The Dream Downtown in New York
New York City is forever coming out with quirkier and more unique hotels with hoteliers trying desperately to outdo one another with flair and character. The Dream Downtown is one of those hotels. Located …
Globe-trotter travel specialist Julie Mathews on her favourite places in the world
When I was little, I grew up listening to fascinating stories told by my dad about the wonderful places that he visited around the world while working on a luxury cruise liner during the 1950s and 1960s. I was inspired to travel and couldn’t wait to see some of those destinations with my own eyes.
As soon as I was old enough, I took up an apprenticeship in travel and tourism and began my career in the travel industry. I have worked for small independent travel agencies, a large global travel company in Mayfair and a traveller’s club in Knightsbridge and I have now recently joined the Western & Oriental team in London where I specialise in luxury travel in the Far East, Arabia, Indian Ocean and the Caribbean.
I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit some fantastic places around the world both through work trips and personal holidays. I am fascinated by places that are rich in culture, nature and beauty, I also love the ocean and enjoy shopping and dining in cities.
The Far East is one of my favourite destinations as it offers a perfect combination of culture, beautiful beaches, rainforests and exciting cities.
I particularly love Thailand, where the people are so friendly, there are so many temples, palaces and other places of historic interest to visit, fantastic food and markets, mangroves and islands with stunning beaches and fabulous luxury hotels with spas. I especially loved the Pimalai on Koh Lanta, located on a hill on the edge of the mangrove with stunning views of the sea, and Rasananda on Koh Phanang, located on the most perfect beach I have ever seen. Both hotels are luxury boutique and have super spas, fantastic food and excellent service. In the north I visited the fascinating city of Chaing Mai, where I climbed the 300 steps to visit the temple of Wat Prathat Doi Suthep that is perched on a mountside. I also had an amazing day where I rode an elephant bareback through the mangrove; this was a great experience and one that I will always remember.
I also have a soft spot for Africa where I have been on safari several times including Samburi and the Masai Mara in Kenya and Shamwari in South Africa. Watching the wildlife in the beautiful savannah is simply spellbinding. Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities on earth, where you will find some of the best food and wine in the world.
I recently went to Barbados where I stayed at the lovely Fairmont Royal Pavilion which has a spot on the best stretch of beach. I stayed in one of their Beachfront Junior Suites that I highly recommend as they overlook the ocean and you can walk out from your private deck straight out to the beach. I enjoyed swimming in the warm clear sea and at certain times of the day you can swim out and feed the turtles, this was a wonderful experience and a memory that I will treasure.
Another highlight of my travels was a trip to India. I was there for two weeks so I was only able to see a small piece of this vast country, but I long to go back in the future and explore it further. I visited Delhi, Jaipur, Samode, Agra and Mumbai. We sat in the gardens of the Taj Mahal and had tea with our guide while he told us about its history, before taking us through to visit the temple and it was just as beautiful as I always imagined. Samode Palace was also somewhere very special, it is a Heritage Hotel and was formerly a fort, it has been very well preserved and still has many original features, such as the marble floors and is full of antiques, it was a truly magical place full of charm and character, the service was outstanding, I was made to feel like a princess and it felt like I had gone back in time.
I still have a long list of places that I wish to visit, including the Himalayas, Burma, Vietnam, Laos, Botswana and Namibia to name just a few and there are always amazing new hotels opening up around the world so the list grows. It’s great when clients come back from their trips and tell us all about their experiences and I always enjoy sharing my personal travel knowledge with clients too.
The Dream Downtown in New York
New York City is forever coming out with quirkier and more unique hotels with hoteliers trying desperately to outdo one another with flair and character. The Dream Downtown is one of those hotels.
Located on West 16th Street, only a few blocks from Union Square and the fashionable West Village, the Dream Downtown’s most unusual feature is the large oversized porthole windows left over from when the building used to be maritime offices. It gives a feeling of being on a boat or a submarine if it wasn’t for the spectacular views of the city. These views are at their best from the rooftop lounge, PHD which serves delicious cocktails like Linda’s Lemonade and Dream Girl with bits and bites. The bar opens at 5pm making it a perfect viewing point for the sunset and becomes the place to party as the night progresses.
The opening of the High Line last year and its much anticipated expansion is making this area of Manhattan the up and coming neighbourhood to be in and as the local park, you can often find many New Yorkers relaxing on one of the architecturally designed benches that blend discreetly into the design.
