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GETTING TO KNOW Thailand bling and buy 6

TRAVEL UPDATE Travel news 15

ESCAPE TO Salzburg – city of music 18

ALLABOARD Cruising from UK ports + News 23

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK KwaZulu-Natal 28

LET’S TRY Escorted coach holidays 34

PACKYOUR CLUBS Spain’s Murcia region + News 41

ONYOUR DOORSTEP The Channel Islands 47

INYOUR FLIGHT BAG 53WIN – A stylish Travelwrap worth over £200

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BEST FOR Hotels news and review 68

T R A V E L

Welcome to thesummer- t imeissue of The

Travel & LeisureMagazine. Traditionally, itis when we Brits make ourannual pilgrimage to soakup the sun on distantbeaches. But, according toseveral surveys, more ofus are choosing to stay in

the UK this year – either to cut down on theexpense of going abroad, or to enjoy the “bar-beque summer” promised by the Met Office.

Wherever you head, we hope you will takethis issue with you. As ever, it is packed full ofideas for holidays, both overseas and at home.And with an eye on the weather, we look atLondon’s glorious parks and see what’s goingon during the summer beyond the capital.

We head to Thailand, a perennial favourite forits beaches and good-value shopping, and singthe praises of music city Salzburg. We also goon the buses to see how coach holidays havechanged. The Channel Islands are the focus forour look at holidays on your doorstep. Keepingthe theme close to home we highlight cruisesfrom UK ports, which are growing in populari-ty. And we tee it up in Spain’s Murcia region forour golf spotlight.

Sit back, enjoy the read – and catch those rayswhile they last.

Peter Ellegard

FROM THE EDITOR

HOME ORAWAY?

4 The Travel & Leisure Magazine July/August 2009

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OUT &ABOUT What’s on outside London 56

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L E I S U R E

EDITORIAL TEAMEditor Peter EllegardWriters Peter Ellegard, Keeley Gordon, SaraMacefield, Dave Richardson, Debbie Ward andFrank PartridgeDesign Nick BlaxillAdvertising Team Jeannette Cumbers, BeverleySennett & Elaine SmithAdmin/AccountsWendy BarfootProduction Keeley Gordon, Loretta PrincePublisher Terry StaffordDigital Publisher Peter LewseyPublished bi-monthly byTravel & Leisure Magazines LtdFirst Floor, 103 Cranbrook Road,Ilford, Essex, IG1 4PUTel: 020 8477 1529 Fax: 020 8514 4536Email: [email protected] byWyndeham Heron© Travel & Leisure Magazines Limited 2009

The publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors oromissions.Whilst every care is taken, all material submitted to Travel& Leisure Magazines Limited is done so at its owner’srisk and neither Travel & Leisure Magazines Limited norits agents can accept any liability for loss or damage.Travel & Leisure Magazines Limited is a completely inde-pendent company and can hold no responsibility for theactions of outside agents. No part of this magazine may bereproduced without prior written consent.All private advertisers are totally responsible for their ownwording within their advertisement, and Travel & LeisureMagazines Limited can therefore take no responsibility asto their content. Please seek legal advice and thereafterverify all the details of your purchase in writing beforeproceeding.Front cover photo: Bournemouth Tourism

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“There’s the big-headed ghost”said my guide,flashing the beamof her torch intothe upper reaches

of the cave. I could make out a stripedsnake-like creature with a bulge and an eyeat one end. I did what any tourist would do,I took a photo.

As I was wearing flip flops and my onlymeans of escape was a kayak it’s just as wellthis was no malevolent monster but a 2,000year-old cave painting, given its nicknameby Thai fishermen.

My brush with ancient spirits came on a

paddle tour of scenicmangroves at Thailand’ssoutherly resort ofKrabi. My smallkayaking party notonly took in the “big-headed ghost cave” butalso tunnels hung withstalactites and leafy corri-dors where brightly-colouredcrabs crawled up exposed treeroots.

Krabi could be considered a small-scaleshowcase of the tourist appeal of whole ofThailand. There’s adventure – with kayak-ing, jungle hikes to hot springs and even

rock climbing; there’s acultural side – if you jointhe monks (and themonkeys) at the nearbyTiger Cave Temple;and, of course, there’ssome of the world’s most

gorgeous beaches to lieyour towel upon.Low-key Krabi may not be

Thailand’s most popular resort (itlags in that respect behind Phuket and

Koh Samui) but if your mental image of thecountry is craggy limestone karst islands andlong-tail boats decorated with ribbons in aturquoise sea, this is where the photos you’re


From its gorgeous beaches and craggy karst islands to golden palaces,jungles and great shopping, it is hardly surprising Thailand is such apopular holiday spot. Debbie Ward is a Thai dyed-in-the-wool fan…

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� Wat Pho Buddha

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THAILAND

recalling were mostly likely taken. The icon-ic karst islands were made famous when onewas used as a location for the villainScaramanga’s hideout in the 1974 Bond filmThe Man with the Golden Gun. Now popu-larly known as James Bond Island, Koh Tapu(translating as Nail island as it is virtuallyvertical) is in Phang Nga Bay and can bereached on a day trip from Krabi or Phuket.

Island hoppingKrabi’s main strip, Ao Nang, has somethingof a waterborne rush hour each morning aslong-tails start their noisy outboard motorsto whisk day-tripping tourists into karst-studded Phang Nga Bay. My partner and Ijoined one of the island-hopping excursionsfor a lazy day of sunbathing and snorkellingon and around five beaches of increasingloveliness. Some of the places we stoppedat were nothing more than sandbars butenterprising Thais had turned their long-tails into floating cafes serving milkshakes,sandwiches and fruit.

By night we enjoyed browsing the restau-rants at the quieter eastern end of Ao Nang,checking out the catch of the day displayedon iced trays before tucking our legs under abamboo table and tucking in to three or fourcolourful stir-fry or curry dishes for under£10. Afterwards we’d head for a cocktail at abar converted from an old VW campervan.

By day, when we weren’t on excursionswe made shorter hops, using the long-tailsas a ferry service to the attractive neighbour-ing beaches of Railay and, my personalfavourite Thai beach, Phra Nang. Here, atone end of the cliff-framed white sand strip,I found another surprise waiting in a cave –rows of brightly-painted wooden phalluses.


getting to KNOW

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� Long-tail boats and karst island off Krabi


While it may be a giggle for tourists, somelocals believe this cave contains the spirit ofa drowned princess – and I kept a respectfuldistance from the devotees offering prayersbefore the unusual shrine.

Friendly peopleThailand’s predominantly-Buddhist spiritu-ality is part of what makes it so famouslyfriendly. Thais consider it a loss of face toresort to argument and you’ll rarely hearraised voices. The short-lived violence at thegovernment protests of late last year was outof character in this usually-peaceful country.

Buddhism also gives Thailand some of itsmost colourful sights, such as gold bell-shapedtemple stupas and saffron-robed monks. Mybeach shrine was a far cry from the country’smore glitzy places of worship, the mostrevered of which lies within Bangkok’s keytourist attraction, the Grand Palace.

You haven’t seen bling until you’ve wan-dered this sprawling complex of gold leaf-covered, jewel-encrusted buildings setbeside the city’s Chao Phraya River. Despitethe crowds it’s a peaceful place to be, withThais making incense and lotus blossomofferings and kneeling before the preciousstatue that’s the focal point of the Temple ofthe Emerald Buddha. Next door to theGrand Palace, Wat Pho is home to a giant,reclining Buddha with feet inlaid with moth-er of pearl.

On my visit I had my own lie down for avery affordable kneading at the massageschool in Wat Pho’s grounds.

Bangkok’s other must-sees, the potterystudded temple of dawn – Wat Arun – andthe small Royal Barges Museum are closeby and reached on a river boat tour. Justbeware of locals telling you the attractionyou seek is closed for lunch, flooded or oth-erwise unavailable and helpfully suggestingalternative sights. They’re invariably drum-ming up business for a mate with a tuk-tuk!

Out of Bangkok but within day-trip dis-

tance are the Bridge over the River Kwai, theso-called Death Railway built byWWII pris-oners of war, and Ayutthaya, the site ofThailand’s former royal capital. At the sec-ond of these I was charmed to discover theodd crumbling stone Buddha statue respect-fully clothed with saffron robes or patchedwith gold leaf among the restored templesand atmospheric ruins. Most people arriveat Ayutthaya by road but it’s possible tomake a romantic two-night, three-day jour-ney aboard a converted rice barge(www.manohracruises.com).


Cultural tips� It is considered rude to point your feet at people in

Thailand and especially at images of Buddha.Take care totuck your feet behind you when sitting on the floor,particularly in temples.

� It’s also taboo to touch someone’s head, or to touchmonks.

� When visiting Bangkok’s Royal Palace wear enclosedshoes or sandals with straps around the heels to savequeuing to hire appropriate footwear.

� Be prepared to cover your shoulders and remove shoesinside temples.

� The Thai royal family is highly-revered, so derogatorycomments about them and disrespectful treatment ofBaht notes bearing the king’s image will not beappreciated.

� Relxation, Thai style

� The Royal Palace, Bangkok

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Cycling tourOn another visit to Bangkok, I made myescape from the city on one of the capital’snew cycling tours. Thankfully this didn’troute me through Bangkok’s traffic-chokedstreets; instead, our small group was led bythe guide along quiet paths through nearbyfarming areas, creating our own refreshingbreeze as we went. During an enlighteningday, we stopped to ask farmers the secrets ofthe famously-stinky durian fruit and calledin at a local infant school to watch anEnglish lesson in progress. Flinging ourmountain bikes into a boat for a short rideup river, we ended up at Koh Kret, an islandknown for its pottery making and where wewatched freshly-moulded incense burnersbeing loaded into kilns.

While the big sights of Bangkok are abouthistory, one of its other key attractions – itsnightlife – is bang up to date. Among themost famous venues is Bed Supper Club(www.bedsupperclub.com), where you candance, or recline to eat and sip cocktails

inside what looks like the belly of a brightwhite space ship. Glamorous skyscraper-topbars such as Sirocco Sky Bar(www.thedomebkk.com) at State Tower orVertigo Grill & Moon Bar(www.banyantree.com) atop the BanyanTree offer a different perspective with cityviews that stretch to the horizon.

Bangkok’s hotels also pack that wow fac-tor and nowadays size isn’t everything.

I’ve been lucky enough to stay in severalplush marble-lobbied giants on theriverfront over the years but, onmy last trip, I chose to down-size to Reflections Rooms(www.reflections-thai.com),a bizarre and very afford-able establishment where ahost of artists have beengiven free reign with thedecor. I found myselfcrunching my way across myroom on silver bubble wrapflooring, sitting on a sofa made

from recycled animal feed sacks and eatingdinner under a chandelier hung with Barbiedolls. While not everyone will love thequirkiness of this place there are severalboutique hotels in the capital where the styleis more traditional, meaning you no longerhave to go large for a bit of city chic.

Bargain shoppingI recommend hitting Bangkok last if you

can. Not only will you have shedyour jetlag in a more relaxed

environment but you’llhave got to grips withhaggling and theexchange ratebefore you hit thecapital’s shoppinghighlights.

Most touristsbeat a path to the

rather seedy streetsaround Patpong for

the ever-popular night


Thai massageThailand’s unique and effective form ofmassage combines stretches withreflexology-like stimulation of pressurepoints. Much attention is focused on thefeet but the masseur will also pull yourpyjama-clad limbs into slightly scary butultimately muscle-easing positions, which iswhy this technique is sometimes called“passive yoga”.If you’re nervous, start with a foot

massage or the more gentle Thai treatmentsinvolving warm herbal poultices.Whateveryou choose, your relaxation will be aided bythe low cost.While you’d commonly pay £1a minute for a massage at home, £4 an houris more typical in Thailand’s clean street orbeachside centres (look out for thereflexology charts outside) and as little as£30 in a plush hotel spa with a range ofinternational treatments.

� Shop forlocal crafts

� Traditional Thai massage. Belowleft: Thai massage ingredients

All photos:Tourism Authority of Thailand


market. While I’ve had fun singing along toTom Jones impersonators at Radio City barand snapping up a few bargains here in mytime, for serious browsing I head toChatuchak. This colossal weekend market(also known as JJs), beside the northernSkyTrain stop of Mo Chit, boasts over15,000 stalls.You’ll find bargain silk scarves, hand-

made candles, wood carvings and ornatecutlery sets but half the fun is the spectacle.This is where Thais shop for anything fromfurniture to pets to plastic fruit. I once evenspotted a monk choosing a hamster!If you prefer the air-conditioned comfort

of a mall, you’re spoilt for choice with giantshopping centres catering for trendy teens tothe well-heeled clustered around SiamSquare and surrounding streets.The great thing about buying anything in

Thailand is that it’s very affordable. This isone of the few places in the world I can enjoymy favourite indulgences, cocktails and spatreatments, on a daily basis. While mosquito

bites put paid to the mas-sage marathon I hadplanned on my last visit, Istill got to make like a celebri-ty by having a Bangkok tai-lor (most are concentratedaround Sukhumvit Roadand top hotels) runme up silk skirtsand blouses to myown designs.The classic

Thailand holidaycombines Bangkokwith a beach andsometimes a third stopin the green and cul-tural North. Thecountry is alsooften linked withits neighbours ontours of South EastAsia.AThailand hol-iday with a side trip

to see Cambodia’s famous Angkor Wat tem-ples is another great combination.Here’s a regional round-up of Thailand’s

key resorts:

Andaman SeaKrabi and Phuket both front the spectacularisland-studded Phang Nga Bay, a scenicplayground of beautiful beaches, caves andcliffs for lazing, kayaking and snorkelling.Phuket, Thailand’s most popular resort, is

by far the liveliest of the two. This is theplace to come for big resort facilities, partyaction and international fast-food favourites.The large island, linked to the mainland

by road bridge, has also gained some peace-ful and stylish retreats in recent years, par-ticularly on it’s east and north-west coasts.For divers, Phuket is the gateway to

Thailand’s world-class sites of the SimilanIslands, Surin Islands and Burma Banks.Quieter Khao Lak, on the mainland justabove Phuket, is even closer.Classy resorts have sprung up on some of

the islands in Phang Nga Bay, including KohLanta, Koh Racha and day-trip favourite thePhi Phi islands – famous as the filming sitefor The Beach.

Gulf ofThailandWhile most of Thailand is best visited in thewinter months, sheltered Koh Samui to thesouth of the Gulf of Thailand has an oppositeseason. It’s a honeymoon favourite so there’splenty of romantic accommodation whilefamily attractions like a training centre forcoconut-picking monkeys are strung alongthe island’s loop road. Offshore, you cantour aroundAngthong National Marine Parkor linger on neighbouring islands Koh PhaNgan – famous for its full moon parties –and Koh Tao, a top spot for beginnerdivers.

Just around an hour’s drive fromBangkok, brash Pattaya is a partyresort with big-name facilities. Itsseedier side has been somewhatcleaned up in recent years and it’sa well-established favourite withfamilies who stay at quieterJontiem beach and enjoy nearbyattractions such as water parks,go-karting, an Elephant Villageand Sriracha Tiger Zoo.Golfers flock to Pattaya, too,as there are several qualitycourses nearby.Hua Hin and Cha Am,

also within driving distanceof Bangkok, are quiet neigh-bouring resorts favoured bythe Thai royal family, while


� Elephant riding in northern Thailand


the large, up-and-coming island of KohChang offers a mountainous interior andday-trip possibilities around its 50-plusneighbouring islands.

