UK Olympics most popular with Americans?

 An interesting little infographic from the ONS showing the effects the 2012 Olympics had on tourism last year - unsurprisingly London benefited the most from the Games, but what is surprising is the number of Americans visiting our country. More US citizens visited the UK for the games than any other country, including our closest neighbour France!

Infographic by Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Titanic sails again in 2016

2016 will be the year the Titanic II sails from Southampton to New York, according to The Sunday Times.

Australian billionaire Clive Palmer is funding a replica of the famous cruise ship, with plans for building to start at China based CSC Jinling Shipyard Company.

It is estimated the the 840 cabin ship will take roughly three years to build, with an exterior exactly the same as the original Titanic, but an interior boasting the latest technology.

The ship will however feature swimming pools and gyms designed in the same style as the original ill-fated vessel, and guest will be able to dress up in clothing from the era to give the full Titanic experience.

Some may think rebuilding the ship, given the tragic story behind it, might be in poor taste. However Clive Palmer is confident that the venture will be popular around the world, and has no worries over generating revenue from his latest project.

Helen Explores Washington

I recently took the opportunity to visit Washington DC & the surrounding areas as part of a work trip.
We travelled from Manchester Airport direct to Washington Dulles International Airport with United Airlines, having flown with them a couple of years ago when they were Continental I was looking forward to see how they had progressed. The aircraft was modern and each seat had its own entertainment on demand with the latest films and music to enjoy throughout the flight, we upgraded our seats to the economy plus seats and these were definitely worth the extra $89!!

Upon arrival we were transferred to our hotel for the next 3 nights by shuttle bus – unfortunately we hit ‘holiday traffic’ as we had arrived over the Colombus day holiday. The 45 minute journey took us nearly 3 hours, but we had a nice air conditioned minibus so it wasn’t as bad as it sounds! We were staying at the Loews Annapolis which is in the state of Maryland. It is home to the US Naval Academy and a lovely harbour of which the annual boat show was being held. The Loews is the only 4* hotel in Annapolis and had recently undergone a refurbishment on the lobby and restaurant – ‘West’. The hotel had lots of function space and we saw a couple of wedding receptions being held there over our 3 night stay. The bedrooms at the hotel were large and the beds were the most comfortable thing that I had slept on for a while!

The first evening we ventured into Annapolis to see what the nightlife had to offer and it didn’t disappoint. There were lots of bars offering different varieties of music, from live bands to DJ’s. We sat outside enjoying the mild autumn weather sipping on cocktails – it was bliss!

Our first day consisted of visiting the US Naval Base and then walking around the town on a site seeing tour. It was amazing to see the Naval Base and to see all of the history and effort that goes into running a school of this size. The dormitories alone were bigger than some schools here in the UK! The grounds were lovely and the facilities on offer to the men & women who attend the school are second to none – 2 Olympic sized swimming pools, onsite restaurants, cinema and they don’t even have to do their own laundry! However, they then took us into one of the dorms and shown us how the students are expected to keep their sleeping quarters and not a speck of dust could be seen. I was thinking of signing my husband up there and then!

We then went on a walking tour of Annapolis to see the historic sights such as the Maryland State House which is the oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use and the Charles Carroll House who was the only Roman Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. If travelling to Annapolis I would definitely recommend doing one of these tours and using the free services of visitannapolis.org

The next day we went to Washington DC for the day. As there was no traffic it took us 45 minutes so not long at all. We visited the Crime Museum first of all, which was very interesting and I learnt lots about crime in the US. It would be fantastic for children as there were questions and little clues to the answers all over the museum and a trail to follow. There are games to play as a team as well so would be good for anyone to visit. We then moved on to the old Post Office where there was a clock tower that we climbed, well used the lift to get to the top! The views are spectacular from here, I got some fantastic pictures of the Washington Memorial and the Capitol Building. We then went on what I thought was the highlight of the trip – a bike tour around the sights on DC. This was arguably the best way to see everything up close and without hitting any city traffic. We got to see all of the memorials in our own time and some of them are huge! The Lincoln Memorial has 58 steps to get to the top! The war memorials were quite emotional and we saw groups of people searching for names of family members who had unfortunately died while serving their country.

In the evening we went to Georgetown for dinner. This area has lots of designer shops and lots of restaurants and bars, we didn’t get to explore these further, much to my disappointment, as we had to get back to Annapolis to pack ready for our flight home the next day.

On our last day we travelled to an adventure park – ‘Terrapin Adventures’. We got to take part in some group team building activities and some zip lining, this would be fantastic for a small or large group or families to enjoy young or old! The instructors are all friendly and will help you out if you need it. You can rest assured while dangling however many feet in the air that you are well taken care of!

