Posts filed under 'World Wide Travel'
Winter sports holidays to beat the blues
I’ve always been a fan of trying out new experiences and, since it’s been getting colder and colder outside, my imagination’s been off on the ski slopes around the world, wondering what it’d be like to take lessons and get gliding down stunning vistas of beautiful snow.
The first – and last – time I ever tried anything that resembled skiing was at Hillend in Edinburgh a couple of years ago. My partner thought it’d be a nice, romantic idea to hit the dry slope in Scotland’s capital before heading out for drinks and to nurse our wounds. Well, in the end, I had so many wounds my partner didn’t get a chance to even think about anyone’s other than mine, and I vowed never to go skiing again.
But you know what it’s like – you see those pristine slopes of the Alps and imagine what it’d be like to go speeding down in the cold, crisp air, throwing up sheets of snow as you make a turn, almost feeling as though you’re flying – and you have to admit that it sounds pretty amazing.
Winter sports have always been something that are popular year round because, no matter what time of year it is, it’s always snowing somewhere. So I’ve been doing a little research on some of the hot ski locations, though I already know that if the opportunity arose, I don’t think I could accept – Edinburgh was traumatic enough for me! But while I’m dreaming, I can at least pretend I’m a good skier – one that gets to hit the slopes in America on an amazing winter break stateside, that is! It looks like there are plenty of places in the US that are great for skiers, like mountains in Montana (who’d have thought?) or stunning slopes in Colorado.
Of course, staying close to home is a more tempting option for many ski fans, especially during the tough economic climate. France looks to be one of the best places for supreme ski opportunities, spreading out towards Germany and Switzerland, meaning there’s a great deal of choice if you’re stuck for where to go. And if you fancy hitting the piste in summer, New Zealand’s always an option…
As for me, I think I’ll stick with the après fun – skiers are known for being great partiers once the day on the powder’s up, right? Well, that’s where you’ll probably catch me – sitting in front of the fire with a mug of hot chocolate, resting up for a big night out 
Add comment 16/11/2009
Exploring a whole new world
One type of break that’s always appealed to me is heading off to Africa on Safari. It could be ever since my obsession with The Lion King began when I first saw it that I’ve always wanted to visit South Africa and see real Simbas and Pumbaas for myself 
but it must be truly amazing to head off on a safari and explore the great plains of an unknown country.
Just imagine trekking in the Savannah, experiencing firsthand the long grass, stubby trees and infrequent opportunities to grab a drink at a watering hole – of course, we’d be safely tucked away in our tour jeeps with our water bottles instead of joining the wildebeest for a refreshing drink, but you get the idea! Then there’s the chance to see an elephant lumbering out of a forest, a rhinoceros basking in the sun and a real hippopotamus escaping the heat by going for a dip in a mud pool. Beasts like these are simply unfathomable in a country like the UK, where the biggest animal you’d see in the wild is about the size of a badger – though, of course, deer and wild horses never fail to make me stop and catch my breath, but – and perhaps it’s because I live here – there’s not a great sense of majesty around such creatures.
Not like polar bears of the Arctic Circle – Canada, Norway and Denmark to name a few – which are breathtakingly impressive in their strength, poise and majesty. That reminds me that Mercedes, the Canadian polar bear that lived in Edinburgh Zoo for many years in a none-too-spacious enclosure has now been moved up near Inverness to enjoy a proper life in a huge nature reserve habitat. Hearing about that recently made my day – I hope she’s happy in her new home!
Going back to Africa, however, the idea of immersing yourself in a whole new country with a different climate, animal population and geography fascinates me – and that’s before you even get to the people and their culture. New scenery, new animals, new rules – though I’m not sure I could be trusted not trying to snaffle a meerkat of my own through customs on the way back!
Add comment 09/11/2009
Dream break competition results
Well folks, it’s finally over. Our Build Your Own Dream Break competition had the Superbreak office in a tizz for some weeks, and I have to say we’re glad to have a little bit of time to relax after the rush to collect all of the entries and decide on a winner.
