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The Charr’s The Star
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The Lake District’s oldest
resident, the Arctic Charr, is
providing a rare gastronomic
experience for food lovers.
The Ice Age came, went, but in
Cumbria it left behind the
Arctic Charr.
This ancient fish became
landlocked and now in England it
lives exclusively in the depths
of Bassenthwaite Lake and
Windermere.
The fish, which looks like a
salmon trout and has a very
similar taste, is providing
anglers with a rare challenge as
well as offering diners an
opportunity to savour the taste
of one of Britain’s rarest
delicacies.
While there are concerns for
tuna and cod stocks, the Charr
population is thriving.
Ray Blackburn, who has owned and
run the Derwent Lodge Hotel near
Bassenthwaite Lake for more than
20 years, believes that the
Charr is the jewel in the crown
of the many local delicacies the
Lake District has to offer.
The hotel is offering guests
boat trips with local fishermen
who teach the dark arts of
trolling spinning, the
traditional method of luring a
Charr. Canny anglers need to
row continuously to keep their
lures alluring, but when
successful, head chef Steve
Dillon will serve up the fruits
of their labours in the dining
room for supper.
“It is a delicious fish and has
a very delicate taste,” says
Blackburn .
“It is now coming into season so
this is the very best time of
the year to try Charr. It is
almost a ‘best kept secret’
because lots of our visitors
have never heard of the Charr.
Guests try it here for the first
time and become hooked,”.
About The Derwent Lodge Hotel
The Derwent
Lodge Hotel is in the village of
Embleton , just off the A66
between the market towns of
Cockermouth and Keswick. The
hotel, situated between the
towns of Keswick and Cockermouth,
was originally an 18th century
farmhouse that has now been
beautifully renovated and
extended. It has been family
owned and run for 20 years and
provides both en-suite
accommodation as well as
luxurious, individually designed
apartments. The apartments
sleep up to eight people so are
ideal for large families or
groups. The hotel has a renowned
restaurant that provides a wide
range of regional and
international dishes and uses
locally sourced produce whenever
possible. Prices start at £75
for single occupancy and £110
for a double.
For
further information:
See www.thederwentlodge.co.uk |
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My Trip To South
Thailand
by Carol Driver
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Two weeks lazing about on a
beach always sounds good in
principle. But, unless there’s
some adventure thrown in, it can
become very boring quite
quickly.
It was with this in mind I had
booked myself on an Intrepid
trip of South Thailand. It had
just enough “free time” to feel
like a holiday and allow me to
unwind, but there was also
travelling and activities
involved to make it interesting.
I meet with my group of nine
others and we start our
adventure in the hustle and
bustle of the country’s capital
city, Bangkok, in the Viengtai
Hotel which is near to the
famous Khao Sahn Road.
There’s a day of sightseeing
planned, taking in the stunning
Grand Palace and Wat Po temple
– home of the Reclining Buddha –
and a boat tour along the
maze-like canals of the
Chaophraya River.
Then it’s a 13-hour overnight
train journey to Surat Thani.
Thankfully, having already
experienced the Thai railways, I
was prepared for a broken
night’s sleep – the train also
has a “disco carriage” where you
can buy beer and dance to cheesy
pop music until the early hours.
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We arrive early and make the
hour-and-a-half drive to Khao
Sok National Park, which boasts
some of the best remaining
rainforest in Thailand.A 50-minute longtail boat ride
across the Chiaw Lan Lake takes
us to our home for the next two
nights – floating rafthouses.
Surrounded by water and small
islands, they’re in an idyllic
setting and the view of the
mountains reflecting on the lake
is stunning.
We then “sabi sabi” (Thai for
“take it easy”) at four more
locations, including staying in
treehouses (or bungalows on
stilts) back on land at the Khao
Sok National Park.
The group then makes the
four-hour journey to Krabi,
where for one night we are
staying with a Muslim family in
a local village.
We try our hand
at rubber tapping on the trees
outside their home.
It’s then on to the nearby Ben’s
Hotel, from where we walk down
to the coast to board our yacht
for the day (1,100Bt - £22pp).
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It cruises around the nearby
islands, such as Phi Phi and
Bamboo, stopping at points in
the Andaman sea so that we can
dive in and swim with the
vibrant-coloured fish. At
Bamboo Island we manage – by
carrying our bags on our heads
as we walk in waist-high water
to navigate some rocks in the
sea – to find an almost secluded
stretch of pristine white beach.
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For our final four days we are
staying on the beautiful Koh
Sukorn in the Andaman Sea. There
are very few tourists on the
remote island, which is
scattered with charming fishing
villages.Back at the resort, where we’re
staying in beach bungalows, it’s
time to chill out.
