Air Madagascar have recently launched a brand new route to enable you to get to the beautiful beaches of Nosy Be even quicker. From May 2009, you can now fly direct from Paris into Nosy Be – omitting the need to have an overnight in the capital Antananarivo.


Of all Madagascar, Nosy Be was the original tourist resort. Whilst it can be more commercial and touristy than other parts of the country, for travellers looking to experience Madagascar with ’softer edges’, Nosy Be offers a taste of everything that makes this country special; Wonderful beaches, lemurs, chameleons, and excellent food. There are also several islands surrounding Nosy Be which offer barefoot luxury.

Nosy Be was traditionally referred to as the ‘Isle de Parfum’ – the perfume island as it was, and still is, the source for many fragrances including Ylang-ylang, vanilla and pepper.

To entice visitors further the €56 entry visa has been waived until December this year.

Today is my 1st day home after a fantastic trip to Sri Lanka. When I decided to take a holiday to Sri Lanka it was amazing how many people asked me if it would be safe to go there. The press coverage of the problems the country is having between the government & the Tamils is so misleading.. I felt completely safe throughout my trip & in fact tourists have never been a target for the Tamils in the 3 decades this has been going on. It is such a shame that ambiguous press coverage has affected the amount of tourists visiting this very special country.

This time I only had a 1 week stay but I definitely will be going back to do a longer more exploratory trip. I am now desperate to visit other areas & experience more of the huge amount of diversity Sri Lanka has to offer..

The highlights for me personally were varied..
- The people were so lovely & friendly.. Yes on the beach you encounter the local sellers but as I kept telling my friend “don’t touch” anything unless you have a genuine interest in buying.. touching seemed to give them the impression you want it & then it can be difficult to get away.. All the people we met along the way, in our hotels etc were so welcoming & pleasant – always smiling, even in the 35° temperatures we had!!

- The hotels were wonderful, we stayed in a great beach resort hotel – the Eden Resort & Spa in Beruwela & then in a fabulous boutique hotel outside of Colombo called Wallawwa.. 2 very different types of accommodation but each of them superb at what they do. I fell in love with Wallawwa & know that I have clients, especially those that have been to Costa Rica with us, that would love this property, along with other boutique hotels the country now has in several of the areas..

The food was a pleasant surprise to me – it was out of this world with heaps of choice. As a vegetarian I sometimes feel restricted with the choices that I have.. This certainly was not the case in Sri Lanka.. I had a huge a amount of options & you might think that the bright green pea & cashew nut curry would be horrible but it was divine.. All the food is so fresh & if you like your seafood then you will be in heaven.. I generally am not a fan of buffet restaurants but @ the beach hotels they tend to offer a main buffet restaurant & it is the perfect opportunity to try all the local foods. I would never have ordered potato curry on the side of scrambled egg on toast for breakfast & would have deprived myself of a real delight“ honestly, don’t knock it until you try it!!!

- Shopping, specifically jewellery shopping, was such an exciting experience for me.. We visited a gem wholesaler where they showed you the various gems as they are mined & then we moved into the air conditioned shop. If I was a rich woman I would have left that shop the happiest person alive. The rings, pendants, ear rings etc they had to sell were just out of this world.. If you do not want to buy anything do not go in!!!! I found an absolutely beautiful huge Blue Topaz ring with a diamond either side.. I am still dreaming about owning it now I am home!!. I did come away with a beautiful ring that they changed some of the stones on for me, so is a bespoke ring  “a one off”. It is stunning & I can easily justify the cost by saying I deserve it!!

- Going to Pinnawela & the Elephant Orphanage was such a memorable experience.. I feed the baby elephant a bottle of milk – consumed in 5 seconds flat!!, & then when it was the elephants bath time in the river I was actually in the water with a huge male splashing him with water & rubbing his head with a coconut shell – yes he was lying down @ the time!! Seeing all 86 elephants, babies as well, come stomping along the road to the river was incredible, especially as I was only a foot away from them..

