Worldwide Holidays has experienced a great start to 2013 and we are now looking forward with our usual passion and a renewed sense of optimism and energy. We are pleased to report that our enquiry levels are once again on the increase, with numbers returning to our previously healthy levels.  Our enviable record of repeat bookings continues and customer recommendations are also on the increase. We’ve also had the best ever response from our existing clients for our now sought after Worldwide Holidays Desk Calendars!

Our success is built on the quality of our partners and suppliers and we thank you all for your continued support, both on the ground and during the quoting process.

Even better news is that we have now joined forces with Steamond Ltd, our primary UK flight supplier. Not only will this provide Worldwide Holidays with keener rates for flights, it will allow us to develop our core proposition into other destinations over time through organic growth. This exciting development has seen the ownership of the company change hands to Steamond’s owner / founder, Marcio Da Silva.

Marcio Da Silva

Worldwide Holidays has been working closely and successfully with Steamond for the past 6 years. Reflecting on the new partnership, Marcio commented ‘I liked the company so much I bought it!‘   According to Helen Baillie, who founded Worldwide Holidays in 1996, the business plan for the company will not change, nor will the close relationships with our valued suppliers.  “I have great confidence in the future of Worldwide Holidays ”

Helen added. “Our premier positioning and company values remain, and with Steamond on board we now have access to a larger client base and new investment opportunities setting us up for the future. With the support of our suppliers the future looks really exciting and I look forward to our continued working through 2013″.

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The  Sol & Luna Lodge & Spa has been named in the Top 25 Hotels in the World by TripAdvisor at its annual Travellers’ Choice Awards 2013. Just one hour away from Cusco the Sol & Luna Lodge is the perfect retreat beautifully designed and decorated in warm yellow colours.

The TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2013, based on millions of reviews and feedback from travellers who rated more than 650,000 Hotels around the world, recognized Sol & Luna Lodge & Spa in the Top 25 Hotels in the World, the only Hotel in Latin America named in this top award category.

Facilities include a tennis court, pool and stunning spa. The hotel also has its own ranch with famous Peruvian Paso horses – guests can arrange for horse riding excursions. The restaurant amid stunning Andean landscapes, offers neo-Andean cuisine, famous barbecue or the traditional pachamanca, all of which are enhanced by the ingredients harvested in the valley, producing fabulous food.

Minutes away from the hotel, you can find important archaeological sites such as: Moray, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero and Machu Picchu. Activities from the lodge include; mountain biking trails, ATV (quad bike) adventure, hiking, kayaking or for the more adventurous Tandem Paragliding.

If you’d like to read more about this fantastic lodge and spa just visit our dedicated Sol & Luna Lodge webpage!

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Recently the Daily Mail featured an excellent article about Madagascar featuring stunning photos from expert photographer Paolo Torchio who spent one month travelling the Western region of Madagascar. The article features some of the most amazing sights of Madagascar including the “upside down” looking Baobab Trees and numerous pictures of Madagascar’s iconic Lemurs and Tsingy’s.

Be sure to take a look at these photos on the Daily Mail website using the link below:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2243493/The-magic-Madagascar-Staggering-landscapes-breathtaking-natural-beauty-worlds-unique-ecosystem.html

More pictures

To see more pictures of the largely undiscovered Madagascar why not browse around our Madagascar Holidays pages?

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Worldwide Holidays, specialists in tailor made holidays to exotic locations, have developed the ultimate wedding gift – your honeymoon.  Our  innovative and exciting wedding list service allows honeymoon couples to chose a dream honeymoon destination and provides your wedding guests, family & friends the opportunity to contribute towards its cost, or alternatively, buy special activities for you to experience on you dream trip. So, instead of the usual quirky vase or additions to the Sunday best crockery, you could just as easily be having the time of your life and experiencing the stunning Costa Ricarain forests by zip wire !