And guess what? The effort was fantastic. We got hundreds of entries ranging from the sweet and romantic to the downright bizarre, with a surprising amount of you choosing to build your dream break right here at home. There were plenty of entries looking to enjoy a break in Edinburgh, London, Liverpool, the Lake District, Inverness and here in York
We also discovered dreams involving Spain, Italy, France, Norway and Germany, with many of you hoping to take advantage of the cold weather by heading off on New Year or Christmas breaks, filled with romance, snow and walks through idyllic city settings. Some of you, however, wanted nothing more than to jet off for a holiday in the sun in destinations like Hawaii, Sydney, the Caribbean, New Zealand and a host of South American destinations like Peru and Mexico. It was clear our entrants really got their imaginations going and ran wild with their dreams – especially one fellow who included the presence of Angelina Jolie in his!
Unfortunately, there’s only so much Superbreak can do – and that isn’t one of them. One thing we did do, however, was pick a winner. And it was tough. There were heaps of fantastic dreams and cutting them down to end up with only one was a truly nightmarish task. But we managed, and our congratulations go to Paul Marshall for his poignant entry, which we hope he can make true with the £1000 prize which can be used to tailor make a break on our website.
As for the rest of you who didn’t manage next time, keep your eyes peeled. We had so much fun with this competition that we’re already brainstorming the next – so good luck and keep dreaming!
Add comment 06/11/2009
Time is running out to win a dream break!
Many of you will be aware that Superbreak is currently running a build your dream break competition, where you have to tell us what your idea of the perfect break would be. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, we want you to do it in twenty words or less – and that’s where the fun begins. Trying to pack your idea of the perfect holiday into just twenty words has clearly been proving to be something of a difficult task, but keep them coming and you never know your luck!
We’ve had heaps of entries so far, from the nice-but-normal romantic city break style choices to some really wacky and adventurous ones. It’s been a pleasure reading them so far, and the competition has had all of the Superbreak office buzzing over the last few weeks – I think there’s more than a few of us who have been eyeing up our last days of annual leave after being inspired by your suggestions.
So go ahead and tell us what your dream break would be. Don’t worry, you can be as imaginative as you like – after all, we’re looking for an eye-catching winner whose dreams we can turn into reality. That’s not to say we don’t adore the slightly more usual ones too, meaning that you’ve got a great chance no matter what your ideal break would be.
And time is running out – the competition closes on Halloween, October 31, which is just a little over a week away – now there’s a scary thought! Keep the entries coming and you can also add me to Twitter to stay up to date on how the competition is going. Good luck!
Add comment 21/10/2009
Give an amazing gift for Christmas this year – a holiday
Every year in the run up to Christmas, we get a lot of interest on the phones about our Superbreak gift vouchers as they’re such a handy gift to give your friends and family at Christmas. Superbreak gift vouchers are versatile and can be used to book trips away through the Superbreak website, meaning your loved ones can choose the holiday and gift they want most of all.
I thought I’d do a blog post about them, seeing as it seems that the Christmas spirit is already in the air – if the number of people Christmas shopping in town is anything to go by. The vouchers offer a way for you to buy thoughtful gifts for loved ones without having to spend hours and hours in town at its busiest times – and means that you’ll be guaranteed to give them the gift they really want. A lot of people think it’s a little impersonal to buy someone vouchers at Christmas, but let’s face it – there’s a good chance that when you make the selection of what particular CD, piece of clothing or even short break a person might like, you could be wrong. By giving a voucher, you get to be as generous as you like while ensuring the recipient has the freedom to choose to spend it on what they really want.
This could be anything, from an amazing romantic trip to Paris, a historic trek along the Great Wall of China or a short break in Berlin to feel the buzz of a city brimming with life. Maybe you think your parents would like a trip to a big city when all they want is to relax on a seaside break, or you think your best friends would adore visiting Prague when they’d love nothing more than to check out London in style – by giving Superbreak vouchers, you can make sure that your friends and family will be able to go on the short break they want to.
There’s a huge amount of amazing breaks to choose from theatre breaks and concerts at the O2 to spa breaks, speciality breaks and even airport products can be purchased with our vouchers.
You can find out more about Superbreak gift vouchers and, conveniently, order them online in various denominations. Don’t forget that you’ve still got the opportunity to score a great break for yourself, too! Our win a dream break competition is still in full swing and you could win your dream break by entering our simple, fun competition.