Thailand’s NorthNot everything worth seeing in Thailandcomes with a sea view. The country’s lushand mountainous North is packed full ofadventure and culture.

Thailand’s second city, Chiang Mai, is thegateway to the North and is famed for its nightmarket, handicraft villages and sanctuaries forelephants that once worked in the loggingindustry. Farther north, Chiang Rai is a small-er hub and close to the GoldenTriangle whereThailand, Laos and Burma meet in scenicsplendour around the Mekong River.

You can trek to visit hill tribes in theNorth though the tourist path is pretty well-worn these days. Soft-adventure experienceslike mountain biking and white-water raft-ing are also centred in the region as are somegood golf courses. To head North in style,take the Eastern & Oriental Express(www.orient-express.com) from Bangkokto Chiang Mai, or, if you’d rather chill-outsomewhere up-and coming, consider the laidback retreat of Pai in Mae Hong Songprovince.


Thailand facts

A travel journalist for over a decade,DebbieWard writes for numerouspublications. She has a wardrobe full of Thaiclothing from her many Thailand visits.

TL

When to go:Koh Samui is best from June to September and the rest ofThailand November to March.

Visa:UK passport holders do not need a visa for stays up to 30 days.

Getting there:Thai Airways (www.thaiairways.co.uk), EVA Air (www.evaair.com),British Airways (www.ba.com) and Qantas (www.qantas.com) fly direct.You can also go direct to major resorts on charter flights.

Tour operators:UK operators featuring Thailand include: Kuoni (www.kuoni.co.uk),Travel2 (www.travel2.com), Funway Holidays (www.funwayholidays.co.uk),Jasmine Travel (www.jasmineholidays.co.uk), Premier Holidays,(www.premierholidays.co.uk) and Silverbird (www.silverbird.co.uk).

Getting around:Bangkok Airways (www.bangkokair.com) and Thai Airways(www.thaiairways.co.uk) have extensive domestic flight networks.Beat the gridlocked daytime traffic in Bangkok by taking the SkyTrain,underground, or river ferries. Iconic three-wheeled tuk-tuks are fun forshort trips (haggle the price beforehand) but metered taxis (check themeter is on) are safer and more affordable.Take the less-congested tollexpressways in Bangkok. Cycling tours are offered by Bike & Travel(www.cyclingthailand.com) and Spice Roads (www.spiceroads.com).Ferry services and cheap long-tail boat taxis operate to the islands.

Tourist information:Tourism Authority of Thailand: call 0870 900 2007 or visitwww.tourismthailand.co.uk

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Chic & boutiqueIn recent years,Thailand’s decorative culturaltraditions have been given a twist and thecountry has become something of a hotspotfor chic contemporary design – not least inits accommodation, with attractive newboutique hotels making a particular splash.Just some of the stylish offerings include:� The funky Dusit D2 brand hotels atChiang Mai, Pattaya and, soon, Koh Samui(www.dusit.com).

� Philippe Starck-designed TheYamu, openingon Phuket this year with a chocolate roomand a recording studio(www.theyamu.com).

� Back-to-nature and spa-focused SonevaKiri by Six Senses, on the island of KohKood in the gulf of Thailand(www.sixsenses.com).

� Minimalist The Racha on Koh Racha, offPhuket (www.theracha.com).

� And the cheery, oriental chintz-themedShanghai Mansion, in Bangkok’s Chinatown(www.shanghaimansion.com).

� The funky DusitD2 hotel at Pattaya

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Arecord 184awards havebeen given to

UK coastal areas inrecognition of high qual-ity under the Blue Flagbeach award scheme –which is good news forthe five million Britonsplanning to holiday inthe UK this year.

Although this year’s72 Blue Flags is down by10 on 2008, mainly dueto flooding, it is still ahuge increase from the45 awarded in 2002. Atotal of 113 QualityCoast Awards were alsomade to British beaches.

Top areas, with a totalof 14 each, were the Isleof Wight (two Blue Flagsand 12 QCAs) andTorbay (five and nine

respectively), followedby Thanet on 11 (seven/four) and, both with 10,Southend (three/seven)and Scarborough (two/eight). Bournemouthand neighbouring Pooleeach have four BlueFlag beaches. Visitwww.blueflag.org/ukfor a list of all award-winning UK beaches.

� The Greek island ofRhodes has more BlueFlag beaches than anyother European island,at 33. Greece is secondin the world rankings,with 424 Blue Flagbeaches, behind Spain(493). In all, 3,300beaches around theworld have the presti-gious accolade.


TRAVEL update

When it comes to shopping,women are the natural champi-ons. After all, a girl can never

have too many shoes. Or dresses. Or hand-bags.

And that lovely, sparkly jewellery is justperfect for those new outfits...

Yet it seems the tables are turned whenwe go on holiday to the USA. New researchshows that men outshop the girls once theycross the Atlantic, and by some considerablemargin, too.

The International Shopping TravellerStudy shows that for almost 50% of Britishvisitors shopping is either the key reason forthe trip or is a factor in their choice of desti-nations – with men representing 56% ofBritish shoppers, compared with just 44%for women.

The survey, unveiled at the recent PowWow international travel trade marketplaceshow in Miami, was commissioned by theShop America Alliance and shopping mall

company Taubman Centres in partnershipwith the US Department of CommerceOffice of Travel & Tourism Industries. It

highlights the trends in the USA’s top fiveinbound markets: Canada, Germany, Japanand Mexico plus the UK.

Most British shopping travellers arerepeat visitors, it reveals, and good value andvariety are the most important elements oftheir shopping experience. NewYork City isthe top destination for British shoppers, at39%, followed by Orlando (20%) and LasVegas (14%).

Shopping accounts for 25% of Britishvisitors’ spending on US trips, averaging$968 out of a total trip spend of $3,845.� Chelsea Premium Outlets opens itsCincinnati Premium Outlets in August andhas just completed The Promenade exten-sion to Camarillo Premium Outlets, nearLos Angeles. Extra discounts on labelssuch as Hugo Boss, Diesel and BrooksBrothers as well as boys toys favouritesSony and Bose are available by visitingwww.premiumoutlets.com and joiningthe VIP club.

Ferry good value – andFido can go, tooTake an Irish Ferries cruise fromHolyhead to Dublin or Pembroketo Rosslare in July and August andenjoy a free night and three-coursedinner atWexford hotel Carlton Millrace andKildare hotel Carlton Abbey. Prices, from £214per person, include three nights with breakfastand return Sunday-Thursday ferry crossings. Seewww.irishferries.comIf the dog needs a holiday too,DFDS Seaways

(www.dfds.co.uk) now offers the DEFRA PetTravelScheme (PETS) on both its Newcastle-Amsterdamand Harwich-Esbjerg routes, with pet travel from£19 each way. Pets, which can include rabbits, miceand rats, must be booked in advance and fulfil theDEFRA scheme criteria. Call 0871 882 0885.

EARLY BIRDS: Early-bird offers in FunwayHolidays’ expanded 2010 Far East brochureinclude a 14-night Thailand tour from £969 perperson this autumn, with three nights in Bangkokand a free city tour, three nights in Chiang Mai andeight in Phuket, with flights, for bookings bySeptember 30. New for 2010 areVietnam,Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, China, Japan, SouthKorea and Taiwan.www.funwayholidays.co.uk

� Step aside, girls: men are the biggest bargain hunters

Flagging up Britain’sbest beaches

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� Thanet’s Blue Flag-winning Minnis beach

Does my tum look BIG in this?

Travel/TLjul09v1pp15-16:T&L 20/7/09 10:59 Page 15

The perfect ideal of sun,sand and sea, theMaldives are now even

more accessible – and afford-able – with a new three-times-a-week winter flight series fromBritish Airways and specialoffers from some of the islands’top resorts.

Book a beach villa at the 52-acre Hilton Maldives Iru FushiResort & Spa private islandbefore August 17 to travelbefore August 31 and takeadvantage of its two-for-oneoffer; prices start from just $129

(approximately £78) per villaper night including breakfast.www.hilton.co.uk/maldivesirufushi

Nineteen individual housesmake up the stylish and exclu-sive Naladhu resort, visited bycelebrities such as Wimbledonchampion Roger Federer. On itsown private island and equippedwith antique furnishings and apersonal butler service, you canget 25% off if you book 60 daysin advance. Prices start from$989 per room per night.www.naladhu.com

Soneva by Six Senses

(www.sonevaresorts.com) isoffering 14 extra nights free on topof a two-week stay, in return forfour days of community work atthe Soneva Fushi and Soneva Giliresorts. Up to December 22,guests can help by doing thingsincluding teaching at local schoolsor hospital volunteer work.Elegant Resorts (01244 897517,www.elegantresorts.co.uk)

offers 28 nights in a Soneva GiliVilla suite from £6,675 per per-son, including flights and transfers– saving £5,800 per person.� British Airways also has newwinter services from Heathrowto Las Vegas and from Gatwickto Montego Bay (Jamaica),Punta Cana (DominicanRepublic), Sharm el Sheikh(Egypt) and Innsbruck (Austria).


TRAVEL update

For a family holiday witha difference this year,take advantage of theKids Go Free campaignin Dubai. From nowuntil September 20,Emirates is offering afree return flight toDubai for one childunder 16 travelling withboth parents, and 75 tophotels, including theRitz-Carlton, GrosvenorHouse and One&OnlyRoyal Mirage, areoffering three nights’free stays for one child

with two paying parents.Many restaurants alsohave free kids’ meals.

Dubai attractions arealso offering free entryto children under 16,among them SegaRepublic, DubaiAquarium and UnderWater Zoo and DubaiIce Rink; while Atlantis,The Palm is offering freeentry to its attractionsand children can eatfree at any Atlantisrestaurant when diningwith an adult.

Inspired by this year’s Wimbledonchampionships? Retallack Resortand Spa, Cornwall’s five-star self-

catering resort, is offering budding ten-nis stars the opportunity to hone theirgame on holiday. A new tennis coach-ing programme provided by experi-enced Lawn Tennis Association-licensed coaches costs from £4.50 perperson for a group lesson or £37 perperson per hour for private lessons.

Prices start from £600 a week for atwo-bedroom lodge. Visitwww.retallackresort.comfor more details.

Tennis is also onoffer at the stylish newFlying Boat Club onthe island of Tresco, inthe Scilly Isles. PrestigeHolidays is offering athree-night package therethis autumn from £315 perperson, including return helicopterflights from Penzance to Tresco andheliport transfers.

You can rent one of the 12 luxurious

beach-front houses onthe site of the old RoyalNaval Air Station.Guests have use of theindoor swimming pool,

gym, steam room andfree tennis on the Astroturf

courts as well as free golf onthe nine-hole St Mary’s course.For more information contact

Prestige Holidays on 01425 480600 orvisit www.prestigegrouptravel.co.uk

Dubai kids don’tneed to buy

Maldivesspecials

Anyone for tennis?

� Save on stays at stylish Naladhu

� Atlantis,The Palm

� Trescobedroom

� Flying Boat Club cottages

Travel/TLjul09v1pp15-16:T&L 20/7/09 11:00 Page 16



Visit the pretty Austrianalpine city of Salzburgand you will find it isn’tjust the surrounding hillsthat are alive with thesound of music, it is the

whole city itself.For Salzburg is not only where much of

The Sound of Music was set and filmed, butit is also where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozartwas born, in 1756.

The whole city went Mozart mad threeyears ago to celebrate the 250th anniversaryof the birth of its favourite son, with a year-long series of concerts, operas, exhibitionsand other events.

But even though the celebrations are longgone, the city is still one of the best places togo if you love music. Salzburg has morethan 4,000 music and theatre events cover-

ing different genres during the year. Henceits soubriquet, the Festival City. And even ifyou’re not a particular fan, there are plentyof other things to do and see which make thecity a great escape for a long weekend.

There’s far more to Salzburg thanMozart, of course, but the two are inextrica-bly intertwined, as visitors soon discover.

The imposing Hohensalzburg Fortress,which stands guard on a clifftop high abovethe ancient rooftops and church spires, maybe the city’s most visited attraction, but thenext most popular sites are the two museumsset in Mozart’s homes. And even in thefortress you can’t escape the maestro.

Quaint alleysMozart’s Birthplace, where he lived for 26years, is in the heart of the old city on itshistoric, narrow main street, Getreidegasse

– a traffic-free pedestrian precinct apartfrom early-morning deliveries. Tour groupsswarm in front of the building like beesround a honeypot, and the rest of the streetalso throngs with visitors day and night withits ancient buildings, quaint alleys and hid-den courtyards full of cafes and restaurants.The cramped building houses numerousexhibits including his original instruments,letters and family portraits.

Mozart’s Residence, the family homefrom 1773, is a more spacious affair inMarkplatz and was where he wrote a num-ber of his works. It has also been preservedas a museum to him.

For those with a real appetite for the greatman’s music, you can choose from severalthemed dinner concerts during the summertourist season. The Mozart Dinner Concertoffers a three-course dinner prepared from


From Mozart to the von Trapps, there’s no escaping Salzburg’smusical heritage. With its beautifully-preserved centre and lotsto see beyond it, you don’t have to be music mad to enjoy a

visit – but it helps. Peter Ellegard sings its praises

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� Hallstatt village � Old Town, Salzburg � Salzburg Cathedral

� Mozart Dinner Concert in St Peter’s Cellar

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recipes of the 17th and 18th centuries, servedin the Stiftskeller St Peter (St Peter’s Cellar)– the oldest restaurant in Central Europe,first mentioned during Charlemagne’s visitin 803 – during the intervals of a recital bymusicians in period costume.

High on MozartMy wife and I opted for an alternative din-ner and concert in the 930-year-oldHohensalzburg Fortress, dining on highwith stunning views across fields and ham-lets to the nearby mountains, followed by aMozart performance in the elegant StateRooms overlooking the city. A magicalexperience, made even more special bythe glorious setting sun lighting up therooftops, cupolas and towers withstreaks of gold.Salzburg’s more recent

claim to fame revolves around The Sound ofMusic. A whole new generation of fans hasbeen created by the latest stage productionof the musical, currently touring Britain, andthe successful BBC series, How Do YouSolve A Problem Like Maria?, which madeConnie Fisher an overnight success, repris-ing the role originally made famous by JulieAndrews.Based on pre-war events

which happened to the local vonTrapp family, the moviewas filmed in andaround the

city. Many of its magnificent architecturallandmarks were used, and you can take aSound of Music Tour to visit outlying vil-lages, lakes and mountains where otherfamiliar scenes were shot.Whether you are a fan of the musical or

not – and I must admit I am not – it is wellworth a visit to nearby Hellbrunn Palace,one of the settings used in the movie. Itsornate palace and beautiful gardens are adelight for all ages, notably for the ubiqui-tous fountains which spring many surprisesfor the unwary. I won’t spoil the surprise,other than to advise not wearing yourSunday best and to visit on a warm daywhen clothes will quickly dry. We made themistake of visiting on a rainy day…

Year-round appealSalzburg can be visited any time of year andthe experience will be just as enjoyable. Keyattractions are open year-round and thereare events in all seasons.In winter, the rooftops twinkle with fresh

snow – a taster of what lies in store at themany ski resorts less than two hours away –and the 500-year-old Christmas Market(Salzburger Christkindlmarkt) livens up theCathedral Square (Domplatz) in the heart ofthe Old Town from late November with craftstalls, choirs, gluhwein and roast chestnutsand almonds. The annual 10-day MozartWeek music festival (www.mozarteum.at)takes place each January, featuring manyinternational artists.Spring brings crisp days, flowers galore and


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� Mirabell Palace � Salzburg and the Salzach River

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trees bursting with blossom in and around thecity. And more music, of course. The SalzburgEaster Festival (www.osterfestspiele-salzburg.at) is an annual celebration of classi-cal music and opera.Summers are usually long and warm,

with the odd rainy day. Plus the avant-garde dance festival, SommerSzene(www.sommerszene.net), over 14 daysin June and July, which also features the-atre, films and visual arts as well as music.That is followed by the Salzburg Festival(www.salzburgerfestspiele.at), thecity’s long-established music and dramafestival in July and August which includesa concert broadcast on an open-air screenin the city’s Kapitelplatz.Autumn hints at the winter to come

with its cooler days (although October isthe driest month) and chilly nights, the

vivid reds and yellows of trees addingsplashes of colour to the city’s majesticarchitecture. The Salzburger Kulturtage(www.kulturvereinigung.org), a moreintimate version of the main SalzburgFestival featuring a series of concerts,opera and theatre, takes place in October.