Worldwide Holidays offers a number of select and distinctive destinations that will provide the stunning backdrop for your Wedding Day or honeymoon. Whether it’s the rich ecosystems of Costa Rica, the intoxicating, vibrant country of Cuba or the welcoming cultural Mecca of Sri Lanka that suits your taste, we can tailor-make your wedding and honeymoon to suit you. Perhaps Jordan’s special mesmerizing beauty, the wild land of Argentina or the amazing Galapagos Islands, the ultimate honeymoon location for nature lovers, where you will never be closer to some of the world’s most beautiful and stunning marine life. We can help select the perfect location for you.

Whether an intimate ceremony for just the two of you or a larger celebration with family and friends, we will help with all aspects of your dream wedding. And because we specialise and know our destinations intimately, we will not only advise you of the ideal destination and itinerary for you, but we will guide you through all the legal requirements of your wedding.

Hotels for your honeymoon

With plenty of hotels to choose from all of our unique destinations click here for some of our favourite honeymoon hotels.

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Our Madagascar Group Tour is back again! The revised group tour for 2012/13 allows clients to experience the amazing wildlife and local tribes & cultures. The 11 night tour features many of Madagascar’s highlights and national parks including Anja Park, Isalo National Park and Ranomafana National Park. We have selected small, comfortable, friendly hotels located in beautiful surrounding.

For more information on this unique group tour experience please visit our Madagascar Group Tour webpage.

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Sad news reached the Worldwide Holidays office earlier this week when it was reported that Lonesome George, a Pinta Island tortoise from the Galapagos has died. Lonesome George was the last tortoise of his kind residing in a special conservation area in the Galapagos and has been described as the rarest creature in the world. Lonesome George was over 100 years old when he died on June 24th, it is beleived his death may have been related to heart failure.

The Ecuadorean government had been trying to find a suitable female mate for Lonesome George for many years but was unfortunetly un-successful and the death of Lonesome George means the world loses his kind as a sub-species.

Helen visited Lonesome George in February 2008

Galapagos is such an incredible place so much amazing variety of wildlife many of the creatures are endangered species protected by the Darwin Research Station.

Our Galapagos ground agents were kindly able to provide a detailed history of Lonesome George, we hope you find this an interesting read.

Celebrating the Life of Lonesome George

When the Galápagos Islands became a National Park in 1959, conservation priorities were a top priority for the world’s scientific community. Giant tortoises, who gave their names to the remote archipelago, ranked high, together with the need to eradicate introduced animals (rats, goats, etc.) from the archipelago’s days as a pirate bolt-hole.

Hundreds of thousands of giant tortoises had been killed for food during the intense whaling years of the 18^th and 19^th centuries.  Conservation reached Galápagos too late for some. Floreana and Santa Fe Island Giant Tortoises had disappeared long ago, and the only known living tortoise from Fernandina Island was killed and preserved in the name of research and conservation during a United States expedition in 1907. The La Pinta Tortoise was, officially, another species wiped out, while the island itself was plagued by introduced goats, the tortoises’ direct, warm-blooded competitors for food.

Inadvertently, in December 1971 a young snail expert, Joseph Vagvolgyi, while squatting over the resident Bulimulus spp snails of La Pinta Island, was startled by moving shrubbery. He expected goats to have caused the commotion, but instead saw a male tortoise emerging from the foliage. His report went unnoticed until 1972, when a team of park wardens went to La Pinta Island to hunt introduced goats. On that visit an Ecuadorian field biologist, Manuel Cruz, took the opportunity to analyze the stomach content of goats to understand better the effect of goats foraging upon the fragile flora of the Galápagos. Cruz once again stumbled upon the last living tortoise of La Pinta. But this time he opted for rounding up wardens to help him lug the weighty (200-pound/90-kg), reptile down to the beach. A few days later the tortoise was happily ensconced at the Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island.

The relevance of this ‘animal rescue’ didn’t become evident until much later. In the 1970s, each island’s tortoise population was taxonomically seen as a subspecies – with only subtle differences among them. In subsequent years, scientists agreed that they were all different species. The only remaining living tortoise of La Pinta became a “living extinct species”, unless a female was found. From that day forth, the search began to find another female La Pinta tortoise. Officially, a monetary reward still exists for the person who delivers a female La Pinta tortoise to the National Park authorities.