I have wonderful memories of Sri Lanka & really cannot wait to go back & explore more it has to offer. I would not hesitate to recommend people to visit, do not be put off by the reports regarding the problems they have with the Tamils. The Foreign Office is not advising against travel so why not go? You will have a fabulous time & we will tailor-make the trip for you to ensure you have the perfect time.

Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina is the tango capital of the world. This improvised and passionate dance was born in the bordellos and immigrant neighbourhoods of the city in the late 1800s.

On my recent visit to Argentina, I wanted to find out what the whole tango fuss was all about and discovered that to experience the real tango you need to get away from the Broadway-esque stage shows and find the Milongas – tango dances housed in former cafes, community centres and even old basketball courts. Normally, when watching a show, you are purely a spectator, in the Milonga, you have the chance to be one of the active characters!

Immerse yourself in the world of Tango starting off with a private lesson where you will pick up the basic steps and moves of the dance. Then onto a Milonga – a true Buenos Aires Tango Adventure! Sitting at a table in one of the famed dance halls you will watch couples locked in a passionate embrace as they sweep across the crowded floor.

At the Milongas you will have the opportunity to see talented, unknown Milongueros and you will be able to share the dance floor with them. Your private personal tango partner will invite you to the dance floor to practice your newly acquired tango skills!

Worldwide Holidays have recently become members of LATA – the Latin American Travel Association, which is a travel trade organisation that was founded to promote travel to Latin America. The association brings together over 200 companies, including tourist boards, tour operators, hotels, wholesalers, media, airlines and overseas members.

Managing Director Helen Baillie said, “We have recently added Argentina to the portfolio of Latin American countries we specialise in and joining LATA seemed a natural progression of our development in South America. Belonging to LATA means we are always informed of new ventures and opportunites within Latin America through training and promotion. We can then, in turn, pass this onto our clients. As specialists in various countries in South America, we try to visit these areas at least once a year. The information and knowledge that LATA provides will ensure we don’t miss anything inbetween visits. All this means that we are able to put together the perfect adventure for our clients”.

Argentina will appear on our website very soon!

The Galapagos Islands with their extraordinary wildlife and home to Darwin’s theory of Evolution, recently announced that what was thought to be the last remaining La Pinta tortoise in the World, Lonesome George, may soon be a father.

A female tortoise – the closest living species to the La Pinta tortoise, and one that has accompanied George since 1993 laid three intact eggs that are being cared for in an artificial incubator at the Charles Darwin Centre. Found in 1972 on Pinta island, George is estimated to be in his 70s, middle age for a giant tortoise.

The Galapagos Islands with their extraordinary wildlife, is a trip in a lifetime and 2009 is the Bicentennial year of Charles Darwin – the naturalist widely credited for the discovery of evolution following his visit and observations of wildlife on the Galapagos Island

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Many of our staff are off on trips to our specialist countries. Fiona and Sam are going to visit Fiona’s first love – Costa Rica - at the end of April. See Fiona’s blog on their return in early May for full details of their trip.

Alison and Fiona will re-visit Peru in May, this will be Alison first trip to Peru, which she is really looking forward to – Alison will help Fiona on the Peru desk on her return as Peru is such a popular destination for us.

Our team continue to grow and we are pleased to have Naomi as our admin manager, Naomi has a background studying Tourism Management – and has an interest in Ecuador and Madagascar.

Madagascar is really attracting so much interest since we launch this destination in Nov 06, it is such a special place that seems to be on everyone’s list – many of the hotels are very small and therefore availability can be limited – we recommend that if clients are interested it’s never too soon to start looking and the perfect tour to include the very best of Madagascar for you.

Helen

I regularly travel to our destinations, visiting hotels and attractions and most importantly talking with the local staff. This way we maintain a personal relationship with our local representatives, keeping up to date and ensuring we maintain the responsive, informed and personal touch that is so important to us.