Easy to exploreSalzburg is easy to explore, both on foot orby bus – and the good-valueSalzburgerLand Card gives free entry to allthe city’s major attractions as well as freetravel on the city’s buses and theHohensalzburg Fortress cable railway.The Salzach River cuts the city into two

halves and is spanned by bridges includingthe pedestrian-only Mozart, Makart andMulln footbridges. The left bank comprisesthe older part of the city where a Roman set-

tlement once stood.Allow plenty of time to explore the won-

derful Old Town area in the heart ofSalzburg, designated a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site in 1997. Most of it is a traffic-free pedestrian precinct. I have spent hourswandering through the labyrinth of streets,alleyways and squares as well as venturinginto some of the many stately buildingswhich grace the skyline.Besides the Getreidegasse, other lovely

old streets to amble along, window shop orgaze up at facades include Judengasse,Goldgasse, Kaigasse, Linzergasse andSteingasse. Their buildings cover the MiddleAges, Romanesque, Baroque andRenaissance periods, as well as elegant andclassical monarchy-era burghers’ houses.You can also take in the Old Town sights ona traditional fiaker horse and buggy.


Fans of The Sound ofMusic can tour some ofthe locations in thecountryside beyondSalzburg used in the film,which was based on thereal-life story of thesinging vonTrapp family.You can even sing along tothe music as the originalsoundtrack is playedduring the four-hour tour,which visits the beautifulSalzkammergut lake district.Highlights include:Leopoldskron Palace, thefront exterior of which wasused as the vonTrapp familyhome; Hellbrunn Palace,notable for its trickfountains; Fuschlsee lake,featured in the film’sopening sequence; thepretty village of Gilgen onthe shores ofWolfgangseelake; and MondseeCathedral, where thewedding scene was filmed.Longer tours also visit theWorld Cultural HeritageSite village of Hallstatt, bythe shores of Hallstattsee

lake, as well as the villagesof Gosau,Abtenau andGolling, and the 9,855-footsummit of Mount Dachstein,Styria’s highest mountain.Salzburg was founded onthe fortunes of salt, firstmined in the nearbymountains by the ancientCelts.The 450-year-oldSalzwelten Salzburg saltmines at Bad Durrnbergare open year-round and aguided tour features a raftride on a subterranean saltlake.

A day trip into Germany’sBavarian Alps can include aboat trip on Konigsee laketo St Bartholoma chapeland a visit to prettymountain townBerchtesgaden with viewsto Hitler’s Eagle’s Nestmountain-top fortressretreat.A village north of Salzburghas another musical claimto fame.The boatmen’schurch of St Nicholas in thevillage of Oberndorf waswhere Christmas carolSilent Night was first sungin 1818.The town was latermoved upstream after adevastating flood, but aSilent Night MemorialChapel was built on the siteof the original church in1937.A four-hour tourtakes in the chapel andSilent Night Museum innearby Arnsdorf.Zell am See is anotherpopular excursion.A five-hour trip visits the lake-side town and 11th centuryHohenwerfen Castle, witha cable car ride up to theSchmittenhoehe mountainsummit.

Sound of Music country

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Salzburg Tourist Office


Grand edificesSquares include Residence Square(Residenzplatz) with its ornate equine fountain,Old Market Square (Alter Markt), UniversitySquare (Universitatsplatz) and Mozart Square(Mozartplatz), which has a memorial to themusical maestro and a tourist information office.

Then of course there are its grand edifices.Besides the Cathedral (Salzburger Dom) andHohensalzburg Fortress, must-sees includethe Residence Palace (Residenz), St. Peter’sAbbey (Stift St Peter) and its fascinatingcemetery, and Mirabell Palace (SchlossMirabell) with its romantic gardens on theright bank of the Salzach. This is one of thecity’s most popular places for taking pictures.

But perhaps best of all is to relaxwith a coffeeor beer in a street-side café/bar or beer gardenand just let theworld go by as you gaze out acrossone of the world’s most beautiful cities.


When to goAny time of year is good to visit Salzburg,with festivals and events throughout thecalendar. Be prepared for all weathers andpack a brolly, sweater and warm jacket.

Getting thereBritish Airways (www.ba.com) and EasyJet(www.easyjet.com) fly direct to Salzburgfrom Gatwick during the summer. Ryanair(www.ryanair.com) flies from Stansted.Winter charter flights operate for skiersheading to nearby resorts.You can also fly tonearby Munich, with services operated by

BA, EasyJet, Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com) and Aer Lingus(www.aerlingus.com) from London area airports.

AccommodationThere are a number of hotels in the oldpart of Salzburg and across the SalzachRiver.The Blaue Gans boutique art-hotel(www.blauegans.at) makes an excellentbase.The oldest inn on the historicGetreidegasse street, this stylish 74-roomdesign hotel is set in one of the city’soldest houses.

Tour operatorsMany operators offer short breaks toSalzburg, including Kirker Holidays(www.kirkerholidays.com), Inghams(www.inghams.co.uk), Crystal (www.crystallakes.co.uk), First Choice(www.firstchoice.co.uk) and Fregata Travel (www.fregatatravel.co.uk).

Getting around/attractionsSalzburg is walkable, but it is worthinvesting in a SalzburgerLand Card. Itcombines free entry to 190 sights andattractions in the city and neighbouringSalzburgerLand region, with free use of citybuses and discounts off car rental, tours andcultural events.A six-day card costs 43euros for adults and 21.50 euros forchildren, with 12-day cards costing 52 and26 euros respectively. Buy it online atwww.salzburgerlandcard.com, or fromlocal information centres and some hotels.

Tourist informationSalzburg Tourist Office (Salzburg city):www.salzburg.infoSalzburgerLandTourist Office (Salzburg region): www.salzburgerland.comAustrian National Tourist Office: 0845 101 1818,www.austria.info

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� Salzburg has many fine, old buildings

� Ornate rooftops

� Residence Square

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Howdo you fancy startingyour next holiday fromSouthampton, Dover,Harwich or even TowerBridge? Not only will youmiss out on the stress and

hassles of flying and battling through airportsecurity queues, but you’ll be joining thegrowing band of British holidaymakers whohave discovered the benefits of taking a cruisefrom the UK.After all, what could be easier than load-

ing up the car, driving to, say, Southamptonand simply stepping aboard?It really is as simple as that. All you need

to do is drive up to the port terminal, handover the car keys to a parking attendant andcheck in.Don’t worry about struggling on with suit-

cases as they get sent to the cabin separately,leaving passengers free to go aboard, settle inand explore.The holiday starts immediately, and there’s

no escaping the buzz and anticipation as thedeparture time nears and the ship’s band strikesup for the traditional “sailaway” party on deck.The excitement grows as the funnel blasts

and the ship starts to move away from thequayside. Passengers waving flags and drink-ing brightly-coloured cocktails add to theparty atmosphere as they celebrate the start ofa journey which, in some cases, will takethem from UK shores around the world.

Where can you go?There’s never been a bigger choice of cruisesfrom the UK.Holidaymakers who don’t want to fly can

now choose from a huge variety of differentcruise lines and sailings that start at variouspoints around the country.These can range from a two-night mini-

cruise to Bruges or Amsterdam right up to athree-month world cruise or a transatlanticcrossing to NewYork.But the most popular sailings are to the


all ABOARDCRUISING FROM THE UK

Homewaters

Cruise tips� You can take as much luggage as

you want on ex-UK sailingsbecause there’s no baggage limit,but remember that it’s got to fit inyour cabin.

� Beware the Bay of Biscay. Cruisesfrom the UK to the Mediterraneanhave to pass through this, so ifyou’re at all prone to sea-sickness,take precautions.

� On Med cruises, pick a ship whichhas plenty of onboard facilities soyou won’t get bored on the seadays spent sailing to and from theUK.

� If you’re sailing south to the sun,remember to take some warmclothes as it can still be chilly inthe English Channel.

Forget the hassles of flying off for thestart of your cruise holiday and join thegrowing numbers of passengers settingsail from Britain. The choice of departureports and cruise itineraries issurprisingly large, as SaraMacefield explains

� Queen Victoria at Southampton

Cunard

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Mediterranean or around northern Europe.Voyages that go south to theMediterranean

generally last for at least 12 days – they haveto as they need to include the two days it takesto sail between Britain and the Med at bothends of the cruise.

Most cruises tend to be for 14 nights andconcentrate on the western Mediterranean astime simply doesn’t allow for theships to sail any farther east.

Thus ships will generally getas far as Italy, calling at ports

such as Civitavecchia (for Rome) or Naplesbefore having to turn back. Cruises of 16nights have time to go a little farther east, andwill sail as far as Greece.

Other popular ports of call that pop up onitineraries include Malaga, Alicante, Cannes,Marseilles and Barcelona.

Some ships stay in northern Europe andsail northwards to the Baltic States ofLithuania, Latvia and Estonia, sometimes con-tinuing on to St Petersburg.

Alternative destinations include Iceland,Norway and its spectacular fjords andSpitsbergen in the Arctic Circle, famous forspotting polar bears.

These more northerly ports are particularlypopular around midsummer when the longdaylight hours lend themselves to Land of theMidnight Sun cruises.

Some ships stay closer to home, offeringsailings around northern Europe that stopalong the northern coast at Spanish ports

such as La Coruna or Bilbao, or French townsincluding StMalo, the pretty town of Honfleurand the port town of Le Havre.

In Germany, stops include Hamburg orBremerhaven, while the Dutch ports ofRotterdam andAmsterdam are popular ports.

Scandinavian cities such as Copenhagen orBergen also feature in cruise itineraries, as dothe Shetland Isles, and the Channel Islands inthe south. In the west, Irish ports such as Corkand Dublin add plenty of craic.

Then there’s good old Blighty itself, whereships may call at Tilbury, Greenwich or (if theship is small enough to get right up theThames)Tower Bridge for London. Liverpool andNewcastle also feature on cruise ship itineraries.

Cruise passengers wanting to go fartherafield can take their pick from the regularsix-day transatlantic crossings by CunardLine’s Queen Mary 2 or, if they want toescape for longer, round-the-world voy-ages offered by P&O Cruises and Cunard.

Ex-UK cruise facts


Sample ex-UK cruises:Fred Olsen Cruise Lines (01473 746175,www.fredolsencruises.com) isoffering a one-week NorwegianVistas sailing from Newcastle on September12 from £647 on its ship Boudicca. It calls at several ports in Norwayincluding Alesund, Olden, Flam and Bergen.Specialist website Sail From UK (0808 202 6104,www.sailfromuk.com)which only sells cruises that sail from UK shores, features a 12-night sailingto Europe with P&O Cruises on October 5.The voyage, on Oceana,departs Southampton and sails to the Canary Islands with calls includingMadeira, Gran Canaria, Lisbon andVigo. Prices start at £1,099 and include a£50 onboard credit.Other useful cruise contacts:Celebrity Cruises (0845 456 1520,www.celebritycruises.co.uk)Cunard Line (0845 678 0013,www.cunard.co.uk)Crystal Cruises (020 7287 9040,www.crystalcruises.co.uk)Holland America Line (0845 351 0557,www.hollandamerica.co.uk)Hebridean Island Cruises (01756 704700,www.hebridean.co.uk)Hurtigruten (0845 225 6640,www.hurtigruten.co.uk)MSC Cruises (0844 561 7412,www.msccruises.co.uk)Norwegian Cruise Line (0845 658 8010, www.ncl.co.uk)Oceania Cruises (01344 772344,www.oceaniacruises.co.uk)P&O Cruises (0845 678 0014,www.pocruises.com)Princess Cruises (0845 3555 800,www.princess.com)Royal Caribbean International (0844 493 4005,www.royalcaribbean.co.uk)Swan Hellenic (0845 246 9700,www.swanhellenic.com)Silversea Cruises (0844 770 9030,www.silversea.com)St Helena Line (020 7575 6480,www.rms-st-helena.com)Thomson Cruises (0871 231 4691,www.thomson.co.uk/cruise)Transocean Tours (0845 430 0274,www.transoceancruises.co.uk)Voyages of Discovery (0845 018 1808,www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk)Make sure you check out the website of the Passenger Shipping Association,which represents all the main cruise lines, at www.discover-cruises.co.uk

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� Hebridean Princess in London

� Deck quoitsis a fun wayto pass thetime

� Artemis in the fjords


As several ships are based in the UK forthe summer, there’s always the chance to jumpaboard when they reposition themselves to theCaribbean or elsewhere across theAtlantic forthe winter – as long as you don’t mind havingto fly back.

Cruisers looking for a different experiencealtogether can cruise on the RMS St Helena,the last working Royal Mail Ship that offerstrips from Portland in Dorset to the Atlanticisland of St Helena, Namibia and SouthAfrica.

Some cruise lines offer British-focuseditineraries. The small, upmarket company,Hebridean Island Cruises, operates a SouthCoast cruise with calls including Cowes onthe Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Dover,while Cunard’s QM2 is sailing a specialRound Britain voyage this autumn, calling atports such as Greenock and Liverpool.

During winter, the number of cruises sail-ing from the UK drops rapidly, leaving Cunardand P&O Cruises offering round-the-world

sailings or long voyages; and Fred Olsen,which offers Christmas markets sailings andnorthern Europe and Canary Island sailings.

Where can you cruise from?Southampton is the granddaddy of them allwhen it comes to cruising from the UK. TheSouth Coast port is easily the most estab-lished and the biggest and this is where mostcruise ships are based during the year; someare here year-round.

This is where most Mediterranean cruisesdepart from, along with transatlantic voyages.

Dover is the second-most popular, havinggrown rapidly over the last few years, and it’sfrom here that lines tend to depart for northernEurope, Baltic andArctic sailings.

Harwich is probably the third-busiest, witha mix of cruises offered from here.

Some ports are served by just one cruiseline which may only depart on a handful ofoccasions during the year. One of the new

ports to appear this year is Portsmouth, whichis being offered by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines.

Who are the main cruise lines?Riding the waves of the ex-UK cruise marketis P&O Cruises, which has six ships that areall based at Southampton, while CunardLines has two ships – the Queen Mary 2 andthe QueenVictoria – based there.

Several American cruise lines, such asNorwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises,also have ships in Southampton during thesummer.

The biggest ship in the world,Independence of the Seas, owned byAmerican line Royal Caribbean International,is based at Southampton.

Other major players offering several voy-ages from UK ports include Fred OlsenCruise Lines, Thomson Cruises, MSCCruises, Celebrity Cruises, Voyages ofDiscovery and Hebridean Island Cruises.