In the meantime, one of the wardens from the 1972 team on la Pinta, Fausto Llerena, took over the care of the all resident tortoises at the Charles Darwin Research Station.  George, as he called him, became better known over the years as “Lonesome George”, possibly named after the American comedian George Gobel (1919-1991) who used this nickname in some of his shows.

As the last living tortoise of La Pinta species, Lonesome George soon became a living icon for conservation not only in the Galápagos but also internationally. His image is the logo of the Galápagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station, and he is possibly the world’s most famous reptile. He even has an entry as the rarest animal in the world in the Guinness Book of Records and a clothing line named after him. As author Henry Nicholls puts it: “His story echoes the challenges of conservation worldwide; it is a story of Darwin, sexual dysfunction, adventure on the high seas, cloning, DNA fingerprinting and eco-tourism.”

His departure is felt worldwide.  A faint flame of hope remains, following a recent study in northern Isabela (where species with Floreana Island DNA were found), with the tortoises presumably removed in whaling days that carry George’s species DNA. Perhaps George’s death is not entirely the last page of a chapter initially stained by human greed, later redeemed with dedicated efforts towards the preservation of endangered species. As for the old male from La Pinta, he will be remembered for generations to come, and his story will serve to shed light on our responsibility towards the other species on our planet.

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What an amazing trip!

Having started to work with the Mountain Lodge of Peru because it sounded like a really good alternative to the normal trek done by nearly all the usual tourists I really wanted to try the 7 day trek to Machu Picchu. The added value of combining it with time in the beautiful Sacred Valley & Cusco was an absolute bonus.

What an amazing experience – I was so impressed with how friendly and clean everywhere was in Peru right from the time we arrived in Lima. We spent our first night at the beautiful colonial Country Club Hotel as we arrived late in the evening and took an early morning flight to Cusco the next day.

Our first flight seemed to take us to the top of the world, as Cusco is 3550 metres above sea level, and straight away you feel the affects of the high altitude! So even at the airport slightly short of breath I was wondering whether I was going to acclimatise in time for our trek.

So to give yourself time but not wasting a minute we headed off to the Sacred Valley which has the added bonus of being slightly lower at 2900 metres. What an amazing place, walking around the slightly eerie ruins of the Inka civilisation reliving their way of life and then looking out across the stunning views of the mountain tops  - wow just mind blowing. Coming down to earth a little we were then escorted by a guide around the Pisca Market which offers great shopping but is also an insight into the Inka beliefs through the silver and textiles still used today.

Having thought we were going back to the hotel to rest our over stretched senses we arrived at the The Sol y Luna Hotel to be bowled over again – what a haven of tranquillity – the walls beautifully decorated with local art made it the perfect place to rest in the Sacred Valley (Bono thought so too). Each individual traditional stone ‘casitas’ or cottage, all with private terraces, is sympathetically furnished and decorated with local textiles and fully equipped with everything you need. Within the grounds, where each building is painted a different vibrant colour matching the local flowers, there is a wonderful Spa offering all kinds of treatments to suit all visitors.

Part of the hotel complex is its own Ranch with the famous Peruvian Paso horses which put on a daily exhibition for your entertainment with lunch – you see the horses at their very best. If you are very brave you can even try riding at the end of the show or book a ride around the local village and surrounding areas. Although the horses are wonderfully responsive, just a finger on the reins to change the direction, the gait which has evolved over the years because of the steep terrain, is very difficult to get used to.

After having spent two nights in Cusco – the least amount of time recommended to acclimatise before setting off on the trek – we were sad to say good bye. It would be very easy to spend a week in Cusco as it is a lovely city, I have never been to such a beautifully clean, safe place and with the knowledgeable guides to escort you, you learn more and more about the culture and history with every turn you make.

So on our last night in one of the many great restaurants in Cusco we had our final briefing before our departure the next morning. Everything was explained in full detail – pick up times, what to take, what to leave in Cusco, what to expect and also giving you a chance to meet the group who you would be spending the next 7 days with.