Add comment 06/10/2009
The rise of destination marriages
One trend I’ve noticed lately that seems to be on the rise – particularly as some of my friends have been taking the plunge – is the destination marriage. This seems somewhat bizarre, given how we’re in the middle of a recession, but the volume of couples wanting to jet off to tie the knot in the sun seems to be growing. Perhaps they’re looking for a way to escape the miserable economy for their happy day and are splashing out in one massive act of defiance? I guess plenty of them are wise to the fact that if they choose their destinations carefully they can actually save cash by having their weddings overseas.
I’m not really sure how I feel about destination weddings just because they put quite a lot of pressure on family and friends to find the cash to spend on flights and hotels. After all, isn’t that what honeymoons are for? Letting the couple get away for a much-needed holiday somewhere exotic? Then again, what better excuse to head off for a holiday than for a wedding? You can pack your beachwear alongside your gladrags and book some time off where you can enjoy a new country or city as well as being there for the happy couple.
This got me to thinking about what countries I wouldn’t mind too much if my friends planned a destination wedding in. I have to admit that the first place I think of is somewhere like Barbados, where they can enjoy a beautiful wedding on the beach and I can enjoy, well, an amazing holiday in a fantastic location.
I also started wondering about all of the unusual places people might think about for getting married. Like I read about a couple that got married in a helicopter flying over Las Vegas – which sounds amazing, but I doubt some of my friends would be able to hire a big enough helicopter to get all of their guests inside, too
Similarly, I’m not sure how many people would go for watching the happy couple exchanging their vows at Ocean Park in Hong Kong, where brides and grooms to be don diving suits and make their way several metres under the water to make their promises whilst surrounded by sharks. Wow – I wonder how they manage to hear each other? Even more bizarrely, some couples in America are opting to wed in Taco Bells and McDonalds – I suppose that really is beating the credit crunch.
But if you choose an exotic holiday destination for your wedding then I suppose you eliminate the stress of rushing off for your honeymoon straight after and can relax and enjoy your big day even more. A honeymoon in a fast food joint though? No thanks!
Add comment 24/09/2009
Win a dream break from Superbreak
We’ve just launched a new competition where you can enter for the chance to win your dream break courtesy of Superbreak. I’m gutted that I’m not allowed to enter, especially as I know I’d have no problems answering the question – in fact, I’m sure I could do it a million times over although I’d have to work hard to stay within the word count I’m sure. All you have to do for your chance to win is to tell us in 20 words or less what your dream break would consist of. It’s as simple as that and only takes a few minutes, so is well worth giving it a shot.
I’m looking forward to reading through some of the entries, I have to admit. There are several places I already know are going to crop up time and time again. That’s not a bad thing – there’s definitely plenty of good reasons why some places are so popular and I know that I’d love to visit many of them as well. I may be totally wrong of course, but my predictions for some of the most popular spots could include the amazing Australian outback, maybe on an exploration break taking in some of the magnificent Aussie countryside. Similarly, I’m expecting to see a few mentions of Niagara Falls, New York City and the awe-inspiring capital of South Africa, Cape Town. But it’s not just the destinations we’re looking for, it’s what makes them special and makes them your dream break.
If you’ve been fantasizing about heading away on your perfect holiday but the recession has meant that it’s been nothing more than a dream so far, this could be the competition for you. Even if you don’t win, you might get inspired to see if you can make it to your dream destination one day.
Then again, you could be the lucky one! So whether you’d love to lie on the beach in Barbados or scuba diving in the depths of the ocean off the coast of Greece, get in touch and tell us about what your dream break would be! You never know your luck in fact, I’m off to think up my own dream breaks – thinking about this competition has got me in the mood now!
Add comment 18/09/2009
The New Seven Wonders of Nature
I’ve just seen that people across the globe are being asked to vote for the New Seven Wonders of Nature. It seems like people have been trying to decide on a ‘new seven wonders of the world’ ever since most of the ancient ones crumbled to dust, but this focus on natural wonders – produced by the earth alone, without human influence – is very appealing.
And who knows, by asking the world’s population to democratically vote, we might finally reach some kind of agreement!
Some of the finalists like the USA’s Grand Canyon and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef may be a little obvious, but that’s no reason they shouldn’t still be celebrated as some of the world’s most incredible natural sites.
