The Great Days Out Autumn break deals are available at over 40 Macdonald Hotels situated throughout the UK, allowing guests to take advantage of discounted short city breaks, golf and spa getaways and rural retreats in luxury locations.

The choice of hotels and attractions which are being included in this latest offer will allow guests to enjoy the highlife without the high price, whether they want to immerse themselves in a fun family holiday, share a romantic quality break, enjoy a Scottish golf break with friends on a championship fairway or simply discover the history and culture of cities like Edinburgh or Bath.

Keen to ensure that children are spoilt for choice too, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts are giving every child their own activity pack and bubble bath to soak up the fun.

The Great Days Out promotion includes the chance to visit any one of 400 family attractions around the country. With participating attractions like the Balmoral Estate in Scotland, Drayton Manor Theme Park in the Midlands, Dinosaur Isle on the Isle of Wight, Milennium Stadium Tours in South Wales, The Jorvik Viking Centre in York, and Portmeirion Village and Gardens in North Wales, there are many activities to suit both adults and children alike.

This autumn children under 12 can stay and eat breakfast for free when sharing a room with a parent or guardian, and guests who book one of the Autumn breaks will receive a late check out on a Sunday up until 4.00pm to really make the most of their weekends.

The Macdonald Hotels offer provides a cost-effective opportunity to escape and savour the beauty of autumn.

Travel Junkie? Bookmark Or Share!

Are you looking for a short break this autumn, with the added bonus of a 10% discount?

Well if you can manage it, New Forest Living stand by rates can provide a break away exploring the leafy byways with the added bonus of saving up to 10% on the rental price, an autumn jaunt to the New Forest seems very appealing.

Self catering cottages are no longer the poor relation of the hospitality industry and it can often be the most cost effective option for a UK break. Compared to three hotel rooms, a cottage that accommodates seven and costs £775 for a three night long weekend, makes an average of only £37 per person per night. Similarly, a bolt hole just for two can provide privacy and much needed ‘us time’.

‘Everybody loves a discount’ , says directory Jude Dalton, ‘but its more about being able to pin point late availability quickly with details such as where the nearest bike hire,riding stables or good restaurant can be found,so everything can be put in place in lunch hour or less’.

The standby offers usually feature breaks that start within a four week time frame. The accommodation size varies between one and five bed roomed holiday cottages.

Here are some sample October stand by rates:

Mast Cottage, Burley Village. Sleeping seven people. 3 night weekend or 4 night midweek break costs £775, a saving of £70 on the list price.

The Deer Hidehide, near Fordingbridge. Sleeping 2, a three night break costs £412, a saving of £45

More information at www.newforestliving.co.uk.

Travel Junkie? Bookmark Or Share!

Waterford is Ireland’s oldest city and is renowned for its crystal ware. It has a gripping mediaeval history too. Waterford has a lovely location on the banks of River Suir. It was a well-known European port of the past times. The charm of a small Irish town is retained by Waterford till date. The city has a relaxed ambience as compared to other metropolises. The beautiful city of Waterford has all the makings of an excellent tourist destination including riveting culture, history, arts and music. The calm and serene environs add on to the touristic appeals. As it is in majority of the Irish towns, Waterford also has many pubs.

The climate of Waterford all through the year is windy and wet. The summers are bearable as they are mil and winter is fraught with heavy rains with extremely rare snowfalls. You will have to carry your umbrellas during all seasons while visiting Waterford. Waterford is accessible by air from various cities in UK, Europe, and Ireland. Waterford has an ideal location between the Irish cities of Cork and Dublin, which have excellent airports well serviced by long distance flights.

You can reach Waterford easily by road from any place in Ireland. Waterford is easily accessible by boat journey to Rosslare combined with a bus journey. Rosslare is at a short distance from Waterford. You can also take trains or buses to reach Ireland. Waterford can be explored easily by taxis, buses and cars. The best way, however, is by walking in the city center.