Waking the following morning, everyone full of excitement, we set off in mini buses to the start of our 7 days trek making our way though local towns where we stopped to buy local jams and marmalades.

Day 1 – The first day was a half day walk, not too punishing, to get you warmed up for the rest of the trip, ending at Salkantay Lodge at Soraypampa @ 3850m. The lodge with its wood burning stoves, luxury duvets and even hot water bottles for the night, looked out over the stunning views of the snow capped Salkantay Mountain & glacier. With the added bonus of a communal hot tub in the grounds, a welcome treat after our first walk.

Day 2 – This is the largest lodge on the trek and you spend two nights here with the second day of trekking to the glacier lakes at a height of 4300 metres getting you slowly used to the altitude. Returning for lunch you can then either just relax for the afternoon or go horse riding on their large super quarter horses. There is also an option to do the 7 day trek on horse back, the climax of this challenging riding experience is riding up to a huge Inka cross right at the very top of the mountain. We just took photographs!

Day 3 – is the big one! An incredibly long days walk, reaching the summit of 4600 metres – such an achievement – and by this time we are a really a group – all getting to know each other, we had: Americans, Brazilians, Mexican; Spanish and the 2 Peruvian guides. It proved to be a fantastic combination of cultures, languages and fun. I would say I had the best group, but I am sure the type of people who choose such a trip would always make a very interesting mixture. So walking with Condors flying high above the mountain and Chinchillas the size of large rabbits all around us we seemed to cover so much ground without even realising it.

Wayran Lodge, our second stop is the most remote @ 3920 meters and is the cosiest place to stay with the obligatory hot tub- a lovely way to relax the aching legs and revive yourself for another lovely dinner. The food in all the lodges and Peru generally, is superb, usually consisting of loads of vegetables tastily prepared – a welcome feast especially following a Pico Sour! – but watch out for the alcohol not always a good idea at that altitude.

Day 4 and only a half day walk to the Colpa Lodge – a welcome descent of 1000 metres along the canyon and down the valleys with the river running along beside you. A complete change of scenery from the mountain tops, with an abundance of flowers and birds as you head into the tropical climate of the lower areas. So now at 2150 metres you are met with an already prepared feast from the BBQ before you spend a relaxing afternoon in the grounds. The hot tub waiting to relax those aching muscles but now in lovely warm and sunny temperatures – but again watch out for the sun at this altitude.

At the beginning of each day, before your trek, there is always a good supply of snacks and water for you to collect before you leave – it is recommended that you drink at least 3 litres of water a day. There is even a supply of toilet paper and a bag just in case of emergencies! Mountain Lodges think of everything.

I did unfortunately succumb to altitude sickness, not the first time I have suffered, however with the expert care,once I was taken to lower altitude, I recovered very quickly, and it still wouldn’t stop me returning – I thought this trip was amazing.

Day 5 is an easy walk, some of our group headed off for a Zip Wire trip – reporting back that it was amazing. We walked the last part on a restored Inka trail – through coffee and avocado fields finally arriving at Luma Lodge which is the lowest @ 1900 metres. We visited a local farmer who made coffee for us in his house with Guinea pigs running around the floor while his wife roasted the coffee bean before grinding them to make the fresh coffee.

Day 6 is a complete change and full of excitement again walking early morning to an Inka ruin not yet restored and finding on arrival that we were looking over to Machu Picchu on the opposite mountain. You can see why the Spanish did not rediscover it until 1911 as it is completely hidden, nestling in the stunning green mountains which surround it.

Lunch provided by a local farmer of avocado and trout was an extra bonus whilst sitting in awe with your own peaceful, private view of Machu Picchu. After lunch we were off ever downwards now to the valley floor to the top of the station at the top of the railway for Machu Pichu an alternative way to reach area.

The whole group was on the most fantastic high with the sense of achievement, the wonderful wellbeing of the comradeship that had built up between us or perhaps it was the injection of plenty of oxygen but anyway we all felt so good.

We checked into the amazing Inkaterra Hotel – a very gentle introduction back to some reality. There is an option for a second night here with very good rates so that you could enjoy the best nature trails and different restaurants at your leisure.

