Review of 5* Deluxe Royal Viking Nile Cruise

I have just come back from a one week stay on this cruise.
Had an absolutely amazing time. The staff on board are so very helpful and friendly, nothing was too much trouble.
The cabins are of a very good size and have a full length window with a Juliette balcony - please note that a lot of the time you are moored next to another boat when in dock so you wont be able to see out of the window.
The food is all buffet style but absolutely amazing. The creativty with the desserts was superb. There is something for everyone to choose from and you can go back and get as much as you like.
There are 10 excursions that are included with the cruise, so you visit Luxor Temple which was my favourite as there are many statues to look at here. Valley of the Queens and Kings. Karnak Temple
You can also pay extra to go and see Abu Simbel if you dont mind getting up extremely early in the morning.
When we were in Luxor we went to one of the bazaars (markets) there were many bargains to be had here and nowhere near as much hassle as you get elsewhere in Egypt.
Overall this was a fabulous trip and one that I would very much like to do again

Jackie Frith - Travel Expert

More People Opt To Tie The Knot Abroad

Almost one in five weddings now takes place abroad, according to the latest statistics from Mintel.

The market research organisation reports 18% of weddings are conducted overseas, with the number of people getting married abroad rising 27% in five years, up from 45,000 in 2005 to just over 57,000 in 2010.

The rise in the overseas market comes as the number of weddings taking place in the UK continues to fall. 

An estimated 266,000 UK weddings took place in 2010, marking a 7% drop over the five years since 2005.

Cost is one of the main factors in choosing to tie the knot overseas.

In 2010, the average wedding abroad cost £6,585, compared with £20,000 for the average UK wedding.

And, while the average cost of weddings abroad has risen (by 9.8% since 2005), in the UK overall costs appear to have fallen slightly as a result of the recession. 

Mintel’s research also found the percentage of consumers stating that they prefer UK weddings has fallen significantly in the last two years. 

The number of consumers saying that they would rather get married or attend a wedding at home has fallen from approximately three in ten (28%) in 2008 to just two in ten (21%) in 2010. 

The number of people opposed to getting married abroad has also fallen, with 9% saying they would not like to get married abroad or attend a wedding abroad, down from 11% two years ago. 

Money is also becoming less of an issue here, as 7% agree a wedding abroad, or attending such an event, is too expensive, down from 10% in 2005.

The market for overseas weddings looks healthy, with 31% saying they will marry, remarry or renew their vows in the future. 

Of those, 37% say they would like to get married abroad or attend a wedding abroad, compared to 28% who would prefer a UK wedding.

Fewer than one in ten (8%) are worried that it would upset too many people if they got married overseas.

The desire to honeymoon abroad has risen significantly in the last two years – from 57% in 2008 to 70% in 2010 – while just 3% would like to honeymoon in the UK. 

However, one area in which attitudes seem to be shifting is what people are looking to do on their honeymoon.

The proportion saying they want to ‘just relax’ has fallen from 34% in 2008 to 28% in 2010, while around one in eight (13%) would like to do ‘something out of the ordinary’ while on honeymoon.

Tom Rees, senior travel and tourism analyst at Mintel, said: ‘The lower costs of overseas weddings are an important factor for many, with cost concerns influencing the whole market.

‘However the various desires to do something different, seek out better weather than can be expected in the UK and to avoid overblown, too-many-guest affairs are attracting more and more couples to the weddings abroad market.’

Club Med La Pointe aux Canonniers Resort - Mauritius

Club Med La Pointe aux Canonniers - Mauritius

Price from £1535 Per person All Inclusive

Spectacularly beautiful, La Pointe aux Canonniers is a paradise. Excellent childcare facilities, a wide variety of sports activities and breathtaking beaches make this a perfect spot for couples and families alike.
A beautifully elegant Club Med Resort in luxuriant tropical grounds

● Spacious and comfortable Suites* with sea view
● A 1,000-yard stretch of fine white coral sand beach, one of the finest beaches on the island
● Waterskiing, Scuba diving* and Sailing Academies
● Children's club facilities from 4 months old*, new design inspired by nature activities
Childcare and children's club facilities
Our Resort welcomes children of all ages, with children’s club facilities for the various age groups, run by professionals.

●Dedicated areas, specifically designed for their needs
●Equipment designed with a view to comfort and safety
●Opening hours that allow parents to make the most of their day and evening, or feel free to go off for a day's excursion*
●A structure that combines innovation with 40 years of experience, based on the respect of each child's desires and biological clock
●G.O®s with a passion for their job
● Numerous activities for all ages: sport, creative activities and games. NEW This Resort has children's club facilities inspired by the theme of nature, to demonstrate the pleasures of living in harmony with nature, and satisfy the children's natural curiosity. The walls of the Baby Club Med®*, the Petit Club Med®* and the Mini Club Med®, are decked with the multicoloured underwater world of the Indian Ocean: fish with fabulous names and wonderful coral.

Email here to enquire

Bomb at Moscow Airport

Travel Summary

• An explosion occurred at Domodedovo airport, Moscow at approximately 16.30 local time on Monday 24 January.  There are reports that a bomb went off in the International arrivals hall and that over 30 people have been killed.  The airport is currently closed and you should not travel there.  We will provide further updates as soon as we are able to.
  