Tourist Attractions of Waterford

As Waterford is world famous for is lovely crystals designs, a visit to the Waterford factory is a must. You can see the vases, bowls, wine glasses and ornaments being manufactured on actual site. The tour around the factory informs you about the production techniques by way of audiovisual displays. You are able to look at the prestigious Waterford Crystal pieces in the gallery.

Waterford has several museums, historical sites and noteworthy buildings in addition to good clubs, restaurants and modern art galleries. The Waterford Treasures Museum is an excellent museum in the old building of the ancient Granary. It houses old artifacts from the archaeological finds. Reginald’s Tower is a magnificent monument, named after Regnall, Waterford city’s founder. William Vincent Plaza located on the Quay is a scenic shelter worth watching. Dunmore East is a fine fishing village. See the intriguing historical site at Ardmore.

Activities in Waterford

You can take short walks, treks and hikes in the mountainous regions surrounding Waterford. Biking is also an interesting activity to be pursued. You may seek pleasure in bird watching and fishing. Take walking tours across the town and explore every nook and corner for yourself. There are excellent cafes and restaurants in Waterford and some worth mentioning include Café Lucia, Bodega, The Brasserie, The Cottage Bistro, The Dry Dock Bar, Espresso, Haricots Wholeford Restaurant, Jade palace, Kambo, Kong’s Chinese Restaurant and La Bohéme and many more. The famous pubs of Waterford are Geoffs, Downse’s Pub and T&H Doolans. The renowned hotels of Waterford are Waterford Castle, Marlfield House, Whites Hotel, The Fitzwilton Hotel, Whitford House Hotel and Dunbrody Country House

Travel Junkie? Bookmark Or Share!

There are several bird watching hot spots that you could choose from, when you decide to go on a bird watching tour. Places like India, and Africa are some of the popular bird watching hotspots. You could also choose to enjoy bird watching tours in Zimbabwe, America, Canada and Australia. Besides, there are so many other places around the world that see the influx of some of the most exotic species of migratory birds that the list is endless.

Bird watching tours in UK

There are several places in the UK that you choose from, for a bird watching tour. These include places like Scotland, Wales, England, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and Northern Ireland, amongst several others. In UK, several tour company’s offer various tour packages that you could choose from. Besides, the internet is a good way to try and find out about the tour packages that are available. There are some companies that willingly customize trips for bird watchers. The tours that are designed by these companies have set dates. Here are a few tours that are offered by certain companies in the UK.

Bird watching in Wales

There are several companies that offer bird watching tours that in and around the countryside of central Wales. Wales is in fact, one of the most popular locations in the UK for bird watching. The countryside of Wales is not only spectacular but also provides a well balanced habitat for a wide variety of birds.

Apart from birds, you can also spot a variety of wild life here. The species of birds that you might be able to spot in Wales include Buzzard, Goshawk, Rd Kite, Merlin, Pied Flycatcher, Crossbill, Kingfisher, Nightjar, Razorbill, and Shear water amongst several others.

Bird watching in Scotland

Scotland, which is another popular bird watching hot spot in UK, also houses several companies that offer bird watching tours. The advantage of opting for these tours is that, firstly you always move around in groups and secondly you do not have to work really hard to locate the bird watching sites, especially if you do not know much about the location. Besides, the tour companies also mange to spot the rarest of the bird species for you.

In Scotland, you could hope to spot birds like the Golden Eagle, Merlin, Peregrine, and Chough, wildfowl, skuas, auks and several others.

You could also choose from places like Norfolk and places in the countryside in England. All you need to do is choose the right company and the right tour and have all your things packed. However, if you booking for a tour on the internet ensure that you are not being cheated.

Do forget your binoculars!

Travel Junkie? Bookmark Or Share!

Advantages of villas

The basic advantage of villas is that they are far away from the cluster of pollution and population. Villas also act as nature cure centers, as they comprise of greenery all over. Some of the best villas in the world are the ‘Menorca Holiday Villas’, located at ‘San Jaime Complex’. The beaches there are simply amazing. They have the facilities and excitement to cater to every age group, right from having an ice cream under the sun to exploring some great adventurous water-sports. One can reach the nearest beach from Menorca by boarding a mini-train which costs only two euros/seat. If one happens to be a fitness freak, walking would also be pleasurable.