UK cruise departureports and cruise lines(2009)Southampton – Cunard Line,Celebrity Cruises, Fred Olsen CruiseLines, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises,Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal CaribbeanInternational,Thomson CruisesDover – Crystal Cruises, Fred OlsenCruise Lines, Holland America Line, MSCCruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, OceaniaCruises, Princess Cruises, Swan Hellenic.Harwich – Royal CaribbeanInternational, Celebrity Cruises,Thomson Cruises,Voyages of DiscoveryLondon (Tower Bridge) – SilverseaCruises, HurtigrutenLondon (Tilbury) – Transocean ToursLondon (Greenwich) – HollandAmerica LinePortland – St Helena Line, HebrideanIsland CruisesPortsmouth – Fred Olsen Cruise LinesPort of Tyne (Newcastle) – Fred OlsenCruise Lines,Thomson CruisesLiverpool – Fred Olsen Cruise LinesGreenock – Fred Olsen Cruise LinesRosyth – Fred Olsen Cruise LinesOban – Hebridean Island CruisesScrabster – Hebridean Island Cruises

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� Norwegian Gem at Dover

� Boudicca atValletta, Malta


Cruises from the UK have never been sopopular. The latest market figures showthat more British cruisers than ever before

are taking voyages which sail from local ports.According to industry body, the Passenger

Shipping Association, the number of passengersopting for a cruise that starts from the UKincreased by 23% last year compared with 2007.

This means that four out of every 10 cruisesnow booked by Brits sails from a UK port.

A record number of cruise lines, ships and pas-sengers also visited UK ports last year, calling atpoints such as Dover, Tower Bridge and Newcastleas part of longer sailings around northern Europe.

The popularity of cruising holidays generallyseems unstoppable with nearly 1.5 million trav-ellers opting to spend their holidays on a cruiseship last year.

Overall, one in every 12 foreign package holi-days booked in the UK is now a cruise – 10 yearsago this figure was just one in every 26.

The Mediterranean remains the favourite cruisedestination, but voyages to northern Europe andthe western edge of Europe have become morepopular and risen to second place, overtaking theCaribbean.

The good news is that the credit crunch andfierce competition between cruise lines means

prices have also fallen.More than one-third of all cruises cost less than

£1,000 in 2008 and this year there were expectedto be more cheap deals.

“The inclusive nature of cruises with meals,accommodation, entertainment and, of course,multiple destinations, means they are great value,”said PSA director Bill Gibbons.

Holiday company Cos-mos Tourama is dip-ping its toe into unfa-

miliar waters with the launch ofits first-ever UK cruise to meetdemand from customers want-ing to stay closer to home thissummer.

It is offering four-nightAutumn in the ScottishHighlands sailings this Octoberon the MV Lord of the Glens, avessel built in the style of a clas-sic, luxury yacht.

It will sail between FortAugustus and Oban in the heartofArgyllshire, travelling past thedramatic loch landscapes of theGreat Glen and the picturesquecoast of the Isle of Mull.

Cruise highlights include Loch

Ness, Loch Linhe,Tobermory andNeptune’s Staircase, an eight-stage ship lock.

The cruise costs from £609and includes full board andrefreshments plus transfers to

and from Glasgow CentralStation.

For more information contactCosmos Tourama on 0871 4238695 or visit the website:www.cosmostourama.co.uk


CRUISE newsCRUISE CLIPSHave you ever fancied goingbehind the scenes to see howcruise ships function? PrincessCruises and NorwegianCruise Lines are now offeringspecial ship tours that

promise to take passengersto areas normally off-limits,such as back-stage in thetheatre, the galley (kitchen),engine control room, thebridge, medical centre andeven the funnel. Prices startat $55 for a two-hour tourwith NCL and $150 for athree-hour tour withPrincess.

Crystal Cruises has comeup with the perfect solutionfor people who arebamboozled by the latest hi-tech gadgets. It is introducing

“technologyconcierges” onits ships totrain andeducate guestson everythingfrom AppleiPods andBlackBerrysmartphones towirelessdevices and

navigationalaides.

Bargain-hunters looking fora last-minute deal should goto MSC Cruises’ website atwww.msccruises.co.ukwhere it has launched a Dealof the Day offering specialoffers on specific voyages.

UK cruises make a splash

Scottish launch for Cosmos

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� CL’s NorwegianGem at Dover

� MV Lord of the Glens




It was one of the most movingmoments I can ever recall. We weresat on chairs on a hillside plateau,overlooking a sweeping plain dom-inated by a craggy hill directly infront of us and with a long escarp-

ment in the distance.Small, white stone cairns dotted the land-

scape all around us, the highest concentrationaround the base of the crag, where there werealso several larger monuments. There was achill in the December air despite it beingsummer in the Southern Hemisphere, but itwas nothing compared to the chill I felt in myspine as the tragic events of that desolate

place 130 years ago were vividly brought tolife by our guide, using his baton for effect ashe reconstructed that infamous day in breath-taking detail. A few hundred yards awayanother group was equally fixated as theirguide regaled the same desperate tale.For we were on the battlefield of one of

the worst defeats ever inflicted on the BritishEmpire – Isandlwana. An entire garrisoncomprising over 1,000 of the British Army’sfinest had been overwhelmed and wiped outby 20,000 Zulu warriors, and the white-paint-ed stones marked where they had all fallen.Few other than historians would recognise

the name of that bloody episode today, shock-

ing though it was at the time for the nation.Never before had a native army taken on andannihilated such a powerful, well-armed andtrained fighting force. Yet, another battlefought later that day, January 22, 1879, lessthan 10 miles away has gone down in legend.

Victoria CrossThat battle was Rorke’s Drift, celebrated forthe fact that 139 British soldiers holed up ina tiny, fortified mission camp held off thou-sands of Zulu attackers for 12 hours untilreinforcements arrived. Eleven VictoriaCross medals were awarded to the valiantdefenders, more than for any other singlebattle in history. And it inspired the iconic1964 blockbuster film, Zulu, which starreda young Michael Caine. WhereasIsandlwana, where three VCs were won, wasdepicted in the follow-up flop, Zulu Dawn.So captivating was the recounting, it

almost felt as though we were witnessing thebattle itself. But then much of it had beenpassed down by word of mouth from Zulus


From its moving Zulu and Boer War battlefield sites, tosuperlative wildlife parks, stunning beaches and

magnificent scenery, South Africa’s Zulu Kingdom isa world-class destination, which will soon be welcoming

the world. Peter Ellegard reports

ZULUdawns

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KWAZULU-NATAL

who had actually fought there. The near eye-witness accounts had been collected by his-torian David Rattray, who spent many hourssitting overlooking the battlefield as we did,talking to an elderly Zulu chief.Tragically, the man locals called the

“white Zulu” was killed in a robbery at theFugitives’ Drift lodge he ran with his wifeNicky and three sons, near Rorke’s Drift, inearly 2007. We had lunch at the lodge later,and met Nicky. I was sorry I didn’t get tomeet her husband, especially having listenedto his spellbinding narration from a recordedradio series while en route to Isandlwana onthe bus.On the way to the lodge we had spent an

all-too-brief 20 minutes at Rorke’s Drift.Having listened to David’s graphic recordedportrayal of events there, the graveyard andmuseum were just as emotional an experi-ence, even if the original buildings no longersurvive. Perhaps the most poignant sight wasthe bronze Zulu memorial, consisting of aleopard resting on a stack of warrior shields.

Zulu battlefieldsThe Anglo-Zulu War battlefields wereamong the highlights I had been lookingforward to seeing on my trip to SouthAfrica’s KwaZulu-Natal province, other-wise known as the Zulu Kingdom. Theymore than lived up to myexpectations and Iwould highlyr e c ommendanyone think-ing aboutv i s i t i n gthere toinclude themon a tour itin-erary. Monthslater, I did justthat when I was in apub in the middle ofnowhere in Scotland’s Trossachs region andoverheard the people on the next table beingtold about the Battle of Isandlwana by anenthusiastic member of their party, an off-

duty soldier and keen amateur historian.There are many Zulu and Boer War bat-

tlefield sites you can visit, particularlyaround Ladysmith (famous for its siege in1899) and Dundee, the nearest city toRorke’s Drift. Provincial capital Durban isrespectively 235km and 173km from them,about three hours or so by road.

With Durban one of the host cities


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� Zulu dancers

� Rorke's Driftmemorial

� Rorke’s Drift

off the beaten TRACK

� Isandlwanabattlefield site


for the 2010 football World Cup, this south-eastern part of South Africa is likely to see alot of interest and increasing visitor numbersin the next year or so.Durban itself is undergoing a huge ren-

aissance, with many new facilities beingadded (including a superb new stadium tostage the World Cup games) and majorinvestment in its infrastructure. The beachesin the city and along the neighbouring coast-line are some of the best in the world andthey enjoy the warmest sea temperatures inSouth Africa, reaching up to 28ºC. Its hotelsare second to none, too. Few places pamperyou as much as the beachfront SuncoastHotel & Towers. Sadly, my group’s timingcould have been better. We played golf near-by the day we checked in – and our latearrival meant we just missed the poolsideswimsuit parade at the hotel for the MissWorld contestants, who were in Durban atthe same time as us.

SharksThat night, we dined alongside a giantaquarium full of menacing sharks in one ofthe most unique dining environments I haveencountered, set in an imaginative “rusting”ship’s hulk at the uShaka Marine Worldpark (www.ushakamarineworld.co.za).This coastline is famous for its sharks.

The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board(www.shark.co.za) has been protecting thebeaches off Durban for swimmers andsurfers for over 40 years with netting. It isthe only organisation of its kind in the world,and you can visit its HQ in Umhlanga Rocksto learn about sharks with an audio-visualdemonstration followed by a live dissection,after which you can view lifelike replicas ofsharks, fish and rays, including that of a892kg great white shark.KZN (as the province is often shortened

to) is known for other wildlife too, and wegot the chance to see some of its most notedinhabitants on water and game safaris.We took a boat tour of the iSimangaliso

Wetland Park, the new name for UNESCOWorld Heritage Site the Greater St LuciaWetland Park, and got some fantasticclose-up views of hippos wallowing in theshallows. A short drive took us toHluhluwe-Imfolozi, one KZN’s most cele-brated game reserves and one of severalwhere you can see the Big Five. Once thehunting grounds for Zulu kings, they intro-duced the first conservation laws there, in1895. It was in the reserve that the white


The Zulu Kingdom is heaven for adrenalinjunkies. It offers some of the best diving inthe world, notably for encounters withsharks.Protea Banks and Aliwal Shoals,

respectively 90 and 45 minutes south ofDurban, are the prime shark-diving areasoff KwaZulu-Natal. Divers can encounterspecies such as non-aggressive ragged-tooths, known affectionately as Raggies,which go to Protea Banks in spring(August/September) to mate andcongregate in schools of up to 60 at Aliwalfrom July to October, as well as Zambezis,great whites and hammerheads.You caneven free dive with dangerous tiger sharksat Aliwal, where operators “chum” thewater with bait to attract them.Sodwana Bay is Africa’s most southerly

coral reef, and also marks thesouthernmost area where giant whalesharks are found, their range extending upto Mozambique.Another incrediblespectacle is the annual Sardine Runbetween May and July, when huge shoalsup to 15km long migrate up the KwaZulu-Natal coast.The former Greater St LuciaWetland

Park, now iSimangaliso, has boat safaris tosee hippos and many different bird species.On land, it is the Big Five animals and other

wildlife which provide the thrills. BesidesHluhluwe-Imfolozi, other game reserveswhere you can see them include Phinda,Thanda and the Tembe Elephant Park.And if you want sports action, there is

golf of the highest calibre on coursesincluding Princes Grant(www.princesgrant.co.za), DurbanCountry Club (www.dcclub.co.za),Selborne (www.selborne.com) andChampagne Sports Resort(www.champagnesportsresort.com).

Action andadventure

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rhino was saved from extinction, in the1960s.

The weather was so cold as we clamberedaboard our open-sided safari trucks that weneeded blankets over our legs to keep warm.But we were rewarded with the immediatesight of an elephant as we entered the gates.And as we were driven around the reservewe were lucky enough to see another onealmost within touching distance, but so busyeating juicy leaves we were scarcely noticed.We also spotted lots of antelope and zebra,some water buffalo, warthogs, giraffes and apride of resting lions with playful cubs.

Rich cultureArriving for our overnight stay at our near-by hotel, the Protea Umfolozi, we weretreated to an energetic display of traditionaldancing by local Zulu boys. You can seedancing and other Zulu culture throughoutthe province, visiting a rural Zulu village orenjoying organised cultural experiencessuch as Shakaland or Duma Zulu.

Besides its battlefields, wildlife and richculture, KwaZulu-Natal is rich in naturalbeauty. Nowhere is that more evident than inthe spectacular Drakensberg Mountains,where you can go hiking, mountain bikingor horse-riding. We were there for anotheractivity – golf. Staying at the ChampagneSports Resort, the mountains reared up dra-matically just beyond the course and behindour chalets. With an elevated clubhouse deckgiving sweeping vistas, few golf resorts canenjoy such glorious surroundings.

All too soon, our week-long stay inKwaZulu-Natal was over. It was a truly mes-merising destination, yet one I feel I havebarely scratched the surface of. One thing’sfor sure – I will definitely be back.


KwaZulu-Natal facts

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When to goThe Zulu Kingdom enjoys a sub-tropical climate with year-round sunshine, and rain generally in November and March.Game viewing is best in winter (June and July). Seatemperatures averaging 22ºC make it a great family destination.

Getting thereDurban is a one-hour flight or easy six-hour drive from Johannesburg,which is served by direct flights from London by South African Airways(www.flysaa.com), British Airways (www.ba.com) andVirgin AtlanticAirways (www.virgin-atlantic.com). Flight time: 11 hours.

Getting aroundKwaZulu-Natal is easy to get around, with excellent roads. Most attractionsare within a three or four-hour drive of Durban and each other. Car rentalcompanies include Avis (www.avis.co.uk).

AccommodationYou can find top-quality accommodation throughout the province.AmongSouth African hotel groups with properties are Southern Sun(www.southernsun.com),Three Cities (www.threecities.co.za) andProtea Hotels (www.proteahotels.com).There are also lodges includingFugitives’ Drift (www.fugitives-drift-lodge.com) and resorts such asChampagne Sports Resort (www.champagnesportsresort.com) andSelborne Hotel, Spa & Golf Estate (www.selborne.com).

Tour operatorsA number of tour operators feature KZN, including Virgin Holidays(www.virginholidays.co.uk), Somak Holidays (www.somak.com), JetsetHolidays (www.jetset-holidays.co.uk), Premier Holidays(www.premierholidays.co.uk),Tropical Sky (www.tropicalsky.co.uk),Kuoni (www.kuoni.co.uk) and Audley Travel (www.audleytravel.com).Local tour operator Thompsons Africa (www.thompsonsafrica.com) hasan extensive programme of KZN tours.

Tourist informationVisit the Zulu Kingdom’s website on www.zulu.org.za

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Wewere told it wouldbe a long day oftravelling, with onlya couple of stopsand not to expectdinner until 9.30pm

– over 12 hours away. I was already cross-ing my legs, although there was a toilet onboard.It was day two of a nine-day Leger

Holidays coach tour called Verona OperaExperience, which we had joined near ourhome town in Oxford. Two nights would bespent on the way (the first was near

Brussels); four nights at Lake Garda, nearVerona; and two nights taking a differentroute back.Day two was to be the killer, a slog along

Germany’s autobahns and over the Austrianborder to a village near Innsbruck. It wasboring, but there were three stops and wearrived in good time for dinner at 8pm.That’s when I realised our two coach driverswere good at psychology – make it seembad, and if it’s better then you’re happy.I was in my mid-40s but I felt young,

with all the other passengers over 50 andmany well over 60. But we gelled well as a

group, and plenty of names and addresseswere exchanged on the return ferry tripacross the Channel.

