Hawaii Activities

I spoke to someone today who's spouse was taking part in a conference...in Hawaii! No surprise in finding out that this particular conference is very well attended as surely Hawaii figures highly in the league tables of favourite fantasy holiday locations.
Hawaii conjures up images of island holidays at their very best with beautiful beaches, wonderful facilities and one of the best places in the world to do a spot of surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving or fishing.
There are plenty of Hawaii Activities to take part in, and some wonderful scenery and weather which makes any trip to these Islands, the vacation of a lifetime.
Hawaii is made up of a collection of separate islands, each of which offers different activities. As well as the activities mentioned above you can do everything from helicopter flights, surfing, biking, whale watching, kayaking, and even take a close look at some volcanoes in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park if you are so inclined.
No wonder this is such a popular location for holidays as well as 'working' events, particularly as to counter the full program of available activities comes some of the most beautiful and relaxing surroundings that you could hope to encounter anywhere on earth.

Going away with friends

Whilst taking a holiday with friends always seems like it might be a nice idea, there are some pit-falls that you should be aware of if you are considering holidaying with others.
www.essentialtravel.co.uk have carried out a customer survey which has given some surprising results, not least of which is their finding that 1 out of 10 friendships end after joint holidays. Not only that, but 25% of people 'felt differently' about their friends having spent time at close quarters with them... (and I suspect that they don't mean in a good way).

Amongst the most disagreeable traits of friends on holiday are conflicts caused by holiday romance, disagreements over money and splitting bills, clash of interests and the altered behaviour that we revert to when outside of the 'normal constraints' of home life.

However holidaying with friends can be a success, many groups prove this to be true year after year and EssentialTravel has 10 tips to make your holiday with friends a success (or at least limit the damage...).

Cotswolds - Berkeley Castle

The English countryside is not by any means short of castles, in fact until a week ago I didn't even know Berkeley Castle existed. Berkeley is not a huge imposing edifice battle-scarred and falling into ruin, it is a wonderfully preserved Norman fortress which has morphed over the centuries into a genteel and appealing family home.
Parts of the castle are open to the public and for special events all the year round and the family reside in the remainder. The castle is characterised by a lived-in feeling which few other castles (being mostly ruins) can boast. The walls are decorated with pictures and hangings, there is original wood-panelling and ornately carved period doors. This is not to say that it lacks some austere features, and is reported to be the place where Edward II was murdered.

The Berkeley family is deeply rooted in English heritage and has many claims to fame including links to Shakespeare and Sir Francis Drake and of course Berkeley Square in London. The castle is a jewel in the beautiful Cotswold landscape, offering history, culture, tea rooms and a lovely picnic area.

Entry prices:

Adult £7.50

Child (age 5 - 16) £4.50

Senior Citizen at 60+ £6.00

Students £5.50

Cotswolds - Bourton

The Cotswolds continue to be a very popular spot for visitors to the UK, evidenced by the number of accents and languages you can hear while walking around it's picturesque towns and villages.
The familiar stone dwellings and buildings that characterise this part of the world, hold endless charm and beg to be photographed time and time again.
Whether you are just looking for a pleasant environment to take a stroll or are more inclined to visit a museum or have a meal in the rich rustic surroundings, the Cotswolds has the perfect setting.

Every town in this special part of England has it's own appeal, but Bourton has the lion's share of more contrived attractions from 'Birdworld' to the Model Village, the Motor and Toy museum and the Butterfly Maze amongst others. Of course, to go along with the attractions, there are plenty of places to get a cream tea, place your weary head for the night and have a drink or a meal.
Limited though the parking is in the town centre, car parks can be found just outside within reasonable walking distance, one of them right next to Birdland.
In short Bourton and it's surrounding towns offer a good day out for anyone and particularly for families as there is undoubtedly plenty to do. Most attractions have an entry fee of around £3 or £4 per person, Disneyworld it is not, but a good day out in spectacularly charming surroundings is guaranteed.
If you would like to be accommodated in one of the more picturesque hotels in the town centre, be prepared to spend £100 per night per room.

Two for one deals UK theme parks

Days out in the UK can get cheaper with a WH Smith voucher deal available on purchases made until 29th March. Purchases made in-store (no minimum purchase) qualify for vouchers which entitle the customer to two-for-one deals throughout the Summer.
The following theme parks are in the scheme:

• Alton Towers
• Legoland Windsor
• Thorpe Park
• Mme Tussauds
• Chessington
• Warwick Castle
• The Dungeons
• Sea-Life Centres
• Sea-Life Sanctuaries
  

Available dates vary with the venue, so check the back of the voucher - vouchers cannot be used for online bookings, so any savings will be at the 'buy-on-the-door' rate which is likely to be higher than online booking prices.
Terms and conditions here...

Deals for Mothers day (UK)

Thanks to the MoneySavingExpert for this tip...

Get a discount equivalent to your age for bookings on Mothers Day in the up-market Malmaison Hotels throughout the UK. If you take your 90 year old Mother, there will be 90% off the room-rate. Not limited to Mothers, (probably due to sex-discrimination laws...) any oldies can get the discount, but note that the full room rates for this promotion start at £170 (usually £99 online) - but if you're 100 or over, you can stay for free!!!

Last time this promotion ran, a 98 year-old managed to secure a £235 room for just £4.50...
Hotels available in:
Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Edinburgh (pictured above), Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford and Reading.
Note that Man City and Liverpool both play at home on Sunday...if your Mum likes a bit of footie!!

Holiday trends

There have been some interesting results emerging from a report issued from 118118 directory enquiries. These reports contain information about the quantities of calls made to their service in specific categories compared to the previous years.
In short, the following conclusions can be drawn from the results (Dec 08 compared with Dec 07):

In travel-related enquiries

• 22% fewer people rang to ask for the number of a travel agent.
• 46% fewer wanted a tour operator.
• motor homes enquiries were up by 121%.
• every other type of holiday accommodation saw a downturn in calls

Some of the more curious results saw:

• enquiries about “body art” were up 26%.
• Calls asking for psychiatrists rose 43%
• people seeking an aromatherapist was up by 62%.
• Libraries were up by 50%.

and finally.....calls asking for pole dancing and lap dancing clubs shot up by 599%.
Make of that information what you will...