Away from the tourist hotspots of Times Square, the neighbourhood is pulsating with New Yorkers going about their day to day lives. Fashionable shops keep the streets active during the day while popular restaurants and bars cause the streets to come alive at night with activity. See our selection of New York city breaks here.
Good Morning Vietnam
Emirates have just announced that it will begin flying to Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City daily from 4th June 2012 via Dubai. In just one day you can go from the glitz and glamour of one of the most exclusive cities in the world, to a remote and peaceful beach surrounded by palm trees and crystal waters.
This is Emirates’ eighth route launched this year, with flights to Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Harare to name a few. Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said that “following the signing of the Air Services Memorandum of Understanding between Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates in April 2011, we have been busy planning this route and it comes at a very exciting time for the airline, as our global network continues to expand.”
A multi-stop holiday in these two places offers the ultimate in luxury. Emirates’ 27 business class seats with gourmet meals, award-winning services and hundreds of movies and TV programmes allows you to fly away with an airline you can trust. With Western & Oriental, we can help you put together your own personal tailor-made holiday to destinations all over the world. View our selection of luxury holidays.
Kate’s experience in Turtle Island, Malaysia
When my friends suggested we should visit Selingaan Turtle Island of the coast of Borneo I hesitated. First of all the thought of boarding a flight from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan only two days after arriving in Malaysia from London made me wary, as being a nervous flyer I try to avoid planes at any cost!
Secondly the attraction itself has mixed press. Some visitors loved it; others called it a “sad spectacle” and argue that the turtles should be left alone.
Somehow my friends managed to convince me that as we were already there, we could not miss such an opportunity for a close encounter with wildlife. We took an early morning Air Asia flight that thankfully lasted only 35 minutes. A very talkative and difficult to understand Chinese taxi driver took us from the airport to the jetty and from there we boarded a speedboat and our turtle adventure began.
The day was beautiful, we were speeding past colourful villages on stilts, the sea and the sky were equally blue and when after an hour boat ride we arrived to the little tropical island in the middle of Sulu Sea it looked to us like a private paradise. There were over 40 guests on the island that day, but I had no idea where they were hiding, as we only saw other people during mealtimes.
We left our bags in our simple but comfy chalets, hired snorkelling equipment and spent a large part of the day swimming in the warm, clear water.
After lunch, the island looked completely deserted. I went for a walk to take some photos. The world seemed to be so peaceful that I decided that even the jungle is not as scary as I thought it would be and I really enjoyed being in the tropical forest. At this precise moment I saw a dragon! A huge monitor lizard was taking advantage of the quiet afternoon sitting on the pavement and almost scared me to death!
The evening was all about the turtles. We had a guided tour of a small turtle museum, watched an informative film about turtle conservation and were getting more and more excited. Will the turtles come, we were wondering. Will they lay eggs? Are we going to see them? We were waiting in the darkness ready to go. At about 8:30pm the ranger called that a turtle had landed.
We walked quickly in silence to the place where we had been swimming only a few hours ago. The beautiful animal was there, already laying eggs. We were standing in silence watching her, taking turns to come closer and take pictures. After she finished the ranger measured and tagged her and we left her in peace. We took the eggs to the heathery, where they will stay for about 2 months in safe and clean sand, protected from the ‘dragon’ I saw earlier. Later, we went to the beach on the other side of the island to release little hatchlings. Fifty-two of the cute, tiny, one-day old creatures were set free and raced to the ocean. Then the spectacle was over. We were asked to stay inland and not disturb other animals.
Each night about 30 turtles lay eggs on Selingan Island, but only one or maximum two of them are watched by tourists. Since the beginning of the conservation programme, over 11 million turtles were released to the sea, but only 5% of them survive. It’s still much higher survival rate than when the process is left to nature.
It was raining all night, the sea was rough and the boat ride back was bumpy, but we had just had a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience. We were still amazed by the beautiful green turtles and nothing could destroy our happiness. The Chinese taxi driver was waiting for us at the jetty smiling from ear to ear, ready to take us to the Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre. After all, one ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience is definitely not enough!