Old-fashioned imageMany people would never think of joining acoach tour, but I enjoyed it even though Ihaven’t yet repeated the experience. Coachtours are stuck with an old-fashioned image,just like holiday “camps” – especiallyamong people who have never been.A modern coach can cost up to £250,000

with all the latest comforts, and advancedsafety and fuel-efficiency measures. Coachtour market leader Shearings has bought 45new Setra coaches this year of the same typeused for the England football team – nowonder it’s saying “Bus it like Beckham”!The hotels used are generally much

improved too, and you may well stay atchain hotels such as Holiday Inn rather than


Coach tours have something of an unwarranted, old-fashionedimage – but things are very different these days with vehiclesbristling with the latest creature comforts. Dave Richardson

tells it like it really is …

Holidayson the buses

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McGrotty’s – especially in cities. There arestill plenty of seaside hotels in Britain wherethe floors creak as badly as their guests’joints, but most have been smartened up andmake a genuine effort to please amid thefaded grandeur.

The entertainment seems to belong toanother age, but as the Baby Boomer gener-ation hits 60 you are more likely to hear TheBeatles in the ballroom rather than the JoeLoss Orchestra.

The most popular destinations are thescenic countries of Europe – especiallyAustria, Italy and Switzerland. Some of thelarger tour operators, including CosmosTourama, can also fly you out to join thecoach abroad – cutting out some tiring trav-elling, but with airport hassle and luggagerestrictions to be factored in. Eurostar is anincreasingly-popular option, with high-speed rail travel as far as Paris or Brussels.

Easy-going trendThere’s also a trend towards moreeasy-going itineraries, whichCosmos calls Leisurely.Rather than packing andunpacking every day, youwill be based at one

hotel for most of the holiday with the coachoperating excursions.

But there’s still a place for the grand tour,and with operators such asCosmos, Insight Vacationsand Trafalgar, that can be avery cosmopolitan experi-ence with passengersfrom many parts of theworld trying to “doEurope”. Leger isalso seeingincreased demandfor “GrandExplorer” tourslike ArcticCircle andThe Land of


let’s TRY…????ESCORTED COACH TOURS

Faraway toursSome people who wouldn’t be seen deadon a coach tour are happy to take anescorted tour somewhere exotic –where most of the travel is likely to beby coach.The US, Canada,Australia and New

Zealand are particularly popular, whileSouth Africa, Japan and China are on theup. In larger countries you will probablyfly over long distances before picking upa coach again, but you could also usetrains and river boats.Cosmos Tourama is operating more

holidays to special events, such as theNew Orleans Jazz Festival and the HarbinSnow and Ice Festival in China. CostaRica, India/Bhutan and Mexico have alsobeen added.The credit crunch doesn’t seem to be

affecting escorted tours, according toanother large operator,Travelsphere. Itdescribes its customers as “debt-free,thrill-hungry culture vultures”, andoperates over 700 holidays in 80countries.

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� The Burlington Hotel,Eastbourne

� Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock� Coach holidays are relaxing

� A Grand UK tourmanager and client

� Fall guys: a Cosmos Tourama PlatinumExplorer coach in New England

� Shearings has invested in new coachess


the Midnight Sun – once in a lifetime expe-riences that people want to take despite thecredit crunch.

Many tours nowadays are themed, espe-cially short breaks which are a good way ofseeing if a coach tour is for you. Gardens,steam railways, castles, photography, paint-ing and spas are examples, plus visitingplaces made popular by TV series such asHeartbeat or Last of the Summer Wine.

Leger is a leading operator of tours to theWorld War 1 and 2 European battlefields,with an expert guide to visit places such asFlanders, the Somme and Normandy (forthe 65th anniversary of the D-Day landingsthis year). Interest in battlefield tours is stillincreasing, but Leger

has launched a website to encourageyounger people to explore family history(www.keepthememoriesalive.co.uk).

Going for a songShorter and more-themed tours tend toattract a slightly younger age group, butwithin the UK most coach customers arestill 60-plus. It’s no coincidence thatShearings customers have voted CliffRichard’s hit, Summer Holiday (1963), astheir favourite holiday song, and Shearingsis making this and other holiday hits avail-able as a download on online music storeiTunes.

Shearings expects a lot of people toswitch to a UK holiday this year, and has 49

of its own hotels which you can travelto independently rather


Luxury coachesSome of the biggest coach operatorsoffer premium coaches on somedepartures, for a reasonable supplement.They are generally used on longerEuropean or North American tours, butcould turn up closer to home.Shearings has the Grand Tourer

(previously operated by its rivalWallaceArnold, which it took over) and EuroTourer. Cosmos Tourama operates thePlatinumTourer and Leger the SilverService coach.The basic premise is the same –

remove one or more rows of seats andeveryone has more leg-room.A standardcoach usually seats between 48 and 56passengers, whereas Shearings seats 42 ina Euro Tourer and only 36 in the GrandTourer.Premium coaches usually have a lounge

area at the back where people can meet,onboard drinks and snacks, andentertainment including DVD player andsat nav display.

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� A Cosmos PlatinumExplorer coach in Europe

� Leger Holidays’ Silver Service

� St Basil'sCathedral,Moscow



than taking a coach tour. Grand UKHolidays has nine of its own hotels, in popu-lar resorts such as Torquay, Skegness,Blackpool and Llandudno.

Grand UK operates exclusively for theover-55s and has a high volume of singletravellers, with no single-room supplementspayable on most holidays and a dedicatedSolos programme so like-minded people cantravel together. It offers a complete luggagehandling service, taking this element ofworry out of a holiday, and also offers toursof Europe including river cruise combina-tions.

Grand UK offers Ruby and Golden wed-ding anniversary holidays for couples torenew their vows, and more than 500 cou-ples have taken them so far.

As I journeyed back from Italy I won-dered what kind of holidays I might fancy in30 or 40 years’ time, and I was reminded ofa distant relative who remarried at the age of90 after meeting his new “gal” on a coach.

The psychology was still going strong aswe left the party, waved off by our cheerydrivers who still had another 300 miles togo.

“If you had a good week, we’re Roy andIan,” they said. “If you didn’t, we’re Bill andBen.”

I did, thanks partly to Roy and Ian. I’ll beback on the road some day.


Coach tour facts

Tips� You don’t need to join in everything,but if you’re not a sociable person, acoach tour probably isn’t for you.

� You will generally eat as well as travelas a group, but some more priceytours give you an a la carte allowance.

� Some tours keep down headlineprices by limiting the number ofexcursions included, so consider whatyou might want to do as it might bemore expensive to buy on the spot.

� If you don’t fancy a long road trip, joina tour that starts with a flight or railjourney.

� Some operators make big efforts toattract single travellers. Romancemight even bloom…

Dave Richardson started taking day trips bycoach at the age of 12 and was soon takingovernight trips to various parts of the country. Hewent on to try his first coach tour to Europe andis planning an escorted tour of the US in 2010.

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Most coach tour operators are small and local, withonly a handful of national names.The Coach TourismCouncil (0870 850 2839,www.coachtourismcouncil.co.uk) is a good wayof finding them as it has nearly 150 operatormembers, both large and small.Wallace ArnoldWorldchoice (0845 365 6747) is anagency specialising in coach holidays and operates abookable website at www.coachholidays.com

Major operators include:Shearings (01942 824824,www.shearings.com)Leger (0844 504 6342,www.best-of-europe-withleger.co.uk)Cosmos Tourama (0871 423 8647,www.cosmostourama.co.uk)Grand UK (01603 619933,www.grandukholidays.com)Travelsphere (0800 567 7372,www.travelsphere.co.uk)

Sample prices:Leger’s D-Day Landings in Normandy tour costs from £199 bed andbreakfast for four days.A five-day tour from £299 is by luxury Silver Servicecoach, available on selected dates.

Best ofWestern Canada is a 14-day holiday by Cosmos Tourama, costingfrom £2,015 including return flights.Visiting Vancouver and the Rockies, itincludes many excursions plus rail and cruise trips, but not meals.

Grand UK’s NorthWales Coast holiday is based at its own Grand AshHotel in Llandudno, costing £269 for five days with half-board, including twofull-day excursions.

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Withmy golf bag slungover one shoulderand my other armclutching golf shoes,the lift buttons weretricky to reach.

Thankfully, another hotel guest who got inbehind me spared my contortions, askingwhich floor I wanted and pressing the button.

Recognising the voice, I looked round andsuddenly realised who my lift partner was –just managing to avoid blurting out somethingstupid, like “aren’t you Glenn Hoddle?”

It was just after Hoddle’s tenure as Englandfootball manager some 10 years ago and wewere at La Manga Club, in Spain’s Murciaregion. But star-spotting is nothing new there.

For more than 35 years, the sprawlingleisure complex has not only been a bywordfor holidaying Brits, but has also been a mag-net for celebrities. Many have bought luxuryvillas alongside its golf courses.

A frequent La Manga visitor, I have previ-ously spotted actress Patsy Palmer – Biancafrom Eastenders – sunning herself poolsideand seen former F1 world champion NigelMansell, a villa owner, setting off in a golfbuggy for a leisurely round. Other regularsinclude David Coulthard, Kenny Dalglish, SirCliff Richard andAlan Hansen.

MURCIA, SPAIN

pack your CLUBS


Golf with star

Spanish region Murcia issynonymous with Britsfavourite La Manga but,

thanks to an explosion of golffacilities, it is now Spain’s

fastest-growing golfdestination. Peter Ellegardrecently returned to where it

all began…

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� Driving off on La Manga’s North Course

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Home from homeThe home-from-home feel is hardly surpris-ing; it was owned and run by British institu-tion P&O for a quarter of a century until late2004. To many, La Manga was and is Murcia,and vice versa.

But La Manga no longer has a monopoly.Murcia’s golf facilities have expanded rapidlyin recent years. Now Spain’s fastest-growinggolf destination, it has 17 courses with moreunder construction or planned.

Newcomers have dramatically enhancedMurcia’s golf resort scene.They include the 27-hole MosaTrajectum resort and resort operatorPolaris World, which has linked with golf leg-end Jack Nicklaus to create the Nicklaus GolfTrail – a circuit currently comprising fourcourses and which will eventually boast nine.

Other Murcia courses have designs by thelikes of Dave Thomas and Spain’s own SeveBallesteros.

All of which is bringing more golfing visi-tors to this south-eastern corner of Spain,tucked between the provinces of Alicante andAlmeria. Most courses are along the coastalstrip, known as the Costa Calida. Visitorsarrive via Alicante or Murcia’s tiny San Javierairport, just 20 minutes from La Manga. Thesleepy little airport I recall from early visitsnow bursts at the seams at peak times.

A brand new airport opens next year atCorovera, 20 minutes from the provincial cap-ital, the city ofMurcia, to cope with the influx.

Return to La MangaA recent return to La Manga gave me thechance to see it for the first time since it cameunder Spanish ownership, and since the hacien-da-style former Hyatt Regency hotel becamethe independently-operated La Manga ClubPrincipe Felipe earlier this year.

I was heartened to see the resort waslittle changed from my last visit, adecade ago; if anything, it was better.The hotels rooms were better-appointed than I remembered, andnew facilities had been added.Among them an impressive spaoverlooking the vast resort, fromwhere you can truly appreciate LaManga Club’s scale.

Three times the size of Monaco,it encompasses three 18-hole golfcourses, a golf academy, an 18-holePar 47 pitch and putt course, 28 tenniscourts, football centre with eight pitches,two cricket pitches, rugby and Gaelic footballfacilities, a Junior Club and junior sports acad-

emies, several villa complexes all with theirown pools, over 20 bars and restaurants,shops, banks, a pharmacy and even its ownpetrol station. A private beach in a rocky coveoverlooked by a restaurant is accessed by aroad blasted through the towering sea cliffs.

Top football clubs use its extensive trainingfacilities and many sports stars take part incharity golf tournaments.

La Manga’s three courses are both a joyand a challenge. Easy resort golf it isn’t.

Originally designed in 1971 and remod-elled in 1992 by Arnold Palmer, the champi-onship South Course features wide, palm-fringed fairways and water hazards on 15 ofthe 18 holes, including some new ones addedin a multi-million renovation that I discovered,quite literally, on my recent visit.

The more aesthetically-pleasing but shorterNorth Course is partly laid out on higher ele-vations, with challenges provided by palmtrees, lakes and barrancas – natural storm gul-

lies also found on its siblings – and largegreens with wicked slopes.

The West Course is the prettiest, snakingthrough a more rural setting of hills and pinetrees, to finish with a towering 18th tee givinggrandstand views of La Manga and the Med.With numerous blind shots, it demands target-golf precision.

Nicklaus Golf TrailCreated by Polaris World with golf legendJack Nicklaus, the Nicklaus Golf Trail is aunique circuit of courses bearing the stamp ofthe Golden Bear. Of the four courses alreadyopen, three are 18-hole layouts. Two morecourses are under construction and work willsoon start on the other three.

The trail courses open so far are:La Torre Best Golf: a short 18-hole, par 68

course with wide fairways, suitable for inter-mediate or high handicappers.

El Valle Best Golf: a desert-style, 18-hole,par 71 course featuring lakes, waterfalls andclusters of bunkers set amid rocks and abun-dant native vegetation.

Hacienda Riquelme Best Golf: this largerthan average 18-hole, par 72 course enjoysa Mediterranean setting surrounded byolive trees with several large lakes.

MarMenor Best Golf: a nine-holecourse currently being extended to18 holes, its wide fairways andlarge bunkers are ideal for begin-ners and learners.

Trail courses still to openinclude: the 18-hole, par 72 LasTerrazas de La Torre, a desert-stylecourse with dunes encasing greens;the Condado de Alhama, a signature

course designed by Jack Nicklaus him-self with sharp elevations; and the Bear’s

Best I and II 18-hole duo, with differingstyles reminiscent of Florida and the Arizona


Off courseMurcia’s coastal stretch, the Costa Calida, offers

unspoilt white sandy beaches, picturesque towns, fishingports where you can dine on tasty local catches, natural

beauty spots, and two seas offering water sports galore – theMediterranean and the enclosed Mar Menor, protected by a longfinger of land edged by beaches.This is La Manga strip, a favouriteholiday spot for the Spanish with hotels, apartments, shops, bars andrestaurants.The city of Murcia, the regional capital, claims to have more festivalsthan any other Spanish city. September’s Moors and Christiansparade sees an effigy of theVirgin Mary carried to a mountainshrine and bull fights in the city arena.While Romanstronghold Cartegena – where Hannibal grew up –

holds a 10-day Carthaginians and Romans Festivaleach September,with camps, battle re-

enactments and chariot races.

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� Nicklaus Golf Trail course El Valle



desert but both featuring replica holes fromsome of the 240 Nicklaus Design courses.Polaris World offers extensive self-catering

accommodation as well as two five-starInterContinental hotels, overlooking the MarMenor and LaTorre courses.