The feeling of renting one’s own villa while on a vacation sounds great. These villas consist of all the basic luxuries inclusive of private pools, main service, and a private chef as well. Villas can be cheaper than a customary hotel room, if the right place is chosen at the right time and a proper research on villas in that area is carried out.

Frugal Villas

There is a peak season and an off-season when it comes to travel destinations. ‘Peak and ‘off ‘refer to the number of people visiting the place then. The rents of villas soar when a large number of people visit that place. However, during the off-season, villas offer a tremendous discount on their rent. So, it’s better to travel to a particular destination during its off-season, to make an affordable holiday.

Amenities provided by villas

Villas offer an excellent private luxury. One can have the entire villa on rent with no people interfering. Normally, villas accept a payment on a weekly basis. It’s mandatory to acquire trip insurance, which leads to putting about 20-50% of the rent prior to traveling. This amount is paid back later, if any tragedy does not take place in the mean time. This goes to show that investing in villas is ultimately beneficial.

If taking a vacation abroad is on the cards and a luxurious stay is the anticipation, private villas are the best option. They are very much economical as well. They give one the feeling of being in a second home. Along with the off-season rates, exceptional ‘Honey Moon’ rates are also available. Advanced booking in the form of deposit is inevitable in the villas. In places such as Pattaya, Phuket and Krabi in Thailand one can find a wide range of villa accommodations to enchant travelers of all tastes. Now a days, villas also provide facilities such as air conditioning (individually controlled), entertainment systems, DVDs and CDs or PCs with an internet.

Travel Junkie? Bookmark Or Share!

The perennial adventure seekers will find a great retreat in Hudson Bay and Saskatchewan City. Hudson Bay is a huge and moderately shallow water body in the northeastern region of Canada. It drains a very vast area including the portions of Quebec, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, Minnesota, North Dakota and Nunavut. There are ample opportunities for excellent water sports, fishing and hunting in the area of Hudson Bay. Hudson Bay takes its name after Henry Hudson, the explorer who discovered this bay in the year 1610. The temperature of Hudson Bay is very low all round the year.

Hudson Bay has many islands, mainly situated near the east coast and all these form a part of the Nunavut territory. The most important group of islands is called Belcher Islands. Hudson Bay area is famed for the Wapusk National Park and Polar Bear Provincial Park. The Hudson Bay’s coast has extremely sparse population and there are only about a dozen villages in all. The tourists can stay at the Hudson Bay Hotels and Motels, Hudson Bay Cabins, Cottages and Chalets or Hudson Bay Campgrounds while in Hudson Bay.

The tourist attractions in Hudson Bay include Woody River Recreation Site, Hudson Bay Regional Park and Wildcat Hill Provincial Park. The Woody River Recreation Site is beautifully located in the scenic area of Porcupine Hills and has five lakes with facilities for walleye, perch and pike angling. Hudson Bay Regional Park is located at the confluence of Red, Fir and Etomanmi Rivers and is used by the community and tourists throughout the year. Wildcat Provincial Hill Park is located in the area of Pasqua Hills and the tourists can take a 16 km hike on an undeveloped trail of rugged terrain. The area is full of gushing rivers, steep canyons, thick forests and teeming wildlife. The Bankside Lake is accessible in winters by snowmobile and it is advisable that only experienced backpackers take to this area as it has very limited services. The adventure seekers may contact the Office of Environment and Resource Management for details.

The tourists can enjoy golf at the Hudson Bay Golf Club. It is green grass golf course of 9 holes with a par of 35. This place has licensed service for food along with rented equipment and power carts. Travelers interested in fishing can go in for complete vacation packages at Trophy Travel, a customized hunting and fishing service. There is availability of family trips as well as corporate trips. The tourists can do trophy hunting for moose, bear and whitetail. Moose Range Lodge is also a great facility for fishing with 12 lakes that are spring fed, within an area of 10 km radius of the lodge. The tourists can go in for big game hunting at Mistatim Outfitters, Antonichuk Outfitters, North 40 Outfitters, Leaf Lake Outfitters, Pee Paw Outfitters and Abattoir and Dahl Creek Outfitting.