Fact Box
Getting there:
QANTAS HOLIDAYS (www.qantasholidays.co.uk 020 8222 9124) offers flights to
Thailand from £749pp until 15
June 2009.
Holiday insurance
Was
booked through AA Travel
Insurance
Go to their website at:
www.aatravelinsurance.com
Southern Thailand Intrepid
trip:
15 days including Bangkok.
£440 (plus local payment Thai
Baht 10,000)
www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/tss.
To book call
Telephone: 020 3147 7777
Or
visit
www.intrepidtravel.com |
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Affordable Holidays
With a Difference
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If you have a
love of travel, enjoy new
experiences and relish meeting
new people, then we would love
you to join us as a guide on a
Vitalise Holiday.
We organise a
wide variety of group holidays
in the UK and worldwide. What
makes our holidays different to
most is that they are completely
accessible to blind and visually
impaired people.
Our holiday
groups are made up of both
sighted and visually impaired
holidaymakers. We ask the
holidaymakers with sight to act
as ‘sighted guides’ to the
visually impaired members of the
group so that everyone enjoys
the holiday experience to the
full.
As a guide, you’ll be
describing the scenery, helping
to navigate unfamiliar terrain
and offering practical
assistance throughout the break.
We welcome single
travellers, couples and friends
on all of our holidays.
Our holidays
We have a huge
range of holidays to choose from
including long weekends in the
UK, relaxing beach holidays and
adventures in far-flung corners
of the globe. We also offer
interest holidays, such as
crafts and dancing, activities
such as walking and cycling and
many more.
The holiday price
for guides is always subsidised
to be as affordable as possible.
This is because of the important
role guides play in enabling
visually impaired holidaymakers
to gain the most from their
break.
Prices vary from
holiday to holiday, with UK
breaks starting from around £200
per person and overseas breaks
from as little as £325 per
person.
Holidays available for Summer
2009 include:
·
Traditional UK seaside breaks
·
Visit the wine estates of the
Loire
· Enjoy
walking in Scotland or Ireland
· Visit
the historic palaces of London
· Experience
the sights of Seville
· Try
your hand at tall ship sailing
· Soak
up the sun in Bulgaria
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Support for guides
You don’t need
any special training to guide on
a Vitalise Holiday, just
a bit of common sense and a
willingness to learn as you go!
Before you embark on your
holiday we will send you our
guiding hints and tips and we
are also happy to talk through
any queries with you.
During your
holiday a Vitalise Holidays
Representative will always be on
hand to offer support and answer
your queries. In addition, your
fellow holidaymakers, both
sighted and visually impaired,
will be willing to offer advice
and support. After all, there
has to be a first time for
everyone!
What our guides
say about Vitalise Holidays
"When I
volunteered as a sighted guide,
I selected a canal boat holiday
as my first choice. I met
visually impaired holidaymakers
Michael and Daniel and fellow
guides, Ian and Glen, all under
the wing of tour leader Alison.
Our boat, Shropshire Lass, was
to be our home for the week and
we set about learning the ropes
– literally!
As a sighted
guide, I described the passing
scenery and warned the
holidaymakers of potential
hazards – including overhanging
branches and giant nettles! We
cruised from Lyneal to
Llangollen, passing from England
to Wales through stunning
scenery, over two spectacular
aqueducts, through numerous
tunnels - including one at Chirk
which was 1,400 feet long! - and
negotiated two sets of locks and
one swing bridge.
I came away with
a much better awareness of
visual impairment. Neither
Michael nor Daniel let it stop
them from trying new things. I
would definitely recommend
sighted guiding. You just need
to be prepared to muck in, be
flexible and above all, ready
for a laugh!"
Carole Johnson
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“So here I was in
Peru, acting as a sighted guide
on the holiday of a lifetime. As
I wrapped my scarf around my
neck, our group trekked along
talking, as old friends do, of
warm showers and hot chocolate
beside a roaring log fire.
I’d had a
long-held desire to visit Machu
Picchu, and what better way than
with a group of like-minded
people who loved life, loved
adventure, had plenty of humour
and get up and go, who grasped
any opportunity with both hands
and enjoyed life to the full.
And if the going got tough we
were all there to help each
other out. The camaraderie
within the group was amazing.
I have had such a
wonderful experience that I’d
love to do it again, so instead
of retiring I have taken on a
new part-time job to fund my
next unique experience with
Vitalise Holidays and meet new
friends in the process.”
Marian Smith
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Find out more about Vitalise Holidays
If you would like
to find out more about Vitalise
Holidays or receive a copy of
our current holiday brochure
please get in touch.