Eco-golfThree nine-hole layouts (Stone, Olive andPine) giving three 18-hole combinations areon offer at Mosa Trajectum Golf – Murcia.Each nine is different in character. The resortalso has a nine-hole, par 3 Challenge Course.Mosa Trajectum claims to be Spain’s firstcompletely-ecological golf course, with adrainage system which collects all rain andwaste water and diverts it to the resort’s ownpurification plant.Of Murcia’s other courses, Dave Thomas

designed Roda Golf Course, part of the DeVere Hotels-managed Roda Golf and BeachResort where a hotel opens in 2010, the semi-privateAltorreal set on hills aboveMurcia city,and Hacienda del Alamo. Surrounded by cit-rus, olive and almond groves, a second courseis planned there.Wildlife is a key feature of Seve Ballesteros-

designed Peraleja, which opened in 2007.Morethan 60% of the resort’s 780-acre area is pro-tected, with resident bird species includingBonelli eagles, red kites and eagle owls.A five-star hotel and spa opens soon.Future openings feature several big-name golf

designers. Among them are: two Greg Norman-designed courses at the 3 Molinos Golf Resort;the Jose Maria Olazabal-designed Corvera Golf& Country Club course opening in 2010, whichwill become thewinterHQ and overseas base forthe PGAs of Europe; and Novo Carthago, aresort alongside the Mar Menor featuring twoRobertTrent Jones Jr courses.One thing is certain; I won’t leave it anoth-

er 10 years before I go back to Murcia.

Murcia GOLF facts

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Tourist informationFor information about Murcia and its golf courses, visit the Murcia TouristBoard website,www.murciaturistica.es/PORTAL/

WeatherMurcia’s semi-arid, sub-tropical climate is ideal for golf year-round, with anaverage temperature of 21ºC and more than 300 sunny days a year.

Getting thereMany flights by charter airlines, scheduled airlines and low-cost carriers goto Murcia’s San Javier airport and nearby Alicante. Monarch(www.monarch.co.uk) serves both, with flights to Alicante from airportsincluding Gatwick and Luton, and flights to Murcia from Gatwick and otherregional airports. Fares start from £46.50 one-way (£76.99 return) toAlicante and £52.99 (£88.50) to Murcia.

Golf packagesTour operators offering Murcia golf packages includeYour Golf Travel (0800043, 6644,www.yourgolftravel.com). La Manga prices start at £295 perperson for three nights’ bed and breakfast at the Hotel La Manga ClubPrincipe Felipe, with three rounds of golf, or £229 on the same basis at theLas LomasVillage apartments or townhouses.Three nights’ self-catering atPolarisWorld with three rounds of golf on the Nicklaus Golf Trail costfrom £130 per person. Prices exclude flights.

CoursesLa Manga Clubwww.lamangaclub.com

Nicklaus Golf Trailwww.nicklausgolftrail.es

Mosa Trajectum Golf – Murciawww.thekey.es

Peraleja Golfwww.peralejagolf.com

Roda Golf & Beach Resortwww.rodagolf.com

Hacienda del Alamowww.clubdegolfhda.com

Altorreal Golfwww.golfaltorreal.es

HotelsHotel La Manga Club Principe Felipewww.lamangaclub.com

Hotel Intercontinental Mar Menor Golf Resortwww.intercontinental.com/marmenor

Hotel InterContinental La Torre Golf Resort Murciawww.intercontinental.com/latorre

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� La Manga’s South Course

� Hacienda del Alamo

� The Nicklaus Trail will have nine courses� Wildlife abounds at Peraleja


With Florida propertyprices at their low-est for years and

the dollar still good value,British golfers might not have abetter opportunity to buy ahome there with top-notchcourses on the doorstep.One of south-west Florida’s

most prestigious country clubsis aiming to attract more over-seas members, particularly fromthe UK.Grey Oaks Country Club, in

Naples, already has severalBritish members. Director ofmembership Ann Marie Ashlinebelieves its beautiful setting,home-away-from-home atmos-phere and extensive facilities –which include three golf cours-es, one by top architect BobCupp – particularly appeal to theBritish. Other facilities includetwo clubhouses, two drivingranges, tennis, social events anda fitness centre.Many members have homes

at Grey Oaks, where three-bed-room villas sell from around$800,000, but it also offers equi-ty golf membership for non-res-idents. That costs $175,000(Grey Oaks property owners pay$150,000) plus annual dues of$11,400, giving full use of all

facilities. Members get 80% ofthe current equity value back ifthey resign.Interested British golfers are

welcome to try out Grey Oaks’golf as guests. Call 00 1 239 2625550. More information:www.greyoakscc.com

Europe’s fastest-growinggolf travel company haslaunched its first

brochure. More than 180resorts, hotels and golf coursesin 19 destinations around theworld are featured in the inau-gural 2009 brochure from YourGolf Travel, which was previ-ously online only.As well as UK and Ireland

breaks, the brochure offers holi-days in European golfinghotspots France, Portugal,Spain, Turkey and Cyprus.Further afield, it offers SouthAfrica, Morocco, Tunisia,Egypt, Mauritius, the Caribbean,the US and China.Among notable courses fea-

tured are China’s Mission Hills,the world’s biggest golf complexwith 12 courses, PlayersChampionship venue Sawgrassin Florida, 2010 Ryder Cup hostCeltic Manor in Wales and 2014host Gleneagles in Scotland.UK breaks start at £36 per

person for one night’s bed and

breakfast with two rounds ofgolf at Belmont Lodge Hotel &Golf Club in Hereford. Overseasholidays cost from £115 per per-son for three nights in an apart-ment on Portugal’s Algarve,with three rounds.Your Golf Travel managing

director Andrew Harding said:“We wanted to build on the phe-nomenal growth the companyhas enjoyed since its inceptionin 2005 and launching thisbrochure is the best way to dothat.”For a copy of the brochure,

call 0800 043 6644, and for moreinformation, visit the website(www.yourgolftravel.com),which has over 1,500 venues.


golf NEWS

GOLF CLIPSThe K Club, Ireland’s 2006Ryder Cup host resort, iscelebrating its 18th birthdaywith some special offers.Theyinclude bed and breakfast in asuperior room for £180, with18 holes of golf or 180minutes of spa treatments.The offer is valid all year. Call00 353 1 601 7200 or visitwww.kclub.com

Dubai’s Majlis Course hasbeen voted the top golfcourse in the Middle East byleading US golf publication

Golf Digest. Designed by KarlLitten and opened in 1988,the course is part of theEmirates Golf Club and hoststhe PGA European Tour-sanctioned Dubai DesertClassic, won this year byRory McIlroy.www.dubaigolf.com

A new rooftop deck hasbeen added at the OldCourse Hotel, Golf Resort &Spa in St Andrews.The terracecompletes the luxurious

fourth floor of the hotel andguests can enjoy a drink ormeal while looking out overthe Old Course,West Sandsand Firth of Forth.www.oldcoursehotel.co.uk

First brochure

Join the club

� Your Golf Travel offers Celtic Manor breaks Pete

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Pete

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� Grey Oaks’ Palm Course

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� 8th hole on the Majlis

� The Old Course Hotel’s rooftop deck




Iwas enjoying a round of golf on theisland of Alderney, third largest ofthe Channel Islands and so close toFrance that you can make out thetraffic on the coast road of theCherbourg Peninsula, when I was

faced with a tricky “blind” shot to thegreen. “No problem,” said my local com-panion, “just aim for that gun emplacementup on the high ground there, just left of theobservation tower.”

These aren’t the sort of landmarks thatcome into play on a golf course in, say,Surrey or Hertfordshire, but in Alderneythey define the landscape, nearly 70 yearsafter Hitler’s occupying forces fortified theisland in readiness for an Allied attack thatnever came.

I took aim, sliced my shot into thickbracken, and spent five minutes looking formy ball and considering the accidents ofgeography and history that make theChannel Islands unique. Stuck between twogreat powers who were forever warring with

each other, and coveted by the Third Reichas stepping stones towards European domi-nation, Alderney and its two bigger sisters,Jersey and Guernsey, have been floatingfortresses for centuries. Now, at last, peacereigns in this lovely corner of Europe.Tourists can clamber safely over the militaryrelics as they’re gently reclaimed by nature –and (good) golfers can use them to sharpentheir aim.

Bygone traditionsPeace and quiet – of a kind southern Britainhasn’t experienced since the 1950s – is thespecial quality of Sark and Herm, the fourthand fifth islands of the group. Spectacularlybeautiful Sark jealously preserves itsbygone traditions and unhurried pace oflife. Cars are banned in this dreamy place ofhidden coves and beaches, luxuriant vegeta-tion, tea and craft shops. It would have beenthe perfect location for an Enid Blytonnovel, and is best explored on bike or foot.Sark’s most striking feature is the narrow,


Depending on your viewpoint, they’re a little piece of Francethat will remain forever English, or an extension of the

Normandy coast that are French in all but name. The fact is,writes Frank Partridge, the Channel Islands have a character

and style all of their own

CHANNEL ISLANDS

on your DOORSTEP

Fortresses of

Main picture: Visit Guernsey

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� Fort Grey, Guernsey

� A painter onJersey’s north

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natural causeway that links the two halvesof the island, running nearly 300 feet abovethe waves on either side. There are sturdyhand-rails, but it’s no place to go if you suf-fer from vertigo.

Herm is less than two miles long and amile wide, with a population of less than 100that swells twenty-fold in the summermonths. Some are content to stay within theluxurious confines of the island’s only hotel,but the day-trippers make a bee-line for twoof the finest beaches in the British Isles:Belvoir Bay and Shell Beach.The latter’s bril-liant white surface is a beachcomber’s delight,with an unending supply of shells depositedon the island by the Gulf Stream. Everything

on Herm, including some shops, holiday cot-tages, a school and a post office, is run as abusiness by a tenant family, who ensure thatlitter and noise are kept to a mini-mum, and that everyone withouta permit to stay overnight issafely on the last ferry backto Guernsey, 20 minutesaway. Outside July andAugust, this is the ulti-mate get-away-from-it-allretreat.

IndependenceHerm, Sark and Alderney allbelong to the Bailiwick of

Guernsey, which means they’re effectivelygoverned from the island’s capital, St PeterPort. Jersey is also a bailiwick (derived from

an old French word meaning anarea of jurisdiction) and the

two big islands have aremarkable degree ofindependence. Eachhas its own constitu-tion, parliament, taxsystem, currency,stamps and exciseduty. The UK is

responsible only fortheir defence, as depend-

encies of the British Crown.

Festivals & eventsBattle of FlowersBoth Jersey and Guernsey celebrate theirmain export with spectacular floralprocessions, when locals compete tobuild the best mobile float. Jersey’scarnival (www.battleofflowers.com) isfrom August 13-14; Guernsey’s(www.visitguernsey.com) is August26-27.

AlderneyWeek130 events and entertainment for all agesin the island’s annual carnival, fromAugust 1-9.www.alderneyweek.net

Sark Celebration of the SeaSeafood, music, family entertainment andfireworks from noon to midnight onSeptember 12.

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� FloralGuernsey

� Dancers at Jersey’sBattle of Flowers parade

� Jersey’s Battle of Flowers� The DurrellWildlife Centre

� Horse andcart transportin Sark


It didn’t feel like that in 1940, when theNazis earmarked the Channel Islands as akey brick in their defensive Atlantic Wall,that stretched from Norway to Spain.Britain, at the height of the Blitz, was in noposition to help, and the islands were aban-doned to the enemy without a shot beingfired. The Germans brought in slave labourfrom Eastern Europe to shore up theirdefences; Alderney was virtually cleared ofpeople to make way for four concentrationcamps. Churchill was advised that recaptur-ing Alderney alone might cost a quarter of amillion Allied lives, and the “dear ChannelIsles”, as he called them, were left to fendfor themselves.

Occupation remindersOn the golf course, and pretty much every-where else, you’re reminded of the fouryears and 10 months of occupation, whenfood ran so short that the German soldierswere reduced to eating domestic cats anddogs. Alderney is an easy-going place now,with its notably relaxed attitude to thelicensing laws giving rise to the saying thatit’s “two thousand drunks clinging to arock”, but it was a grim place in the waryears, and the period is superbly captured inthe island’s museum in St Anne, the quaint,cobbled capital.

Guernsey has plenty of evocative warmemorabilia too, including an underground

military museum and hospital, and anOccupation Museum depicting the day-to-day grind of island life in those desperatetimes. Emerging into daylight, they makethe elegant, quaint streets and alleys of StPeter Port look all the more beautiful,although Guernsey has nothing quite tomatch Elizabeth and Mont Orgueil castleson Jersey – the two most imposing buildingsof the Channel Islands, dramatically floodlitat night.

Gallic influenceJersey is the biggest, wealthiest and mostpopulous of the islands, and although itscapital, St Helier, lacks the charm of the


Did you know?� The island that became world-famous

for its “Guernsey Toms” built its firstgiant greenhouses in 1792 - for theproduction of grapes.Tomatoesweren’t introduced until the 1860s.

� Assuming victory inWorldWar II,Adolf Hitler planned to turn Jerseyinto a giant holiday camp, as part ofthe Third Reich’s “Strength throughJoy” programme.

� Herm has a unique set of regulations.Visitors are forbidden to pickflowers, own a house, play loud musicon the beach, or wash their clothesbetween noon and midnight – to saveelectricity, which the island generatesitself.

� Alderney has the only workingrailway in the Channel Islands, andone of the oldest in the British Isles.A diesel locomotive pulls two formerLondon Underground carriages,which celebrate their 50th birthdaythis year.

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� Children rockpooling on Jersey � A German

coastal artilleryobservation towerat St Brelade



other main towns, there are plenty of beautyspots within easy reach. Nearly half theisland’s 50-mile coastline is sandy beach,and 350 miles of narrow, hedgerow-fringedroads make it seem much larger than it is.There’s a speed limit of 20mph most of theway, but the byways are so mazy and divert-ing that you’ll be pushed to exceed it.Rainy-day highlights are the JerseyMuseum in St Helier, where the star attrac-tion is Lillie Langtry, the island-bornsocialite who scandalised London in the late19th century, and the world-famous zoo,founded 50 years ago by Gerald Durrell,who was a generation ahead of his time inrealising that exotic wildlife must be pre-served, and not merely caged.

Jersey is just 14 miles from mainlandFrance, so it’s no surprise to find a strongGallic influence in its cuisine, dialect andplace names. French yachtsmen sail over forlunch at French-owned restaurants. The mostcelebrated incomer to the islands was theFrench Romantic writer, Victor Hugo,whose exotically-decorated house inGuernsey is open to the public. But don’t bemisled. In a dozen visits to the islands, I’veseen a forest of Union flags and scarcely asingle French tricolour. The Channel Islandsmight feel like abroad, but their heart willalways be close to home.

Frank Partridge writes and broadcastsabout travel and will happily visit anycountry with a golf course and a vineyardwithin easy reach. He frequently missesplanes and knows certain airports –especially Luton – like the back of his hand.

Channel Island facts

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“French yachtsmensail over for lunchat French-ownedrestaurants”

Getting thereThere are at least 12 flights per day to Jersey andGuernsey from London. Aurigny Air Services(www.aurigny.com) flies to both Jersey andGuernsey from Gatwick and Stansted, and toAlderney from Southampton, and operates betweenthe three main islands.Flybe (www.flybe.com) flies to Jersey and Guernsey from Gatwick andSouthampton, with additional services to Jersey from Luton and Southend.Blue Islands (www.blueislands.com) flies from Southampton to Jersey,Guernsey and Alderney, plus inter-island services. New weekly AirSouthwest (www.airsouthwest.com) flights serve Jersey from Oxford.

Condor Ferries (www.condorferries.com) operates a fast car ferryservice year-round from Poole andWeymouth to Jersey via Guernsey, and adirect service from Poole to Jersey in summer. A traditional ferry sails fromPortsmouth to Jersey, with a journey time of 10 hours 30 minutes.