Nice you see you, but to see Puerto Rico, VERY nice
British favourite Bruce Forsyth chats to the Daily Mail about his wonderful wife Wilnelia and her home country, the beautiful paradise island of Puerto Rico. He writes the article from Puerto Rico itself where he has been for the past six weeks relaxing and playing golf. Married since 1983 and with one son, Wilnelia was once crowned Miss World and it was while they were both judging the Miss World event in 1980 that they met.
Bruce talks about his passion for golf and the invigorating feeling that Puerto Rico gives him whenever he spends time on the island. His house on the north side of the island is set by magnificent beaches and in his opinion the best golf clubs in the Caribbean. He recommends one of Western & Oriental’s most popular resorts, “the luxurious St. Regis Bahia Beach, which is the most beautiful property and would be the perfect setting for a honeymoon.”
With a “gorgeous climate” Bruce can’t understand “why the British aren’t queuing up to get in” to this beautiful island. Perfect weather in winter make the island a great getaway from the Christmas period.
Bruce mentions how Puerto Rico is not only excellent for golf, but “Wilnelia is in raptures about the shopping. It’s marvellous because you have all the big American stores but also fabulous local designers. It’s a very fashionable place.”
Knowing the island so well, Bruce recommends El Meson Gallego in San Juan to eat, Playa Sucia to soak up the sun and with “mysterious mists creeping down hillsides” there are plenty of walks and hikes to embark on.
Bruce concludes, “I couldn’t write about Puerto Rico without mentioning the dancing. Wilnelia loves the nightlife in Old San Juan, where you can find live music and bars with big salsa bands. In Puerto Rico, most social events end with a dance.” However he laments that while he has been known to strut his stuff on our Saturday night favourite, Strictly Come Dancing, his merengue is still to be perfected with his wife Wilnelia telling him that they “need to do a little more practice on the turns.”
When will you be going on your Puerto Rico Holiday?
Meet Olivia the Turtle, Marine Researcher in the Maldives
Meet Olivia the turtle, Four Seasons Resort Landaa Giraavaru’s latest marine researcher in the Maldives. Olivia is a rare Olive Ridley turtle and a pioneer for her species. She spent some 12 months of her long life being nurtured and cared for at the island’s successful Landaa Turtle Rehabilitation Centre and as the longest-staying resident to date, she has been fitted with a satellite tracking device and released back into the wild.
Her adventures so far have already taken her into the middle of the Indian Ocean, a distance of 510 miles from the resort, and with the satellite tracking device anyone is able to follow her whereabouts via the regularly updated ‘Olivia-link’ run by the rehab centre here. This geo tagging technology has allowed marine biologists exclusive access to the life of Olivia. With such little information known about the world’s smallest sea turtles, this project is an excellent opportunity to find out more about these fascinating creatures.
Meanwhile, we have been watching Olivia’s emotional release into the wild and look forward to discovering Olivia’s whereabouts in the world. Other patients at the rehab centre include Sally and Clover, Olive Ridley turtles who were found with multiple lacerations caused by fishing boats in the local area. Landaa’s Turtle Rehabilitation Centre’s successful program means that their release back into the wild is imminent and with the necessary sponsorship of these turtles, the centre would be able to purchase more satellite tags to continue their important research.
Inner Cowgirl Unleashed in Arizona
Lynsey Perkins, a travel agent at Travel Counsellors, travelled to Las Vegas and White Stallion Ranch, Arizona and had a fantastic time exploring the strip and unleashing her inner cowgirl on the ranch. This is her guest blog.
From glitzy Las Vegas to peace, nature & tranquillity at the White Stallion Ranch in Tuscon, Arizona – a match made in heaven!!
Disregarding any notion of jet lag we hit the strip running once we reached Las Vegas. This is a 24-hour city and visitors might need to be reminded that they will need to sleep at some point! We strolled in and out of hotels; revelling in their over-the-top splendour. The Venetian, complete with indoor canal and gondolas; Paris – with its own Eiffel Tower. You can visit Egypt, Paris, New York and Venice on the same day. Watch a circus, ride a roller-coaster, eat vast meals, play the slot machines, get married. Where else but Las Vegas? In barely more than a century, a way station on a railroad line has transformed itself into a holiday destination that attracts nearly 40 million visitors a year.