• We advise against all travel to Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan because of the security situation in the North Caucasus.
  
• We advise against all travel to the areas of east and south Stavropol Krai which border Dagestan and Chechnya, namely Budyonnovsky, Levokumsy, Neftekumsky, Stepnovsky and Kurskoyi.
  
• We advise against all but essential travel to North Ossetia, Karachai-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria (including the Elbrus area).
  
• There is a high level of threat from terroism. Attacks cannot be ruled out and could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. Attacks have occurred most frequently in Moscow and in the North Caucasus

Click here for full report Russian Federation Travel Advice

The Magnificent Seven - Central America Honduras - Part 2

Honduras

Size: 112,496 sq km
Population: 7.4 million
Capital city: Tegucicalpa
Key Airports: TGU - Tegucicalpa also SAP San Pedro Sula, RTB Roatan, LCE La Ceiba

Getting There:

 Blue Panorama flies every Saturday from Milan to Roatan. Contintental flies the same route Saturdays and Sundays. TACA flies from Miami to Roatan. Iberojet begins charter flights from Madrid to Roatan via Cancun in May

Key Selling Points:

The Unesco World Heritage site of Copan. The Caribbean islands off the east coast have excellent beaches and reefs. Roatan and Utila are renowned for their cheap scuba diving

Key Hotel Developments:

Parrot Tree Plantation Resort and Pristine Bay Resort opened last year on Roatan. Hotel Victoria opened in San Pedro Sula.

If you would like further information then please call Jackie on 0844 770 9234

The Magnificent Seven - The Countries of Central America Part 1 Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Size: 51,100 sq km
Population: 4.4 million
Capital City: San Jose
Key Airports: San Jose International Airport. Liberia

Getting there:
Thomson Airways has direct weekly charter flights from Heathrow to Liberia on Tuesdays. Iberia has daily flights from Gatwick via Madrid to San Jose, and Tui has a route from Dusseldorf to Guancaste every Saturday.

Key Selling Points:
One of the most bio diverse areas in the world, Costa Rica has 20 national parks and eight biological reserves.

Key Hotel Developments:
A new luxury resort, La Roca, is under construction in Esparza, Puntarenas, on the Pacific coast. Holiday Inn Escazu in San jose is to open.

To book to go to this amazing country Call Jackie Frith on 0844 770 9234

Michaela Harte found dead on honeymoon in Mauritius

Irish sport is in mourning tonight after the daughter of one of the most successful Gaelic football managers died suddenly while on her honeymoon in Mauritius.

Michaela Harte was found dead by her new husband John today on the holiday island in the Indian Ocean. She is the daughter of Micky Harte, the triple All-Ireland winning manager of the Co.Tyrone Gaelic football team.

A statement from the hotel where her body was found tonight confirmed that there was now a police investigation into the death.
In a joint statement issued tonight, her father and the Catholic Bishop of Dromore John McAreavey confirmed her death.
"We wish to confirm that we have received confirmation this afternoon that Michaela, married on December 30 2010 to John McAreavey, was killed today in Mauritius where the couple were on honeymoon.
"We ask for prayers for Michaela, John and their families and loved ones. Both families are deeply shocked and devastated by this tragic news and they ask for privacy and space at this time of profound grief," they said.
Michaela Harte was in Mauritius with her new husband the Co.Down Gaelic footballer John McAreavey, who is the bishop's nephew.
There were unconfirmed reports tonight that the bride, who taught Irish at St Patrick's Girls Academy in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, had been swimming in her hotel pool before she died.
The hotel where the honeymooning couple were staying tonight issued a statement. Legends Hotel said: "The management of Legends Hotel is shocked and very sad further to the death of a guest, Michaela Harte."
"The couple, who had only arrived on the island last Saturday, had been due to stay until next Sunday. The dead body of the guest was discovered by her partner and once alerted, the hotel called the authorities," the hotel said.
"Legends wishes to reassure its guests and the public in general that it is co-operating in the best way it can with the police. The management and staff send its sincere condolences to the families who are grieving the loss of Michaela Harte."
Close friends of the Harte family said tonight that the Tyrone manager and his wife Marian worshipped their daughter.
Local journalist Adrian Logan, a former sports presenter with Ulster Television, said: "Mickey adored her. He was totally devoted. He just thought the world of her. He told me: 'She's my little jewel'."
Michaela was at her father's side all three times his team won the all-Ireland championship at Croke Park, Dublin, in 2003, 2005 and 2008.
Logan added: "He refused to do any post-match interviews after those games until she stood beside him. That's how much she meant to him. She was his number one fan."
Northern Ireland's deputy first minister Martin McGuinness said he was shocked to learn of her death.
"Just a matter of days ago it was a joyous occasion when Michaela married John and no doubt they planned a long and happy life together," he said.
He added: "They had so much to live for but now their hopes have been cruelly dashed by the tragic death of Michaela.
"Michaela was always close to her father's side during many great days for Tyrone football. Her enthusiasm for her native county, for which she was an excellent ambassador, knew no bounds.
"My thoughts and prayers are with her husband John, father Mickey, mother Marian and the entire Harte and McAreavey families at this difficult time."

Guardian Newspaper