Day 7 is Machu Picchu! Up at 5am to get the 6am bus for the 20 minute drive to the ruins. Nothing prepares you for how huge it is! It’s hard walking in the warm climate, but with stunning views every way you look, in ever changing cloud formations, it’s truly amazing. The guided tour here is essential to understand the construction and beliefs of the Inka civilisation. An expression we made up on our trip which means Wow was ‘Offda’ which this certainly was.

After a nice lunch back down at the Inkaterra hotel where we caught the train for our journey back to Cusco.

All in all this is a trip I would recommend to all – incredible to be away from the crowds, in the remote Peruvian mountains occasionally coming across locals taking their mules & horses along the same trails they have used for centuries. In luxury and safe hands you can just enjoy the stunning scenery and envelope yourself in the history & culture.

Comments from my fellow travellers:

‘Wonderful trip’

‘It was truly a trip to remember for ever’

‘Really was an unforgettable trip, which we will really miss!’

‘We also will never forget the trip and time together with the group’

I would really like to help you plan a perfect trip including this 7 day trek walking or on horseback – I have some great suggestions which could include this trek into a 15 nights trip so that you see everything that Peru can offer. Please contact me on 01202 606160

Helen

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The next morning we had an early flight back to Antananarivo – called Tana for short- for obvious reasons! On arrival we were met by our lovely driver / guide Honoré & headed off on the drive to Andasibe – which is a fabulous area for National parks, wildlife, birds & walking. 

After a few hotel / lodge inspections we only just got to Vakona’s private lemur sanctuary island before it closed for the day. This was the first place we visited where the lemurs actually come onto our shoulders to get the banana the guide had given us. It was amazing to be so close to them & they were so gentle. I had a brown lemur on my shoulder & he put his hand (or is it a paw, I don’t know!!) under mine & gently pulled it to his mouth to get the banana. It is probably wrong to be feeding them but it is a great way to get close to them. It was an amazing experience & wonderful to get so close. There was absolutely nothing to worry about.          

Next morning we visited the National park & had a very muddy walk but saw the biggest lemurs, theinfamous Indri Indri. I certainly would not want one of these big lemurs on my shoulder! They make a really loud call & we were lucky enough to hear it, but not quick enough to record it.. it sounded so loud & can apparently be heard 1 km away..

Next we continued with Honoré to Manambato where we leave him to take the boat transfer along the lakes & Pangalanes to Ankanin’ny Nofy. This was a really interesting journey, the beach we left from was lovely & the locals were swimming in the warm water. Then we cross the lake to the Pangalanes that link the lakes & were originally built by the French so traders could move cargo & avoid going by the rough sea. They are a lifeline for the villages you see along the way – it was a fascinating journey.

We then had a night @ the Palmarium Lodge. All the lodges in this area are isolated & a boat is needed to get to & from them. We went into the Palmarium reserve & saw many lemurs – they were also around the lodge & going on guests shoulders for some excellent photo opportunities. The food at the hotel was excellent and in the bar they put on a dancing show with the local children & young girls. Guests were encouraged to participate & I danced with a really cute 5 year old & Maisie attempted the dance with the heavy bottle balanced on her head – without success!!

The next morning we are off again, by boat, continuing along the Pangalanes to Tamatave. Honoré is there to meet us as we continue up the coast by car to Mahambo for a night @ the La Piroque Hotel- a lovely boutique hotel on the beach. By going here we avoided having to spend a night in Tamatave & taking a domestic flight the next day. We instead headed north along the really scenic coastal road, stayed 1 night then continued to Soanierana Ivongo. From Ivongo we took the 2 hour local boat / ferry crossing across to the idyllic island of Ile Sainte Marie. This ferry crossing is used by tourists & local people – some carrying a live chicken or 2!!