We also took in one of the most amazing shows in the world, La Reve (The Dream). WOW!! We stayed in the Mandarin Oriental hotel which is set in the most amazing position right on the strip. I was totally wowed by this gorgeous hotel. It is a boutique hotel by Las Vegas standards with only 392 luxurious rooms and suites over 47 storeys. This hotel offers wonderful experiences in dining and accommodation while the Mandarin Oriental spa will not disappoint those looking for the ultimate in relaxation in the world’s most extravagant playground. Although it is a non-gaming hotel, guests receive the unique benefit of being able to bill back to their room from any of the strip’s major casinos – thus enjoying the benefits of gaming without staying in a casino hotel.
What an experience, we certainly enjoyed Vegas in every way we could and soon it was time to fly on to our next destination.
A very short 1 hour flight from Vegas to Tuscon made it so easy to get to, but it was so hard to leave…the magic of horses…friends, family and fun!
There is a slice of heaven on earth and it’s in Tucson, Arizona. A holiday at the White Stallion Ranch provided a much needed dose of serenity and the welcoming and peaceful environment only added to the relaxation of our stay.
Turning off the main road, you are transported into the breathtaking Sonoran Desert. Driving among free-roaming cattle, horses, and cacti, you pull up to a group of adobe-style buildings and beautiful landscaping. The people at the White Stallion Ranch are more than welcoming and make you feel as though you are home. The best part of the accommodation is that there aren’t any TV’s in the room to distract you from a break of tranquility and allowing for the chance to reconnect with your friends, family, children, or whoever you are sharing the experience with.
Run by the True family for the past 50 years, the White Stallion Ranch is located next to the Saguaro National Park. The mountainous scenery alone on this 3,000-acre ranch makes this a perfect place to holiday either for a week or a long weekend. Whether you’ve never been on a horse before or are an experienced rider, this is the dude ranch to go for a time with great food, great company and unmatched horseback riding.
You are paired up with one of the many horses on the ranch, which boasts the largest privately-owned herd in Arizona. I had the pleasure of riding Cutaway. Cutaway responded to even the slightest tug on the reigns and was sure-footed as we started out on the Breakfast Ride, an early morning ride into the desert to a group of picnic tables where they serve you a hearty breakfast of eggs, potatoes and pancakes. The food was not only filling but absolutely delicious. The hearty meals served us well, as the afternoon’s Fast Ride, team penning and barrel racing would require it.
The evenings at the ranch were very relaxed as everyone gathered for dinner together. From mid March onwards the meals are mainly cook outs served under the beautiful clear starry skies, sitting out at large round tables with braziers burning away in the middle, sipping Margheritas amongst the twinkly lit cactus and watching the horses and the amazing sunsets beyond.
The horse riding did make me ache, but thankfully White Stallion boasts a heated outdoor pool as well as an enclosed wooden hot tub. Other amenities/activities to enjoy include mountain biking, hiking, a tennis court, basketball court and a games room, which along with pool, poker and air hockey tables, also houses a movie screen with a Wii and Netflix.
Driving away from the ranch was so hard. My inner cowgirl had been awakened and my whole mind and body had been refreshed by the few days away from it all, where I had just been able to commune with nature, the horses, my new friends and the others around us who had been touched by the same serene spirit that the White Stallion Ranch exudes.
I will return!
Holiday: Heaven on Earth working on a Ranch
Emma Wilson visits the Mayan Dude Ranch in Texas on Channel 5′s Heaven on Earth show on 1st March 2012
If you fancy doing something different this summer and are looking for an adventure, a ranch holiday in the USA might be what you are looking for.
Tonight, one of Western & Oriental’s luxury ranches, Mayan Dude Ranch, will feature on Channel 5’s show Holiday: Heaven on Earth. You will see Anne Robinson’s daughter, Emma Wilson, journey north of San Antonio, Texas to spend several days on a working ranch, working as a cowgirl. She will learn to ride horses, lasso cows and enjoy the beautiful surroundings that Texas has to offer.
The show itself will only give you a glimpse of what it is like spending several days on a working ranch. From sunrise to sunset your day will be packed with horse riding, swimming, a little bit of snoozing and lots of delicious food. Remember, everything is bigger in Texas and the USA’s southern hospitality is famous. Throughout your stay you will be pampered and looked after with super-size meals. In the evenings, enjoy a delicious barbeque with ribs and brisket dripping in barbeque sauce and plenty of corn bread, mac and cheese, sumptuous steak and much, much more. Work off all the food with a barn dance or a house musical, and round the evening off with a fireworks display.