Accommodation and informationAll the islands have a wide range of accommodation,from luxury hotels to self-catering cottages andwell-appointed campsites.The islands’ touristinformation websites have details of currentvacancies and deals, as well as online searchfacilities and email booking services.Jersey:www.jersey.comGuernsey:www.visitguernsey.comAlderney:www.visitalderney.comSark:www.sark.infoHerm: www.herm-island.com

Health insuranceBecause the Channel Islands are not part of the EU, visitors are notcovered by the European Health Insurance card and need to ensure theyhave adequate personal insurance in case they need health treatment.

AttractionsJersey� Jersey Zoo (www.durrell.org) celebrated its 50th birthday on July 12.� Jersey Museum & Art Gallery (www.jerseyheritage.org) – a quarter

of a million years of history and some fine Surrealist art under one roof.� Mont Orgueil Castle, Jersey (www.jerseyheritage.org) – stunning

views and 600 years of history at the island’s most photographed site.

Guernsey� Hauteville House, St Peter Port (www.victorhugo.gg) – Victor Hugo’s

Guernsey home from 1856-70 features an astonishing display ofeccentric furnishings, and is preserved by the City of Paris.

� German Military Underground Hospital (www.visitguernsey.com) –an eerie reminder of the wartime occupation, the ChannelIslands’ largest construction was hewn out ofthe rock by thousands of slave workers.

Alderney� Wartime memorabilia helps tell the island's story

at the Alderney Society Museum(www.alderneysociety.org)

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� St Peter Port, Guernsey





The Flip Ultra is the world’sfirst point-and-shoot cam-corder and a hit with celebri-

ties such as Oprah Winfrey andStella McCartney.You can record 60 minutes of

footage, connect directly to your com-puter via the flip-out USB arm andupload to YouTube, MySpace etc. TheFlip Ultra comes in black, silver, orangeor pink and retails at £99.99.Available from Amazon.co.uk,

Carphone Warehouse, Play.com,Currys, PC World, Firebox.com andiwantoneofthose.comFor further information go to

www.flipvideo.co.uk


in your FLIGHT BAG

Ultra hip with a Flip

Feel fresh onboard air-craft with this oralhealth travel kit

from Sunstar. Featuringtop quality dentally rec-ommended products, thetransparent, waterproofwash kit contains: theGUM travel brush,coated with an anti-bac-terial protection; a mini spool contain-ing 10m of GUM expanding dentalfloss; and a tube of the latest GUM

Gingidex toothpaste with anti-bacterial agents and aloevera, a natural ingredientwell known for its hydratingproperties, to help protectand maintain healthy gums.The GUM Travel Kit is

available from selected phar-macies and online fromwww.dentalshop.co.uk or

by calling 01677 424 446.For details of all the GUM products

go to www.sunstargum.co.uk

Envirosax eco-totes come with asmall price tag of just £5.99 andare ideal for keeping in your

flight bag to carry your duty free, jack-ets and snacks. They come in an arrayof designs from the feminine florals ofthe Botanica range to the bold andfunky black and purple hues ofthe new Candy series; there isone to suit every fashion taste.Envirosax bags can cope

with up to 20kg of shopping perbag; they have wide straps so theycan be comfortably slung

over your shoulder, yet are tiny whenfolded away. Envirosax graphics bagsare 100% waterproof and washable andwill match just about any outfit. For fur-ther information and stockists go towww.envirosax.com

For the man whohas everythingThe Travelwrap for him is so luxurious it will makeeven the hardest person to buy for feel special.The classic look and sharp colours will never goout of fashion and the quality and finish of theScottish cashmere will make everyone feel athome wearing it.The Travelwrap for him isavailable in plain shades of charcoal, oatmeal, silver,black and an eclectic choice of charcoal/silverstripe and makes the perfect travel accessory totake onboard a flight, cruise or simply for relaxingat home or in the garden.Travelwrap for him is the deluxe wardrobe

investment for the discerning man and will soonmake it to the top of his list of favourite travelitems, along with the comfy T-shirt, the linentrousers and the vintage leather wash bag.The Travelwrap costs from £191 and comes with aprotective linen bag beautifully wrapped in thesignature Travelwrap Company box – a gorgeousgift for someone special. Or maybe you would liketo treat yourself – Travelwrap is also available forwomen and children. Go towww.thetravelwrapcompany.com for furtherdetails or phone 0844 800 1296.

WIN a stylish TravelwrapWe have teamed up withThe Travelwrap Companyto offer one lucky readerthe chance to win thisgorgeous Tree of LifeTravelwrap from theEclectic Collection, worth£221.To enter, go towww.choicetravelinfo.comand click on competitions& giveaways.Terms &conditions apply. Closingdate August 31, 2009.

Beautiful, stylish – and eco-friendly!

Freshen up your gums

Bags/TL jul09v1pp53-54:T&L 20/7/09 12:04 Page 53

Being overweightcan be costly – atleast with your

luggage.If your suitcase is just

one kilo over the airline’sweight allowance, itcould cost you, on aver-age, an extra £5 at thecheck-in desk.

But now theBalanazza Ergo helpsyou take control beforeyou fly.

The Balanzza Ergodigital luggage scalescan help avoidexcess weight sur-charges, by enablingyou to weigh luggagebefore heading to the air-port. Simply attach thestrap securely to the lug-

gage item and lift it offthe ground to get anaccurate reading (within0.1kg). You can thenarrange your souvenirsand gifts in the comfortof your hotel room ratherthan in front of strangersat the airport!

Weighing just 229g andmeasuring a small

13x7x2.5cm, the Ergo isperfect to pop into yoursuitcase to be there whenyou really need it.

The Balanzza Ergois available online atwww.balanzza.co.uk,priced £19.99.


in your SUITCASE

Smokin’ look – withminimum make-upImpress with less with thenew Smokin’ Eyes Kit fromBenefit, which is beautifullycompact and includeseverything you need for thesexiest smoky eyes andbeautiful brows.The kit contains:� Three smokin’ shadows:

pink highlight shadow,pewter base shadow,deep charcoal shadow

� Smokin’ liner, dark black pencil� Brow zings, shaping wax� Eye bright, cream eye brightener� Fluff shadow/hard angle brush� Tiny tweezers for discreet touch-ups� A lesson to talk you through each stepSo don’t waste your luggage allowance on lots ofheavy make-up, when all you need is Smokin’ Eyes!Smokin’ Eyes is priced £26.50. For stockists go to:www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk

Keep your valuables safeon your travelsThe security experts at Yale have introduced ahandy new portable Travel Safe that can beattached to any fixed objects in your hotel roomor while you’re out and about to keep yourbelongings safe.

Available in black or white, the slim-line safecan hold your passport, spending money andmobile phone, and comes with a steel cable, whichcan be securely locked around a wardrobe rail,parasol or even a restaurant table.

Designed to fit in your handbag or travel bag,the safe comes with a four-digit combination lockand has a strengthened casing for furtherprotection against attack and theft.

The Travel Safe retails at £9.99 and is availablefrom www.argos.co.uk

� We have five Yale Travel Safesto give away.To enter, go towww.choicetravelinfo.com andclick on competitions &giveaways.Terms & conditionsapply. Closing date August 31,2009.

Ergo sums it up to takea weight off your mind

Boots is great forholiday essentials,whether you’re

camping in Cornwall orcruising in theCaribbean. The Soltanmini sunscreen is idealfor keeping in your bagthroughout the summermonths.

It won’t take up muchspace in your suitcaseand, with UVA & UVBfilters to reduce the sun’sburning effect on the skin,it could be your mosttreasured handbag item.

Other vanity casemust-haves from Bootsinclude: No7 QuickThinking 4-in-1 Wipes(30 wipes) £6.90; Boots

Smile TotalcareMouthwash Coolmint,75ml 79p; BotanicsCooling Foot & LegSpray, 150ml £3.99;Extracts Mini BodyButters, 50ml £2.45; andExtracts Mini BodyWashes, 75ml £2.45.

Most of them areminiatures so that youdon’t have to take amonth’s worth of prod-uct for a one-week holi-day – and they fit per-fectly in your luggageor in your beach bag.www.boots.com

Head to Boots for thoseholiday necessities

Bags/TL jul09v1pp53-54:T&L 20/7/09 12:04 Page 54



British Formula One world championLewis Hamilton has opened theworld’s first Mercedes-Benz Driving

Academy at Mercedes-Benz World, inWeybridge, Surrey.With young drivers among the most vul-

nerable on the roads, the academy promisesto coach its students to become good driv-ers, not to just pass their test.Young people from the age of 12 (with a

minimum height of 1.5 metres) can nowlearn to drive on the handling circuits atMercedes-Benz World, following a curricu-lum-based programme which is built on rec-ommendations from a series of EU roadsafety research projects. It also includes peergroup discussion sessions, real-life scenariorole play on the track and psychologicalevaluation.The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy

offers three main modules: pre-road module(age 12-17), provisional licence module (age17+) and post-test module (for those whohave already passed their test). Prices start at£40 for a half-hour session on the track.

For further information on the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, go towww.mbdrivingacademy.comMercedes-Benz World offers the perfect

day out for the family aside from the driv-ing experience. You can have lunch in theGullwing Restaurant overlooking the cir-cuit, get hands-on with the latest models,

take a walk around the exhibitions and getup close to the famous Gullwing andMaybach.In the cinema, you can learn about the

history of the Mercedes-Benz brand and inthe simulator you’ll be transported down aproduction line. To plan your day, go towww.mercedes-benzworld.co.uk

Hamilton launches MercedesDriving Academy for youngsters

LaplandUK, Kent’s award-winning, magical Christmasexperience for families, willopen for the second yearrunning next November.

The magic begins whenchildren receive a personalisedletter from Father Christmasrequesting their help to maketoys with the elves in thesnowy,“Arctic” landscape ofLaplandUK, at Bewl Water

Estate, in Kent.Children can decorate

gingerbread in MotherChristmas’s kitchen, go ice-skating, meet husky dogs, seereindeer, send a postcard fromthe North Pole Post Office,work with the elves in the toyfactory and visit the mysticalSami for traditional Nordicstorytelling at their woodlandencampment.

A personal visit to FatherChristmas himself in his snowy

forest home completes the dayand because parents orguardians have alreadyprovided Father Christmaswith all the information heneeds (via the website), he“magically” knows everythingabout his little guests.

LaplandUK is open fromNovember 14 until ChristmasEve and tickets are priced from£57.50. Bookings must bemade in advance, either onlineat www.laplanduk.co.uk orby calling 0871 221 9627.

Tickets for LaplandUK 2009 are on sale now

&aboutWhat’s on... and where

Out

� Lewis Hamilton with youngdrivers at Mercedes-Benz World

� Santa returns to Kent this year

Out & About/TLjul09v1pp56-57:T&L 20/7/09 12:16 Page 56


Visitors to the world’s biggestfree seafront airshow will havefour chances to see crowd

favourites the Red Arrows as thefamous fast jets zoom through theEastbourne skies on every day of thetown’s Airbourne event.Not to be outdone, Bournemouth,

with three appearances from the RedArrows, is the region’s premier eventfor this year’s Fly Navy 100 celebra-tions for naval aviation’s centenary.This is how they line up:

Airbourne: Eastbourne Inter-national Airshow, August 13-16Eastbourne is keen to uphold its reputa-tion as the biggest international seafrontairshow with displays from the F16 USfighter – known as the Fighting Falcon– plus the Eurofighter Typhoon, mak-ing it a truly international event.For more information go to

www.eastbourneairshow.co.uk

More Bus Bournemouth AirFestival, August 20-23Bournemouth’s fun will continue intothe evening with Night Air. Takingplace in the Lower Gardens, this willinclude a hot-air balloon show accom-panied by a laser show on Friday andSaturday night, displays by the RoyalMarines Combat Display Team andfireworks on Saturday night.For more information visit

www.bournemouthair.co.uk

For the second year running, theRoyal Horticultural Society isoffering children aged 16 and

under the chance to discover the fun offrolicking in the garden free of charge.From pirate fun and treasure trails toteddy bear picnics and storytelling,there are plenty of free activities tokeep children entertained at RHS gar-dens throughout August.Plant Hunting and PirateSpectacular: RHS Garden Wisley,Surrey, Bank Holiday Weekend,August 29-31. Visiting families willget a treasure map to follow a trail ofgreat Victorian plant explorers, findingclues and battling pirates, leading totheir plant treasure. Adult admission:£8.50. www.rhs.org.uk/whatson/gardens/wisley/index.aspPirate Day: RHS Garden Harlow

Carr, Harrogate, August 29. If you areheading toYorkshire, kids can dress upas a pirate on Pirate Day as part of theFamily Fortnight, from August 16-31.Adult admission: £7.www.rhs.org.uk/whatson/gardens/harlowcarr/index.aspTeddy Bears Picnic: RHS GardenHyde Hall, Essex, August 23. Bringyour teddy bear for a picnic with story-telling, garden games and a specialteddy bear’s hospital. Adults: £5.50.www.rhs.org.uk/whatson/gardens/hydehall/index.asp

Spectators can watchin amazement andhorror as 48 human-powered flyingmachines throwthemselves from aspecially-constructedplatform onWorthingPier – many of themattempting to fly over100 metres with thepossibility of winningthe jackpot of£30,000.

Taking place over theweekend of August22/23, theWorthingInternational Birdmanevent attracts over25,000 people to theseafront and it is freefor spectators.To find out moreabout the Birdmanevent and to meetWilde the Birdmanmascot, go towww.worthingbirdman.co.uk

Relax this summerwith a classic Englishpicnic concert atKenwood House,London and AudleyEnd, SaffronWalden.Arrive at the EnglishHeritage venues from2.30pm and 5.30pm toenjoy the grounds andgather friends for apicnic on the lawn.Artists includeRussellWatson, SimplyRed, Jools Holland andWill Young, while theLast Night of theAudley End Proms onSunday,August 2, isheadlined by KatherineJenkins and features athrilling Spitfire display.All concerts atAudley End concludewith a stunningfireworks finale.The

Last Night of theKenwood Promsfeatures one of Britain’stop tenors,Alfie Boe. Ittakes place on August22 and also concludeswith a spectacularfireworks display.Advance tickets areavailable throughTheTimes box office on0844 209 1922, throughSeeTickets on 0844 4122706 or viaTicketmasteron 0844 847 1637.Youcan also visitwww.picnicconcerts.comfor tickets and moreinformation.

Battle ofthe airshows

Kids go free in Augustat RHS gardens

Flying high!

Posh picnics

� Pirates andpansies at theRHS

� Eastbourne Airbourne 2008

out and ABOUT� Is it a bird?No, it's a birdman

Out & About/TLjul09v1pp56-57:T&L 20/7/09 12:17 Page 57



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Coming next-TLjul09v1-pp59:T&L 20/7/09 12:22 Page 59

There are eight RoyalParks in London and onecemetery that is lookedafter by the Royal Parksagency(www.royalparks.org.uk).They are:

St James’s Park

Tube: St. James’s Park(District/Circle Line).Open: 5am-midnight,year-round.Event/activity: Feedingthe pelicans. Wildlifeofficers feed the park’spelicans daily at 2.30pm.

Green ParkTube: Green Park(Jubilee, Victoria &Piccadilly Lines), HydePark Corner (PiccadillyLine).

Open: All day, year-round.Event/activity: GuidedWalk – Mansions ofGreen Park, August 24,1-2pm. Limited places;book through the parkoffice on 020 7930 1793.