Our friendly team
are happy to answer any
questions you might have.
Tel: 0845 330
0149 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
Web:
www.vitalise.org.uk/holidays
Email:
viholidays@vitalise.org.uk
Registered
charity number 295072
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Record Numbers Are Staying in UK for
Their Holidays this Year:
But It's Not All Soggy
Ice-Creams and Rainy Picnics
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Due to the recession, over 40% of us are choosing to
stay in the UK for our summer holiday, according to
research by Visit Britain. It's led to what is
affectionately known as the Great British Staycation, as
we rediscover what we've come to know and love about our
country.
Some travel companies however, are taking an altogether
different approach. The hotel chain Jury's Inns (www.jurysinns.com)
have developed their staycation package, after
researching what it is we love best about our holidays
abroad. The answer was sun, sand and sea so that's what
they came up with this great package .
To see the package, click on:
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The package, which aims to bring the Mediterranean
experience right to you, is a fun way to recreate the
balmy climate and surroundings that we value highly,
without the stress of uncomfortable travel, airport
queues and language barriers. For those who may no
longer be able to travel abroad, it means you don't have
to say goodbye to the fun of a foreign holiday, you just
bring the fun to you. With a spray tan also on offer, it
also means you don't have to rely on the English weather
for an enviable sun-kissed glow.
Choosing a UK holiday over going abroad saves on cost,
but is also a great option if you want to spend time
together as a family. The ease and flexibility of
travelling at home compared to organising an overseas
holiday means you can opt for shorter holidays and work
around family members' busy schedules. Its even more of
an appealing option if you have younger grandchildren to
consider. You can take the time to rediscover
traditional family holidays, whether this is camping out
in the Lake District, or tucking into fish and chips on
Brighton beach.
If you're more of a city breaker, there's also some
great events to go to in London, as part of their West
End Time (www.westendtime.com)
programme. The activities on offer include theatre
walking tours, discount shopping events and even a Greek
workshop for the whole family.
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Ionian Island Holidays
In - Ithaka
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Looking east across the narrow channel from
anywhere on Kefalonia’s eastern coastline, the
view is dominated by a single island, Ithaka.
However anyone who makes the short but
spectacular sea journey across to reach the
island will soon discover that there is more
than one Ithaka.
First there is the Ithaka that you can see.
Sixth largest of the seven Ionian islands, two
mountains joined by a narrow ridge, rugged in
the west, with a more gentle and fertile eastern
shore, indented with bays and sheltered
harbours.
The
main road connects the small capital town of
Vathy, at the head of a fjord-like bay in the
South, with the scattered settlements in the
North. Kioni lies at the end of the road, an
idyllic jumble of pretty houses above a
sheltered cove, guarded by the remains of three
prominent windmills on the headland. Elegant
Venetian houses that have survived war,
earthquake and mass emigration, now fully
restored and once again inhabited by locals and
visitors.
Your Holiday
7nights at the Rigoni Apartments
departing 11th, 18th or 25th July from £620pp
based on two sharing a studio
Price includes flights from London
Gatwick, resort transfers, 7nights accommodation
plus a welcome hamper.
August departures from £729pp September from
£699pp
26 Sept - £439pp / 3rd & 10th October £399pp
Stylish apartments, beautiful sunrises
with easy access to Kioni and its seductive
coves
• Sleeps 2 – 4 • Air Conditioning in Bedrooms
Location:
Uninterrupted views of Kioni bay. Beach 2
minutes walk. Tavernas 5 minutes walk.
Accommodation:
5 Apartments: 3 one bedroom apartments: Sleeps 2
- 4 • 2 studios: Sleep 2
Flights:
Direct flights operating from London Gatwick and
Manchester
The
Pelion Peninsula
The Pelion Peninsula is unique, still largely
unknown to foreign visitors, but long recognised
by the Greeks as a national treasure to be
appreciated and preserved. One can
recognise the Pelion on the map as the long peninsula with a
claw like promontory at its southern end that
divides the Aegean Sea from the Pagasitic Gulf.
Cut off in the North by the Pelion Massif, the
only easy access by land is a narrow corridor
from the great plain of Thessaly to the west at
the head of the gulf through the city of Volos.
One of the great pleasures of a holiday here is
to be able to enjoy lying in the sun on a beach
with the clear Aegean waters lapping at your
feet, before moving to relax in the cool shade
of an ancient chestnut tree. September is apple
picking time, the orchards are laden with fruit
of every colour, whilst the cooler nights turn
the forests above into a sea of russet and gold.