Transportation to and within Hudson Bay is available in the form of motor coaches, long distance bus service of Greyhound Canada and via Rail. The dining options in Hudson Bay are available at Treeline Dining room and New Central Café.

Travel Junkie? Bookmark Or Share!

Liverpool has been selected by the European Union as the Capital of Culture for the year 2008. The culture conscious people must be surely surprised to get the news about this rough city with a Beatles fixation being conferred up on with this honor. The city is making an effort to live up to this new title by polishing the already existing cultural assets and historically significant waterfront. Liverpool is geared up for events like Paul McCartney’s concert and so on. Liverpool is a city situated in the Northwestern part of England, alongside Mersey Estuary’s eastern side. Earlier, it was a part of the Lancashire County and in 1974, it was incorporated into the metropolitan county of Merseyside.

Liverpool has been acclaimed internationally as a cultural centre, with rich history of popular music, especially the Beatles, visual and performing arts. Many cultural events have been planned for the year 2008. Liverpool is world renowned for its performing arts and the rich traditions are evident in the numerous theatres of the city like the Liverpool Playhouse and Unity, Royal Court, Empire, Neptune and Everyman Theatres. It is famed for its well known orchestra- the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and performs in its own Philharmonic hall. The music scene in Liverpool is flourishing. Liverpool has long standing reputation for visual arts and the visitors can see great artworks of experts at Walker Art Gallery, Sudley House and Tate Liverpool Gallery.

You can attend the festival of arts- the Liverpool Biennial, which is held once in every 2 years. The visitors can also witness the touring multimedia exhibitions that are hosted at the FACT centre. Liverpool is famed for various sports, mainly football and other sports like baseball, speedway racing, boxing, athletics, rugby, steeplechase, basketball and cricket. Liverpool is home to nearly more than 2,500 listed buildings, all of which are quite well preserved. It has many Georgian houses and public sculptures. The Liverpool Waterfront is a world heritage site as been declared by UNESCO.

Liverpool is world renowned for its dock technology and the best known is the Albert Dock. It houses the Merseyside Maritime Museum, Tate Liverpool, Museum of Liverpool Life and International Slavery Museum. The tourist must see the Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse, the biggest building of brick work in the world. Another important landmark of Liverpool is the Pier Head, Three Graces, the location of most notable buildings of Liverpool. These 3 famed buildings are the Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building.

Liverpool is also well known for its various religious monuments like the parish church or the sailor’s church, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Gustav Adolfus Kyrka, Anglican Cathedral, Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral, Princes Road Synagogue, Greenbank Park Synagogue, Edge Lane Hindu Mandir, Gurunanak Sikh Gurudwara, Al Rahma Mosque and Mossley Hill Mosque. You can get valuable insights into the historical past of the city by visiting the different historical buildings and museums. You will enjoy seeing the recreated story of Beatles. Malmaison Hotel and Hard Day’s Night Hotel are the recommended places to stay in Liverpool. Liverpool can be reached easily by two and a half hours train journey from London. You can also fly at the nearby airport of Manchester, and Manchester has direct flight connections from US.

Travel Junkie? Bookmark Or Share!

Budapest is the world’s most beautiful capital city with an excellent setting on both the banks of the river Danube. It completely symbolizes the great architectural heritage and has a striking ambience. The city is full of architectural marvels, lively streets, lovely parks, scenic islands and to top it all, the majestic Danube River that separates the city into two distinct parts- Buda and Pest. Buda comprises a hilly area, and Pest is a totally flat area. Buda is well known for its stunning vantage points- Gellert Hill and Castle Hill. Budapest is Hungary’s capital city and is the main cultural, commercial, political, industrial and transportation center of the country.