Ile Sainte Marie was fabulous. We were met off the boat & did some hotel inspections. The island is really clean & there is a sense of pride that the local people have. The beaches are gorgeous & this island is especially busy June to September / early October, when the female humpback Whales come to the shallow sea canal to give birth. The males then arrive to start the mating season & the calves get ready to leave 3 months after they are born. We were not there for this but it sounds like an incredible sight. They can be seen from the shore but there are also half & full day boat trips to get closer. There are many hotels, with the most well know probably being the Princess Bora. We were lucky enough to stay here for 1 night & it was wonderful. we had an executive bungalow right on the stunning beach & we would have loved to stay longer. They have bikes free of charge for guest to use for exploring the island. The spa looked amazing- we had no time to try it out unfortunately . The swimming pool was great & they also have the wooden pier out to a decking area with double size sun loungers & a natural sea swimming pool area. We also really liked Masoandro Lodge & Soanambo Hotel. Masoandro Lodge is ideal for clients wanting to be more within nature & in a quieter hotel. Soanambo Hotel has recently been totally refurbished & is a really comfortable & modern hotel.

We were sad to be leaving this paradise island & could easily have stayed a few more days, but it was not to be.. The transfer from the Princesse Bora Hotel to the nearby airport was an experience as you go by a Zebu drawn cart. Wonderful!

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We flew with Air Madagascar from Marseille & back to Paris. The flights were very good & the aircraft was very comfortable- they now have an ex Air France aircraft with individual TV screens, good legroom etc. There are no direct flights to Madagascar & with the French history with the Island, the better connections go via Paris. Air France has the best timetable & offer connections for UK regional airports as well. Air Madagascar only fly 2 -3 times a week but the big advantage in flying with Air Mad is that the domestic flights are half price- so if your trip involves a number of flight transfers it really helps keep the cost down. 

We arrived very early in the morning & had a couple of hours to freshen up @ the IC Hotel- which is ideally located 5 minutes from the airport. After breakfast, we then had the 40 minute drive into the city to see some of the hotels. There are some nice ones but the city is not really somewhere to spend any time in, so I preferred the shorter transfer from the airport & the IC Hotel. But if clients do have more time between flights & would like to be in the city then we really liked Hotel Pavillon de L’Emyrne – this was a small 13 room boutique hotel with heaps of character. Other good options are the Palissandre Hotel & Hotel du Louvre – both of which have a swimming pool.

After the hotel inspections, we headed to the airport to take the domestic flight south to Port Dauphin. On arrival our local guide Benoit met us & we left with the driver to travel along the very bumpy road to Berenty Lodge. It was certainly worth the bumps as this was our first chance to see the Lemurs. There were so many Ringtail Lemurs & the highlight for us was seeing the Sifaka Lemur dance across the ground- they were hilarious. What I particularly liked about this lodge was that they did not feed the lemurs & discouraged guests from doing so. The lemurs were all around the lodge & on our roof waking us in the morning. But we did also see lots of them in the reserve & also took a night time tour to see the nocturnal lemurs – those photos didn’t come out so well.

Next stop was Port Dauphin & we visited a lovely reserve called Reserve de Nahampoana. Staying the night in Port Dauphin is generally needed to fit in with the domestic flights.

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We have been specialising in travel to Madagascar for 6 years but I had not been myself- & therefore did not sell it to clients. Our motto is that we only sell destinations that we have been to & know.

I have heard colleagues talk about this country & it sounded fascinating so I am really glad that I finally visited this amazing island. As usual, the itinerary was jammed packed – & was probably the most hectic schedule I have had for any inspection trip. In 14 nights we stayed in 12 hotels, inspected about 25, took 5 domestic flights & several boat transfers. Yes, it was hectic & would take a client 5 weeks to do the same @ a leisurely pace, but it was a fantastic trip & we saw a lot of this islands diversity.

When I say we – I took my 16-year-old niece for her 16 th birthday treat. She had a great time but now realises that when I go away for work it is not a “holiday”. Having Maisie with me was great & helped me a lot. She lives in France & of course is fluent in French, so could translate for me. French is the 2nd language of Madagascar- after Malagasy. English is their 3 rd language & sometimes 4th after Italian. Guides & hotel staff speak English so it is not essential for clients to be able to speak any French, but it does help to know a few words.

With such a full itinerary doing 1 blog would be far too long… so I am going to split it down & do separate blogs for each area…

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