Hyde ParkTube: Lancaster Gate &Marble Arch (CentralLine), Hyde Park Corner& Knightsbridge(Piccadilly Line).Open: 5am-midnight,year-roundEvent/activity: Punchand Judy, August 17-21,11am, 1pm, 3pm. Freewith admission to theLido (£4 adult, £1 childage 3+, £3 concessionsand £9 per family).


ParkLifeEscape the blur andenjoy green daysLondon is the greenest city in theworld – thanks to its open spaces,

heaths, commons and greens, witheight Royal Parks leading the way. Youcan actually walk from the Houses ofParliament to Kensington Palace, a dis-tance of about three miles, just throughRoyal Parks.Start in St James’s Park, London’s

oldest Royal Park and surrounded bythree palaces – Westminster (theHouses of Parliament), St James’sPalace and Buckingham Palace, whereyou can catch the daily Changing theGuard ceremony in spring and summer.Next is a royal favourite, Green Park.

King Charles II acquired land betweenHyde Park and St James’s so he couldtravel between them without leavingroyal soil, put a brick wall around it andcalled it Upper St James’s Park. Today,the park is a peaceful refuge from theblur and bustle of modern London andis popular with walkers and joggers.Cross to Hyde Park, the people’s

park, with something for everyone. Ithas 350 acres of historic landscape, over4,000 trees, a lake, a meadow, horserides, a playground, an education centreand a range of catering outlets.Acquired by Henry VIII from the

monks of Westminster Abbey in 1536,Hyde Park was a private hunting grounduntil James I permitted limited access.Charles I opened it to the general pub-lic, in 1637.Before reaching Kensington Palace,

savour the delights of KensingtonGardens, once part of Hyde Park.Queen Caroline, wife of George II, cre-ated the Serpentine and the Long Waterfrom a stream in 1728, resulting in thegardens’ present form.A well-loved feature is the bronze

statue of Peter Pan standing on apedestal covered with climbing squir-rels, rabbits and mice. The Diana,Princess of Wales MemorialPlayground and seven-mile MemorialWalk were both opened in 2000.

London’s Royal Parks

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� Strolling by theSerpentine in

London’s Hyde Park

London-TLjul09v1pp/60-62:T&L 20/7/09 12:25 Page 60

Kensington GardensTube: Lancaster Gate &Queensway (CentralLine), Bayswater(District Line), HighStreet Kensington (Circle& District Lines).Open: 6am-dusk, year-roundEvent/activity: TheSerpentine Gallery, fea-turing modern and con-temporary art, has a per-manent display dedicatedto its former Patron,Diana, Princess of Wales.Open daily during exhi-bitions, 10am-6pm. Free.

Richmond ParkTube/Rail: RichmondStation (Rail or DistrictLine), then 371 or 65 bus.Open: From 7am insummer and 7.30am inwinter, until dusk.Event/activity: Catersto sports includingcycling, orienteering,cross-country running,rugby, horse-riding, golf,fishing and power kiting.

Greenwich ParkTube/Rail: NorthGreenwich (Jubilee Line)then 188 bus, Greenwich(Rail or Docklands LightRailway), Cutty Sark(DLR)

Open: 6am for pedestri-ans, 7am for traffic.Closing times vary.Event/activity:Heatwave – a family cul-tural feast from noon-6pm on July 26, TheBandstand. Take a blan-ket and picnic.

Regent’s ParkTube: Regent’s Park(Bakerloo Line), GreatPortland Street(Hammersmith & City,Circle & MetropolitanLines), Baker Street(Hammersmith & City,Circle, Jubilee,Metropolitan & Bakerloolines), St John’s Wood(Jubilee Line), CamdenTown (Northern line).Open: 5am-dusk, year-round.Event/activity: Tango al

Fresco, August 9, begin-ner classes 1-2pm, socialdancing 2-6pm, TheBroadwalk. £10 for classand social dancing.www.tangoalfresco.com

Bushy ParkTrain: FromWaterloo toTeddington/HamptonWick/Hampton Court,then a short walk.Open: 24 hours forpedestrians (8am-10:30pm September &November). Vehicleaccess 6:30am-dusk,7pm in winter.Event/activity: Thepark has a distinct ruralcharacter. Spot wildlifeincluding red and fallowdeer, sandpipers, herons,woodpeckers, warblersand finches.

Brompton CemeteryTube:West Brompton(District Line).Open: 8am-8pm sum-mer, 8am-4pm winter.Info: The only CrownCemetery covers 16.5hectares in the Boroughof Kensington andChelsea. Among thoseburied in this haven ofpeace and beauty are 13holders of the VictoriaCross.


PARKSLONDON Review

Did you know?� In 1665, many London citizensfled the city to camp at HydePark, to escape the Great Plague.

� The chapel on the Fulham Roadside of Brompton Cemetery wasused in GoldenEye (1995), PierceBrosnan’s first Bond movie.

� Richmond Park is London’slargest Royal Park, covering 2,500acres, and is home to 650 free-roaming deer. From its heightsthere is an uninterrupted view ofSt Paul’s Cathedral, 12 milesaway.

� Royal Parks hosting London 2012Olympics events are: GreenwichPark (Olympic & Paralympicequestrian events; modern pen-tathlon elements), Horse GuardsParade (beach volleyball), HydePark (triathlon; open water swim-ming) and Regent’s Park (roadcycling).

� King Charles II introduced thegame of Pelle Melle, with playersusing a mallet to hit a ball througha hoop, from France. The courtsin St James’s Park gave theirnames to present-day Pall Malland The Mall.

Garden squaresGarden squares are a great way for city workers toenjoy London’s open space and are perfect forlunchtime escapes. Lincoln’s Inn Field, the largest publicsquare in London, is a short walk from Covent Gardenand is a popular picnic spot for office workers.Postman’s Park is a small memorial garden created in1880, near St Paul’s. A wall in the park has 47 hand-painted tiles paying tribute to everyday people whosacrificed their lives helping others and was featuredin the movie,Closer.www.visitlondon.com

Heaths and commonsThe rugged landscapes of London’s heaths andcommons offer a less formal way to enjoy theoutdoors.Originally an agricultural resource, they arenow a haven for wildlife and perfect for lazy sunnyafternoons and energetic mornings.All offer different qualities and facilities, from outdoorswimming at Hampstead Heath orTooting Common to the prettyvillage, shops and pubs thatsurround Blackheath.www.visitlondon.com

Large parksLondon has plenty of large parks worthy of a whole-day visit.They include:�Hampton Court Palace Gardens, East Molesey,

Surrey (Train:Hampton Court).www.hrp.org.uk� Eltham Palace,Greenwich (Train: Eltham &

Mottingham).www.elthampalace.org.uk� Syon House and Gardens, Brentford,Middlesex

(Train: fromWaterloo to Kew Bridge then bus.Tube:District Line to Gunnersbury then bus)www.syonpark.co.uk

� Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, Richmond (Train:Kew Bridge.Tube: Kew Gardens).www.kew.org

Picnic spotsFamily fun: Dulwich Park, SE21. Open: 9am-6pm.www.southwark.gov.ukHidden secrets: Battersea Park, SW11. Open:8am-dusk.www.batterseapark.orgSunday farmers market: Alexandra Palace Park,N22. Open:All day.www.alexandrapalace.comFountains and sunken garden: Thames BarrierPark, E16. Open: From 7am. Closing times vary.www.thamesbarrierpark.org.ukOpen-air theatre: Holland Park,W8. Open:Dawn-dusk. www.rbkc.gov.uk

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NEWS & WHAT'S ON

LONDON Review

Anyone for Cricket?

Londoners are being bowledover this summer with out-

door screenings of the Ashesbattle between England andAustralia. Part of a GreatBritish Summer themed pro-gramme of events taking placeacross three of London’s shop-ping and entertainment destina-tions, it is completely free – justturn up, pull up a deckchair andenjoy the atmosphere.For daily screening times check

the websites of the three locations:� Cardinal Place, VictoriaStreet, SW1.www.cardinalplace.co.uk

� New Street Square, NewFetter Lane, EC4.www.newstreetsquare.co.uk

� Bankside Mix, SouthwarkStreet, SE1.www.banksidemix.co.ukAfter England scraped a draw

in the firstTestMatch, the remain-ing dates are: Second: July 16-20;Third: July 30-Aug 3; Fourth:Aug7-11; and Fifth:Aug 20-24.

Kids go FREE to topLondon shows

Now in its 12thyear, Kids

Week offers chil-dren the opportu-nity to experiencethe magic of London theatre forFREE! From August 14-28,head to London’s West End fora fortnight of theatre fun and

see hit shows such as Wicked,Hairspray and the brand newmusical in town, Sister Act.The ticket deal is simple – one

child aged five to 16 will be ableto go free to any participatingshow when accompanied by afull paying adult, and another twochildren can go for half price.Go to www.kidsweek.co.uk

and sign up to the FamilyBulletin to find out all the latestKids Week news and bookinginformation. Booking lines arenow open.

Flutter by the junglein London

Discover the secrets of therainforest with a visit to

the Butterfly Jungle at theNatural History Museum.

Travel from the dark depths ofthe forest floor to the headyheights of the tree canopy andexperience the magic and beau-ty of live butterflies and otherrainforest creatures.Tickets to this exciting new

exhibition are now on sale. Formore information go to:www.nhm.ac.uk/butterfly-jungleWhen: Daily until September27, 2009, 10am-6pm.Admission: Adult £5.40, child£3.50, senior £3.50.

I believe in fairiesJM Barrie’s Peter PanKensington GardensUntil August 30Stars:Ciaran Kellgren,AbbyFord and Jonathan Hyde

Fly through theair as the magicof Neverlandcomes alive inthis new

production of Peter Pan,taking place in a state-of-the-art theatre pavilion,constructed in KensingtonGardens.Be amazed by the

breathtaking 360-degreeprojected scenery as you flyover London with Peter,Wendy, Michael, John and, ofcourse, the fiery Tinkerbell,who is possibly the scariestlittle fairy I have ever seen!The show is fairly long at

just over two hours (includinginterval) and I think it wouldbe best seen with children(over five) but if you believein fairies you will love itanyway – and the flying scenedefinitely has a wow factor.The theatre seats 1,100

people and it’s 100%rainproof. Restaurant, bar andpicnic facilities open twohours before the show foryou to enjoy.

Keeley Gordon

When: Tues-Sat 7.30pm;Tues,Thurs & Sat matinees2pm; Sun 3pmTube: Lancaster Gate(Central Line)Ticket prices: £47.50;£42.50; £32.50; £22.50.Under-16s get 25% off allticket prices, except SatTickets:www.visitlondon.com/peterpanor See Tickets, on 0871 3861122

Aself-guided tour of theUK’s first-ever publicsquare, dating back to

1630, has been launched in col-laboration with world-renowned historian and novel-ist, Peter Ackroyd.The Covent Garden Walking

Tour highlights the area’s fasci-nating heritage and breathtaking architecture anddetails enthralling events witnessed throughoutits history.

Visitors will be guided pasthistorical sites such as the caféwhere legendary author CharlesDickens wrote his weekly mag-azines, the eerie site of the firstplague victim’s burial and theLamb & Flag pub where fero-cious bare knuckle boxing oncetook place.

The Walking Tour can be downloaded fromwww.coventgardenlondonuk.com or you canpick up a copy from the Market Building.

New Covent Garden walking tour

Eye pod shuffleA £12.5 million upgrade is underway for the London Eye, withthe first of the attraction’s 32 capsules replaced by a sheathed,non-operational one. Each of the capsules will be removed andrefurbished in turn over the next three years, being floateddown the Thames to Tilbury for the cross-country journey totheWorcester workshop and replaced by the dummy capsule.

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� The first capsule being replaced by the dummy pod













HOTELS

For a truly indul-gent break, a stayat The Quay Hotel& Spa is a must.From the momentyou enter the

hotel you are immersed in lux-ury, style and quality. Set on theidyllic Conwy peninsula, thereare breathtaking views of themagnificent North Walesscenery and it is in easy reachof Snowdonia National Park. Itis easily accessible fromChester and the North West.

With ESPA as its partner youcan be guaranteed a truly relax-ing, luxurious experience in thespa, with a large range of high-quality treatments on offer,including relaxing facials andmassages. The adjacent swim-ming pool and Quay gym offeractivities to suit all levels of fit-ness and motivation, for themore energetic.

Each of the well-designedbedrooms offers sumptuous fur-nishings combined with the lat-est technology, including inter-active TV and wi-fi access, withmany offering views of thepeninsula. The well-appointedbathrooms offer a range of com-plimentary luxurious toiletries touse during your stay.

The Vue restaurant offers awide range of award-winningculinary treats against back-ground views of the dramatic,UNESCO heritage site ofConwy Castle and the Isle ofAnglesey. The delicious food iscomplemented by the extensivewine list and combined withexcellent service offers a memo-rable dining experience.

Peter Lewsey

HOTEL NEWS

London’s biggest new hotelin 40 years will soon welcomeguests with stunning viewsover the Thames to theHouses of Parliament and BigBen.The Park PlazaWestminster Bridge Londonopens in early 2010 on theSouth Bank, just minutes fromthe London Eye, NationalTheatre and Royal FestivalHall. It will offer 1,021 rooms,including 54 suites andpenthouses.Amenities willinclude six restaurants andbars, a spa and fitness centre,with a 15-metre pool.www.parkplaza.com

Suffolk brewer Adnamshas taken over Fritton House,a 16th century former coachhouse near Lowestoft whichreopened as a “restaurantwith rooms” in July.There areseven double rooms and onesuite. Double rooms costfrom £120 mid-week. In thecentre of Fritton CountryPark, the lake and acres ofwoodland and parkland offerplenty of activities includingrowing, cycling andhorseriding. More informationat www.adnams.co.uk

The spa’s the starChecking out: TheQuay Hotel & Spa,

Conwy

factboxThe Quay Hotel & SpaDeganwy QuayDeganwy, ConwyNorthWales Ll31 9DJTel: 01492 564100www.quayhotel.com

Best for� Stunning views� Relaxing spa break� Delicious foodCould do better� The room key system

could be improved

� How rooms at the Park PlazaWestminster Bridge will look

� View from The Vue restaurant

� Spa treatment room

� Hydrotherapy pool

� Fritton House

� Hotel exterior

��

BEST for…

Best for/TLjul09/v1/68:T&L 20/7/09 12:32 Page 68

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ALDERNEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS

L’HARAS GUEST HOUSE

Newtown Road,AlderneyChannel Islands GY9 3XP

All rooms have CH, H&C water,

tea/coffee-making facilities and

colour TV; most are en

suite.Contact Mrs Jansen.

Tel/Fax: 01481 [email protected]

www.lharas.internet.alderney.gg

Situated between Loch Ness and Glen Affricin a spectacular setting ideal for walking,touring or just relaxing in this tranquil location.Four spacious chalets all fully equipped for sixpeople set in wooded grounds. Owner’s hoteladjacent where guests are most welcome inthe restaurant and bar.

Near Drumnadrochit, Inverness IV63 6TJTel: 01456 476234

Email: [email protected]

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Caravan & CampingCaravan & Camping

PRIMROSE COTTAGE CARAVAN PARKGolden Hill, Whitstable, Kent CT5 3AR

01227 273694 [email protected], quiet site with views of the sea. Superstore, chemist and cafe close

by, coach/bus stop walking distance. Pitches for tents and touringcaravans with electric hook up points, level site. Pets welcome.Toilets,

showers, chemical disposal unit. Tourist information. Agent for Calor Gas.

PLUS! 6/7 berth static caravans for hire

PRIMROSE COTTAGE CARAVAN PARK



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