Your Holiday
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7nights at the Pounda Paou Hotel located
on the Pelion Peninsula from £679pp based on two
sharing a room departing 10 July
Price
includes flights, resort transfers, 7nights
accommodation including breakfast, 7days motor
boat or car hire. (combination of both is
available)
17th &
24th July from £747pp
August
departures from £879pp
September departures from £729pp
October
departures from £535pp
Location:
Positioned on the waters edge, in a completely
peaceful and quiet environment, enjoying
fantastic sunsets and tranquil Greek living.
Accommodation: Bed and Breakfast pension
with 12 rooms and suites, shared swimming pool
and restaurant
Flights:
FRIDAY FLIGHTS - London Gatwick flights
available to Volos briefly stopping at Skiathos
on the outbound flight, the return flight is
direct back to London Gatwick. Manchester
flights available direct to Skiathos where we
will arrange a boat/hydrofoil transfer to Volos
Paxos
If there is a paradise for olive trees, then it
must be Paxos, with its perfect climate, rich
flinty soil, warm moist winters and hot summers.
The whole island feels like one olive grove.
The people who tend the olive groves have
generations of experience, meaning that the
Paxos olive trees are the most pampered in the
world. What’s good for the olives is also
good for the islanders and their visitors, for
Paxos is as much an island of dappled shade,
cool glades and peaceful woodland walks as of
beaches, hidden coves and wild cliffs.
Paxos has avoided all forms of mass tourism, and
whilst Gaios, the capital and to a lesser extent
the smaller villages of Lakka and Loggos, buzz
with a cosmopolitan mix of yachtsmen and day
visitors from Corfu. Very few people stray
further afield. Even in the middle of August,
one can wander along any of the hundreds of
paths and rarely meet a soul.
To stay here is to enjoy the complete Ionian way
of life!
Your
Holiday
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7nights at the Margarita Apartments on Paxos
from £688pp based on two sharing a studio
departing 13 20 or 27 July
Price includes flights, resort transfers,
7nights accommodation , 7days car hire plus a
welcome hamper
17th & 24th July from £747pp
August departures from £809pp
September departures from £669pp
October departures from £469pp
Brief Description
Comfortable and spacious apartments in a
blissfully peaceful olive grove
• Sleeps 2 - 4 • Shared Swimming Pool • Air
Conditioning • Car Hire
Location:
Blissfully peaceful apartments set in a elegant
gardens and only a short drive from Gaios
Accommodation:
7 apartments with shared pool (5 studios & 2 one
bed apts)
Flights:
Direct flights available from London Gatwick and
Manchester
To Book Your Holiday
Visit
www.ionianislandholidays.com
Note that these offers and
prices are subject to availability at the time
of booking |
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Ideas For Your
Summer Holiday
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A few
suggestions from DFDS Seaways -
With DFDS Seaways the holiday begins the moment you step
onboard and check in to your cabin:
- no baggage restrictions
- taking your car? Just pack it up, drive
onboard and have everything you need for
your holiday
-restaurants, bars, live entertainment,
nightclub, shops and cinema (on some
routes) onboard. To book go to
www.dfds.co.uk
Cottages and Villas- Cars Go Free
The perfect home from home with Novasol choose cottages
and villas in Denmark, Holland, Germany and beyond. Cars
go free on selected dates.
Choose stunning coastline cottages, cultural locations,
romantic getaways all properties have their own unique
style and character. 9 nights from £151pp includes 2
nights onboard, 7 nights at selected cottage, carriage
of standard vehicle (free on selected dates) Sailings
from Newcastle and Harwich.
Center Parcs Europe
DFDS Seaways has teamed up with Center Parcs Europe to
offer fantastic holidays at a selection of resorts
across Europe. Taking your own car on a 9 night break it
is a perfect family holiday with sensational locations
set by beaches, in woodland and on lakesides. 9 nights
includes 2 nights onboard, 7 nights in a villa and
carriage of standard vehicle. Prices
start from £169pp at Park Zelande in Holland. Sailing
from Newcastle to Amsterdam.
Danish Holiday Centres
Great locations for family breaks in Denmark, which has
some of Europe’s whitest, widest beaches. Ideal for
family breaks with fun, adventure, sports and great
times in the outdoors. All sailing from Harwich to
Esbjerg.
Lalandia Billund
– one of Denmark’s most famous attractions, Legoland is
just around the corner and you stay in modern spacious
holiday homes. 6 nights with prices from £291pp and
include 2 nights onboard, 4 nights self catering,
carriage of standard car, final clean, entrance to
waterpark and Monky Tonky Land. |
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July 2009 