Finally, we got to enjoy some shopping! We visited the Leesburg Corner Outlet Mall where my credit card definitely got some beating! The amount of shops there would satisfy any shopaholic from designer brands to normal high street stuff and also major department stores. I saved at least 75% off the UK price and managed to pick up some Christmas presents for friends and family. The only problem I had was trying to fit my new purchases into my suitcase for the way home!

I would love to visit Washington DC & Annapolis again – it is perfect for families with older children, couples or even groups of friends as there is something to suit everyone.  Whether as a city break or as part of a longer USA multi centre holiday you have to go. I learnt so much about US history and also to always do my Christmas shopping there as I saved a fortune!!

The Magic and Mystery of Chichen Itza in the Mexican Riviera

Multi Centre Holidays are great as you can visit various parts of Mexico all in one holiday, you can also combine different destinations such as combining the USA and Mexico, or a Caribbean island with Cancun - anything is possible. Read our guest blog on the Rivier Maya and contact us for a holiday there, or to plan it in as part of a Multi Centre trip:

The Riviera Maya, just south of the popular resort city of Cancun, is famous for its miles of pristine beaches and amazing views. Many people also travel to this region in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula for its link to the enigmatic Mayan Empire.

2012 is a big year in Mexico, thanks in large part to a misinterpretation of the old Mayan calendar and the belief that December 2012 will mark the end of the world. While the world isn't going to end this year (I hope) millions of people from around the world have been inspired to visit Mexico and witness first hand the magic and mystery of the ruins of the old empire. Chief among these sites is Chichen Itza, one of the Seven New Wonders of the World and a site with amazing astronomical details, including a curious phenomenon that happens only twice a year: the Descent of the Feathered Serpent. That was the reason for my trip to Mexico and I couldn't wait for the experience.

Chichen Itza was one of the largest Mayan cities and was built around the 9th century AD. It is also one of Mexico’s most visited tourist destinations, was granted World Heritage Site status in 1988 by UNESCO World Heritage and was recently selected as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. There are a lot of astronomical marvels at Chichen Itza, but one of the most exciting is the Descent of the Feathered Serpent. The central Pyramid of Kukulkan is built in such a way that on the equinoxes a shadow play is created where serpent heads on the staircases become whole snakes through the shadows of the pyramid’s terraces.

I timed my visit so that I could tour as much of the entire site as possible before the great shadow show started at 4:10 PM. Chichen Itza isn’t just a pyramid, it’s an entire ancient city with outbuildings, statues and ball courts. It’s hard to believe that not so long ago the entire Wonder was covered in dense Mexican jungle, thought to be lost to history. I was excited for the main show however and staked out a prime spot to see the astronomical show.

Just as the sun hit a certain spot and immediately before the heat turned my brain to mush, I looked up and saw it. There it was, a massive snake descending the ancient pyramid. The head was a statue at the base of the pyramid’s stairs and its back was comprised of seven triangles created through shadow, an engineering feat that boggles the mind.

I stood there watching the creature slowly take shape, a giant monster forming right before my eyes. I couldn't help but think back to the ancient Mayans and how important this ceremony was for them and the great lengths they went to in order to create a massive pyramid just for this moment. And then it was over. It was as if a siren had sounded; the snake was gone and the crowds all started migrating towards the parking lots and their giant motor coaches.

I stood back for a minute to look up at the colossus again, marvelling at the ingenuity of the Mayans and wondering not for the first time what other marvels lay strewn about the tropical jungles undiscovered. And that is why I travel, to capture, even for a few seconds, moments like those.

A luxury adventure traveller at heart, Matt Long shares his adventures with more than 16,000 Twitter followers and runs one of the top travel blogs, LandLopers.com.

Travelling through Miyajima

If you’re on your way to or from Kyushu (Japan’s southern island) back towards Osaka or Kyoto, you’ll likely pass through Hiroshima, and if you do, you should definitely make it a priority to detour to Miyajima.

Miyajima is a small, mountainous island approximately 40 minutes away by tram from Hiroshima city centre. It is a very holy place in the Shinto religion, and has been an important destination for religious visitors since ancient times. To get there you need to take the 10-minute ferry ride from the mainland to the island, which is a very scenic journey!

For me, there are three awesome attractions on this island. Number one is the various shrines and religious iconography visible throughout the (mostly uninhabited) island. These include a beautiful 5-storey pagoda called Goju-no-To (五重の塔 – literally, “five-storey pagoda”!) built in the 1400s in a skilful combination of Chinese and Japanese architecture styles of the time:

At various points along the scenic route to view the island, you may come across these fellas (see left image).

These are called “komainu” (狛犬, literally “lion-dogs”) and you can see them guarding the entrances to many holy places throughout Asia. You can see that one of the pair has its mouth open and the other has its mouth closed. This is because one is saying “ah”, which in Buddhist thinking is the sound made at the beginning of the Universe, and one is saying “om”, which is the sound at the end of the Universe.