Budapest is also an important hub for culture, business and tourism in Central Europe. It has many world heritage sites like the banks of River Danube, Andrassy Avenue, Buda Castle and Millennium Underground Railway. Budapest has abundant tourist attraction, making it one of the topmost European tourist destinations. The Millennium Underground Railway system is the first of its kind on the European continent. Restoration work has been carried out for nearly a decade on the various dilapidated historical buildings of the city and the buildings have been restored to their former glory and Budapest is shining as ever. Every part of Budapest is steeped in history, right from the Great Synagogue of 3000-seat capacity, Heroes square, Basilica of St. Stephens to the Royal Palace.

You can climb up the 364 steps of the St. Stephen’s Basilica to get a spellbinding view of Budapest city. The cultural scenario of the city has been enhanced by the recent addition of the Holocaust Museum, a moving memorial to the debacles of the 20th century. The visitors seeking pleasure must take a trip to Margaret Island. Margaret Island was the ruling base of King Imre in the 12th and 13th centuries, and presently, it has been developed into a park and pool complex. You can enjoy jogging and sunbathing at this complex or just relax by the poolside. Malev is the national airline of Hungary and it has frequent offerings of excellent low fares from majority of the European cities and New York.

The other famous islands of Budapest are Csepel-sziget, Hajogyari-sziget and Lupa-sziget. You will get to enjoy the renowned Sziget Festival with numerous performances throughout the year at Hajogyari-sziget along activities like jet-skiing during the daytime, and wake boarding and dance clubs in the night. Budapest city is home to Europe’s largest synagogue- the Great Synagogue and the biggest medicinal bath- Szechenyi Medicinal Bath. It also houses Europe’s third biggest Parliament building, third biggest church, Esztergom Basilica and world’s second largest Baroque castle of Godollo. The other places of tourist interest in Budapest are historic district of Krisztinavaros, Fisherman’s Bastion, Historic Site of Taban, Danube Promenade, Erzsebet Bridge, Naphegy Panoramic View, Matthias Library, House of Terror, Hungarian State Opera House and Bauhaus Villas. Do not miss the Hungarian National Gallery, Timewheel, Zoo, City Park, Vigado Concert Hall, Geological Museum, Liberty Bridge, Great Market Hall and Palace of Art in addition to many more. You can go shopping in the Inner City for the traditional handicrafts- ceramics, embroidered goods, Halas Lace, porcelain and painted eggs and more.

Travel Junkie? Bookmark Or Share!

Montenegro is the hidden gem of the Adriatic Sea and the tourists will surely enjoy the pristine and virginal beaches along side Budva Riviera. There is much to be seen and done in Montenegro than just sea, sand and sun. You can have the most luxurious vacation in the well preserved medieval cities of the country. When you are holidaying in Budva, you can stay at the choicest hotel of Villa Montenegro, the favourite of European film stars, industrialists and famous politicians. This splendid Villa is made of granite and marble and has about a dozen deluxe rooms and has a perfect sea-facing setting on the coastline. The nature lovers can have their share of adrenalin rush while driving along the Bay of Kotor road, which has breathtaking vistas from the dizzying cliffs around the bay. Montenegro is home to the biggest lake of Balkans, the Skadar Lake and it is the most stunning natural attraction of this region.

Montenegro is a country situated in Southeastern part of Europe and is bordered on the south by the Adriatic Sea. Its bordering countries include Croatia, Herzegovina, Bosnia, Serbia and Albania. Podgorica is the capital city of Montenegro and also the largest in size. Montenegro is the newest country of the world, having gained its independence only recently in the year 2006. The history of Montenegro dates back to the time before 9 AD, and the first settlers as per the historical records are the Illyrians. The Romans conquered it in 9AD. The area of Montenegro was heavily colonized by the Slavs in the 5th and 6th centuries. It formed a principality of semi-independent type, Dolcea and was involved in the medieval politics of Balkan along with tie-ups with major Byzantium and minor Rascia. It became a kingdom in 1077. It came under unified Serbian realm towards the end of the 12th century and the mid 13th century saw the collapse of the Serbian empire, followed by the rule and prominence of Balsics, an influential family. Then, another family called Crnojevics came into power in the mid 14th century till the end of the 15th century. Later, Montenegro came under several rules like the Ottoman Empire, Serbian Orthodox Metropolis, Austrian Empire and Yugoslav rule.