A short stop in San Antonio is necessary to purchase those all important cowboy hats and boots to complete your holiday and lifelong memories.
Combine your stay at Mayan Dude Ranch with a stop over in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit the strip, catch a show, sample the nightlife and take a helicopter ride to the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon to complete this unforgettable experience.
For more information contact one of Western & Oriental’s Ranch Travel Specialists on 020 7666 1217.
See some of our photos from the beautiful Mayan Dude Ranch below.
Mayan Dude Ranch
Mayan Dude Ranch
Mayan Dude Ranch
Mayan Dude Ranch
Learn to love lions & donate to win!
The magnificent new film The Last Lions has its UK premier on Nat Geo Wild on Sunday 19 February 2012 at 9pm (repeated on Monday 20 February 2012 at 4pm and Friday 24 February 2012 at 10pm). National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence, Dereck and Beverly Joubert have filmed this epic documentary on location at Duba Plains in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, it tells the story of a lioness struggling to protect her cubs.
Some may be alarmed to learn that the current statistics on the lion populations have dwindled from an estimated 400,000 in the 1940’s to as few as 20,000 animals today. The factors surrounding this decline range from loss of habitat, burgeoning human populations as well as human conflict.
The Big Cats Initiative is a worthy program that supports conservation and education projects and is essentially a global awareness campaign to halt this steady decline and highlight why these magnificent creatures are so vital to the ecosystem.
Delight in watching this film and show your support by making a donation to the National Geographic Big Cats Initiative, however small, to play your part in this essential protection of wildlife. Send us proof of your donation (such as your donation confirmation to alison@rainbowtours.co.uk) and we will enter you into our prize draw. The top prize is a personally signed book by Beverly and Dereck Joubert the filmmakers, called Eye of the Leopard. There are also runner up prizes of various National Geographic DVD’s.
The draw will take place on 30th March 2012 at 4pm. Winners will be notified by email within 5 days of the draw taking place.
Watch the trailer below and remember all the proceeds of this film are put back into conserving these big cats through the work of various projects supported by National Geographic Big Cats Initiative.
Good luck and happy viewing!
See the world in under 5 minutes – with 6237 photographs
Fancy speeding around the world in under 5 minutes? Kien Lam, a keen photographer, has made this possible with his stunning time-lapse video taken whilst spending nearly a year adventuring around the world on a journey that took him through 17 different countries over 343 days. Whilst doing so, he took 6,237 photographs which he has pieced together as several beautiful fast-paced montages.
Kien wanted to capture the spirit of his journey and took time-lapse photos at every city that he travelled to. Each two-second scene comprises approximately 40-60 photographs.
The countries showcased within the video and on his 25,000 mile journey include Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Egypt, England, France, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Morocco, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay and the United States. Kien also visited popular landmarks such as Stonehenge, the Louvre, Times Square, Mt. Sinai, Pier 39 and the Alhambra. He rode on 58 buses, 18 boats and 19 airplanes over the course of the entire trip.
Which of these cities will you be putting onto your list of places to visit? Watch the video here:
Elephant Hills in Thailand Announces Birth of Baby Ha Ha
After waiting 22 months for the birth, Elephant Hills is proud to announce the birth of Ha Ha the baby elephant, born to Tor Por late last Sunday night on the 12th of February 2012. It is Tor Por’s first baby and both mother and baby are doing well in the confines of their herd. The matriarch Khun Di-Be-Le is especially pleased with the new arrival and was a witness to her smooth birth. She measures in at 90cm high with a healthy weight of approximately 100kgs and will keep Tor Por busy for the next few years.
Asian elephants were classed as endangered in 1986 and according to the WWF, their numbers are still dwindling in Thailand where they are domesticated and in some cases mistreated. This birth is a huge success for Elephant Hills and they are hoping that Ha Ha will have a brother or sister in the next five years.
Elephant Hills is nestled deep in Thailand’s Khao Sok rainforest and gives its visitors a luxury camping experience amongst the wildlife. Visitors can either choose to stay at the luxury floating camp or the tented camp and are treated to campfires and canoe excursions among many other activities. With the addition of Ha Ha, Elephant Hills will further ensure that they create a lifetime of memories for visiting guests, and continue to work with the local community to improve conservation in the area.
