar brochure can be requested anytime from our website.

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