On the other hand, it was interesting to learn about geological features that, for some reason, just hadn’t come across my radar before – namely Paricutin, a volcano in Mexico that was classed as a natural wonder because its explosive ‘birth’ in 1952 was actually witnessed by humans. That must have been a holiday to remember…
The only one of these recognised ‘natural wonders’ I’ve seen first-hand is the beautiful Aurora Borealis – if anything truly deserves the title of ‘wonder,’ it’s the amazing Northern Lights. These can be best seen in the arctic islands of Canada, including Alaska, and are something you really have to experience if you’re ever exploring the country. Apparently, your best chance of seeing them is between March to April and September to October – just don’t expect your photos to do justice to the dancing lights.
It seems that the big 7 are constantly changing and rearranging as the votes come in, but the Seven Wonders website still displays all the eligible runners up assorted by country. Just like when your favourite band releases a ‘Greatest Hits’ album, there’s guaranteed to be a few of your personal favourites that didn’t make the list – how could Niagara Falls not be up there?
Petty grievances aside, what better reason for a break than to visit some of the most awe-inspiring natural sites on Earth? I certainly have some catching up to do…
Add comment 27/08/2009
The recession – stay or go away?
I’m beginning to get a little confused with all of the conflicting news reports I’ve seen about the impact the recession has had on the travel industry. Often, stories are cropping up that detail how British holiday makers are choosing to stay in the UK for their holidays, opting for short breaks in UK cities rather than two weeks in Cyprus – but, at the same time, I’ve also seen several pieces about how they’re choosing to go away instead.
GoCompare just did a survey that said most British holidaymakers are planning to holiday overseas so they could get away from all of the recession depression happening here which, however accurate it is, seems like a pretty good idea to me.
The fact is that even though the economic downturn is making many people try to spend less, international holidays are still available fairly cheap and you could even find that a short break in France or Germany is around the same price as holidaying at home. What with the continual lowering of flight fares and the increasing availability of cheaper hotel rates – after all, they’re trying to drum up some business during tough times – it’s really not as expensive to travel abroad as you might think. I had a look at our special offers and there’s plenty to check out for great worldwide destinations, like the Twin Towers Hotel in Bangkok – where you can stay for just £19 per night. That sounds pretty recession-proof to me.
As the bank holiday weekend is coming up, there’s an excellent opportunity to grab a last minute deal and get away for a few days, even if you decide to stay at home. Unfortunately, I’ll probably end up catching up on bits and pieces I’ve fallen behind with since this month has been so busy for me – but then again, it’s always nice to have some time to enjoy York as I go about my day to day necessities. That doesn’t mean I won’t be dreaming about what I could be doing in Spain or Portugal though…
Add comment 20/08/2009
Go green for your next break
I’m sure we’ve all heard plenty of it – and maybe some of you have had enough of it – but all the hype about going green has got me thinking about how people are feeling about going on holiday. While it’s true that flying to exotic locations uses plane fuel, which equals nasty carbon being released into the environment, I thought I’d take a look at some of the destinations that could let eco-conscious travellers offset some of the damage and enjoy a guilt free holiday.
After a little bit of consideration, I’ve come to the conclusion that adventure type holidays could be among some of the best breaks for people who don’t want to cause much environmental impact. Obviously, I don’t mean skydiving trips or anything like that, but the kind of outdoors holidays where you can hike across amazing mountains like the Appalachians in the US and Canada, or plunge through the jungle of the Amazon Rainforest that spans across the South American countries of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela and Bolivia – to name but a few!
Then there’s heart-in-your-mouth extreme sports like white water rafting – which would be amazing to do in somewhere like New Zealand, what with all of that breathtaking scenery on either side. That is, if you’re not too terrified to take it in. In the same region, there’s camping trips to the Australian outback where you can explore the desert, see stunning mountainscapes and listen to the sounds of a starry night.
Camping is definitely one of the best ways make your trip more eco-friendly. Your accommodation needs no electricity and it’s easy to take any waste with you to dispose of properly and pop into local recycling facilities either on-site in some camping parks or at the nearest sign of civilisation. It’s also a brilliant way to save money – something I wrote about a couple of weeks ago when I noticed the camping trends jumping up around Scotland.
Of course, if it’s an extreme sport style holiday, I know I’d definitely prefer the opportunity for a proper shower and the comfort of a hotel bed after a busy day’s adventuring – and knowing I could do it with minimum impact on the environment makes it all the more worthwhile.
Add comment 12/08/2009