The second awesome thing about Miyajima is:

The torii (See right image), officially called Itsukushima Shrine. Torii are usually quite small, standing at the entrances to shrines, believed to mark the transition of outsiders from the world of the profane to the world of the sacred, but in ancient times so holy was the island of Miyajima that they built a huge one to protect the whole island. Today it is one of the most iconic artifacts in the whole of Japan, and each year thousands of people visit the gate. At high tide the base of the torii is hidden beneath the water, but at low tide you can walk underneath the gate for luck. Believe me, it is a lot bigger   when you’re standing underneath it!

 The final awesome thing about Miyajima is:

The extremely cute deer population! Deer, in Japanese culture, are very holy because in the Shinto religion they are said to be messengers of the gods. The deer on Miyajima are extremely tame and can be seen anywhere and everywhere on the island, from the top of Mt. Misen to the town of Miyajima itself. They will often approach you and gently butt you with their heads, begging for food. In the island’s shops and various street stalls you can buy shika senbei – deer crackers – to feed the deer. They are adorable and very iconic of Miyajima. They can gang up on tourists though, trapping them against walls to make sure they get some food!

J. D is a freelance writer who loves to travel!

With the Olympics all set and ready to go, airports surrounding London are bracing themselves for what could be a turbulent couple of months. Over 120,000 passengers will pass through Heathrow alone in a single day, with many expecting more once the sporting event gets underway.

This week the first wave of athletes touch down in Britain to train and prepare for the games. Whilst local businesses will be looking forward to the economic boost brought in with the extra tourists and spectators, airports will be looking to see these travellers entering and leaving the building very swiftly.
Heathrow airport will witness the main bulk of people congestion as over 80% of passengers they are expecting to handle will be Olympic related; a welcomed joy for airline companies but a rather severe headache for airport staff.

With the recent upheaval over immigration queues in recent weeks at the popular airport, the UK border Force has assured the public that there will be extra staff to cover the desks during the length of the games. This has been further confirmed by the promise made by immigration minister Damian Green, who states that desks will be manned at all peak times of the day.
The ‘Games Lanes’ that have been implemented on all major routes to the stadiums will hopefully ensure that commuting disruptions can be kept to a minimum. However, after the trouble at the recent opening of the lane on the A1, travellers aren’t expecting miracles any time soon.

Daves holiday with friends to Fuerteventura

We decided we wanted some winter sunshine, good flight times and a good 4 star hotel. We opted to go for an all inclusive holiday, I haven’t done all inclusive in Europe before but thought it would be a better idea as there was a group of us. The hotel we picked was the Elba Sara Resort in Caleta de Fuste which was only a 10 minute drive from the airport.

On first impressions on pulling up at the hotel we were really impressed, the reception was very impressive and the check-in was smooth and quick. We requested rooms close to each other and the rooms we received were right next door to each other. We were given rooms on the top floor (sixth floor), there were plenty of lifts throughout the hotel so you never had to wait too long. The rooms were very large, we had a king size bed and a sitting area and the all the other amenities we needed. The view from the balcony was amazing we looked over the pool and the sea and I could of sat there all day taking in the views. It cost 4 euro’s a day to rent the safety deposit box and if you wanted to rent a beach towel you could do from reception by leaving a 10euro refundable deposit. The hotel was right next door to the Atlántico shopping centre with plenty of shops and also had a Euro Spar encase you wanted to pick up anything.

It was 2 minute walk to the golden sandy beach which is very safe for the kids and about a 20 minutes stroll to get into town or around 3euros in a taxi. The pool was huge, one was heated where all the activities took place and the other was cold, there was also a children’s pool. There were plenty of sunbeds and we never struggled to get a group together. The gardens and the grounds are kept immaculate and there is a river with fish in, my god daughter especially loved feeding the fish every morning after breakfast.

The food in the hotel was brilliant, there was a massive selection of food to choose from and they had cooking stations so you could see the chefs freshly preparing the food in front of you. The staff would take your orders at the table and bring your drinks to you, as there were a group of us we always got wine by the bottle and the staff were very generous with us! The drinks on the all-inclusive basis were fantastic and there was plenty of options to choose from, all were local products but you couldn’t tell the difference.

The entertainment in the hotel was mainly based around the children, there was the normal day time activities like pool volley, aqua gym etc. and in the evenings there was always a kids disco and then a show on afterwards in the Broadway bar, like parrot show, snake show, clowns etc. if you wanted a quieter evening there was a bar in the lobby which was more chilled out and relaxed.

Overall my experience at the Elba Sara Resort was fantastic, me and the rest of the party came away extremely pleased with the choice we had made to stay there and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good all inclusive holiday on a beautiful island.