We wish the excellent team at Elephant Hills good luck and look forward to hearing how Ha Ha is doing in the future. Watch baby Ha Ha playing and see her photos below.
Top 8 Intimate Encounters This Valentine’s Day
We have put together our favourite heart related destinations to get you in the Valentine’s day mood. Let us know if you have found any other heart related places on your travels.
Have a heart to heart dancing on ice
Snuggle up to your partner on the deck of one of our Antarctic cruises and spot heart shaped icebergs among the abundant wildlife in the region. Antarctica’s dramatic landscape plays host to hundreds of different species. Watch dolphins frolic in the water and whales and seals feed on the schools of fish. Pack your snow boots and hold on tight to your loved one as you go on daily excursions on the ice. Look out for the emperor penguin. Is there a fledgling underneath the feathers?
Penguin in Antarctica
Heart shaped rock on Palm Beach – Crete
Discover this heart shaped rock in the shallows of Palm Beach on the Greek island of Crete. Gorge on figs, the aphrodisiacal local delicacy and sip cocktails under the palm trees to return home a healthy sun-kissed colour. Explore the many caves by snorkel or boat to pack some adventure into your romantic escape or honeymoon and relax in the spa with a joint massage and mud bath after a difficult day swinging from hammocks in the breeze.
Palm Beach in Crete, Greece
Elephants sharing the love
Spot elephants in love embracing in the grasslands and fall asleep to the sound of hippos gurgling in the lake. With Honeymiles, watch the sunrise from one of our hot air balloon safaris over the Masai-Mara reserve. It is the best time to see the lions hunt their prey. Watch the animals from the sky, and land to a champagne breakfast, the perfect end to a romantic and peaceful honeymoon a million miles away from home.
Elephants in Love
Having a whale of a time
Visit the heart shaped island in the Vaza-Barris river of Brazil and spot the humpback whales’ heart-shaped tails close to the Abrolhos islands. Dance the intimate samba with your loved one and soak up the sun on Rio’s sexiest beaches. Catch a rainbow over the Iguazu falls on a helicopter tour, or feel the mist hit your face from Brazil’s walkway over the canyon. You will be on top of the world at Corcovado Peak.
Humpback Whale off the coast of Brazil
Lovers Island in Croatia
Escape to Lovers Island in Croatia and explore this natural heart-shaped island in the Adriatic. Take a boat from the mainland with a bottle of champagne and delicious picnic and enjoy the peaceful surroundings of this privately-owned piece of land. Our resorts in Croatia are immersed in culture. Stroll hand in hand around the rustic town of Dubrovnik or hire a bicycle to get off the beaten track. Visit the castles and the cobbled streets of historic towns.
Love Island, Croatia
Rih Lake – Burma (meaning heart in Hindi)
Burma’s Rih Lake may not be a perfect heart shape, but years of British colonisation altered this natural beauty to be the shape it is today. Originally believed to be a passage for souls to heaven, take your soul mate here and discover the rugged and untouched beauty that Burma has to offer. Visit via India, staying at one of our luxury hotels or take a tour of this magnificent and colourful country in absolute luxury. Make sure you visit the Taj Mahal and learn about the love story that inspired this fine piece of architecture. If you’re feeling daring, you can even spice up your love life by trying snake blood, a traditional Indian aphrodisiac.
Rih Dil Lake in Burma
Heart shaped island in Okavango Delta - Botswana
Escape to one of the last unspoiled corners of Africa for some intimate alone time. This heart shaped island in the heart of the Okavango Delta in Botswana is only visible between March and June when the swamp levels are at their highest. Take a romantic and authentic mokoro (a traditional canoe) and paddle to the island to see the Big Five in their natural habitat. Stargaze on a mobile safari or ride a quad bike through the salt pans during the dry season.
Okavango Delta, Bostwana
Trouvez l’amour en France – Find love in France
Fancy staying closer to home? Take a trip to France where you can immerse yourself in the peace and tranquillity of some of the country’s most exclusive holiday destinations. Famous for its cuisine, dine on oysters and red wine as the sun goes down over the Mediterranean. Dip your toes in the sea or climb some of France’s mountains for that extra thrill.
Corsica, France
Image Source: Aforadio