Montenegro has a very diverse geography with high mountains, costal plains, beaches, rugged terrains, lakes, canyons, bays and national parks. It is also home to world heritage sites listed by the UNESCO. These include the ancient city of Kotor, Tara River Canyon and Durmitor. Montenegrin culture has passed through various influences during its history like the seafaring Adriatic or the Orthodox South Slavic and so on. The visitors are able to see these influences in the architecture represented in Roman, Baroque and Gothic structures. The religious monuments worth visiting include the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon, St. Luke Basilica, Our Lady of the Rocks and Savina Monastery along with many more. You will be thrilled to see the frescoes that are spread out nearly thousands of square metres in the various medieval monasteries of Montenegro. Cetinje is the royal capital of the ancient times and you must visit this place to see the great literary traditions of Montenegro. Sveti Stefan is a luxury hotel worth taking a trip to, while being in Montenegro.

Travel Junkie? Bookmark Or Share!

Paris overwhelms the first time visitors with its daunting sights- every bit of the city is full of beauty and history. You are left spellbound by the sheer magnificence, rich culture, architecture, art and aesthetic appeal of the city. The city of Paris is full of life and vigor and the tourist are drawn towards it completely. Actually, the tourists visiting Paris ought to visit every nook and corner of the city to take in its total essence, but the most important sights to be seen in the weekend in Paris include The Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Musee d’Orsay, Sorbonne and Latin Quarter, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Centre Georges Pompidou, Beaubourq Neighborhood, Sacre Coeur, Montmartre, Pere Lachaise Cemetery and Siene River.

Paris has come to be world renowned as the greatest romantic city of the world. The capital city of France is so magical and mystical that you will feel like returning here again. You must see the Louvre Palace and Museum to marvel at the world’s largest collection of paintings, decorative objects and sculptures of the great masters. The Palace is an architectural masterpiece in itself housing the great masterpieces of Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo. Notre Dame Cathedral is a majestic structure; you will be delighted to see the striking towers, beautiful spires, stained glasses, statues and the breathtaking views. You will be able to see the crossover of the classical art into the contemporary art form at the Musee d’Orsay. It is home to many important paintings of the impressionist and post impressionist eras.

You can see the historic seat of higher learning at the Latin Quarter’s Sorbonne University, oldest European university, founded in 1257. You are transported back in time with the great thinkers and philosophers like Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Rene Descartes. You can enjoy a refreshing drink on the terrace café and then go on to explore the winding streets of the Latin Quarter. Eiffel Tower is the main hallmark of Paris and the crowning glory of the city. You can have a romantic rendezvous in the restaurant of the Eiffel Tower. This iron tower was built in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel. You get spectacular views of Paris from the Eiffel Tower.

The Arc de Triomphe is an awe inspiring structure and the visitors are left marveling at this 164 foot arch commissioned by the Emperor Napoleon I. The Avenue des Champs Elysees is also an equally grand structure. The visitors must tour the modern art museum and the cultural center of the Centre Georges Pompidou. You can take roof top views of Paris city from here. The basilica of Sacre Coeur is another interesting tourist attraction with garish mosaic interiors in gold and dramatic terraces. The tourists can enjoy the traditional cabaret of Paris at the legendary Moulin Rouge. The Pere Lachaise Cemetery is a place where many famous personalities are laid to rest, including Oscar Wilde, Moliere and Edith Piaf and so on. The tourists must take a boat tour of River Siene to view the beautiful sceneries of Paris; this will make your trip to Paris the most worthwhile experience.

Travel Junkie? Bookmark Or Share!