Holiday & Travel

POP, the new low-cost, long-haul airline, is aiming to be the only current operator of non-stop flights between the UK and two of India’s key secondary cities - Amritsar (Punjab) and Ahmedabad (Gujarat). The Punjabi and Gujarati communities in both the UK and India have a long history of maintaining strong family connections, and weddings in particular are occasions when special efforts are made by families to come together. By offering low-cost, non-stop flights between the UK and Indian-based branches of these families, POP will be making it much easier for guests to attend such occasions in whichever country they are held.

To most, Wellawaya is a central town that is passed through en route to other popular traveler destinations along the East Coast or in the deep South. Jetwing Kaduruketha, one of the family's newest hotels and their first agro-tourism property, is looking to change that. Located 208 km away from Colombo and 30 km from Ella, Wellawaya is rife with natural wonders and a rich history with its landscape dotted by religious and cultural landmarks.

Expanding Chinese carrier Tianjin Airlines is celebrating its first flight from the UK to China which departed from Gatwick on Saturday 25 June 2016. Tianjin Airlines' first ever UK route flies from London Gatwick to Chongqing and Tianjin in China. The new service will operate every Wednesday and Saturday on an Airbus A330-200 aircraft with 18 business class and 242 economy class seats. The total flight time will be 11.5 hours to Chongqing and 17 hours to Tianjin.

Located in the heart of the South Pacific between New Zealand and Hawaii, Samoa is the first country on earth to see the rising sun. With an average temperature of 27 degrees, turquoise blue waters, coral reefs, palms, lush rainforests, fertile grounds as well as beaches straight out of a picture book, Samoa is a discoverers paradise which seduces visitors to a longtime stay.  For example, the author of “Treasure Island” could not wait for the next streamer to arrive but ended up staying for the rest of his life and is buried there, too.

In Shakespeare's 400th anniversary year, what better location to enjoy Hamlet than against the dramatic backdrop of Kronborg Castle in Helsingor (also known as Elsinore) in Denmark, which is where this most popular of Shakespeare's plays was set.  This year, from 1st – 21st August, the castle, which is now a UNESCO heritage site, is hosting its famous Shakespeare Festival with some of the world's leading theatre companies staging a number of Shakespearean productions.  

One of the wonders of living in a tiny island nation is that the perfect getaway is not too far away.  Sri Lanka caters to your every holiday mood and what better way to spend your vacation than to entail in the pristine blue waters and golden sandy beaches in the South. Passing the most popular traveler destination of Galle is Matara, home to the famous Polhena Beach. Situated not too far away from the town is Amaloh by Jetwing, which is the perfect blend of comfort and extravagance, coupled with a sense of escapism in view of the breathtaking Indian Ocean.

The changing seasons in Kyoto bring boundless joy for the city's visitors each year.  As the calendar pages turn from September through to December, koyo (meaning 'colourful leaves') transform the region's autumnal vistas, just as the cherry blossoms light up the area in spring. For centuries, large numbers of travellers have visited Kyoto to take in this spectacular array of russet tones scattered across the mountains, parks and streets.

Mauritius is in the top ten best photos taken by the famous French photographer and environmentalist, Yann Arthus Bertrand. The lagoon of Le Morne in the southwest of the island, is quoted in this list present on the website “Journée mondiale de l'océan.”

Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort & Spa in Malaysian Borneo invites guests to enjoy the most important meal of the day with the ultimate breath-taking view, overlooking the majestic Mount Kinabalu and lush Bornean coastline. The 'Breakfast with a View' package invites guests to trek through the Bornean jungle, 90 metres above sea-level, to enjoy a Champagne breakfast overlooking Malaysian Borneo.  A professional ranger will lead the hike, carrying a handwoven wakid (traditional Sabahan carrying basket) filled with fresh breakfast produce.

With one of the largest biological diversities in the world, rich native cultures, and 6 World Heritages declared by the UNESCO, Bolivia distinguishes as a diverse unspoiled country with extraordinary places to visit (you probably heard that among them is the amazing salt flats or “Salar de Uyuni").

Join the peer-to-peer trend and live like a local in Belgium, Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, Italy and Turkey. In need of some summer holiday inspiration? Giving us the chance to see yet more cities like a local, experiential travel site trip4real has launched in eight more fantastic cities including Budapest, Venice, Prague, Naples, Brussels, Istanbul, Porto and Athens. Essentially the Airbnb of travel experiences, trip4real is a unique peer-to-peer platform that allows locals to make money as neighbourhood guides and travellers to see a city through the eyes of a local.

Geysers, glaciers and a glittering ice cave are all waiting to be discovered on this NEW winter holiday in Iceland. With its volcanic landscape and Viking roots this country is unlike anything else in Europe – similar to it's football team, this island is an explosion of experiences! After a welcoming first night in Reykjavik you start this action-packed adventure with a tour of the famous 'Golden Circle', a collection of natural (and man-made) phenomena.

The towns of Salou, Cambrils and Vila-Seca-La Pineda celebrated the summer solstice yesterday with the San Juan festival. Offering an evening of fireworks, bonfires and live music, the traditional festival was a vibrant and colourful celebration of the summer with events taking place throughout Catalonia. As part of the festivities, Cambrils showcased the region's famous human towers (castells), while all three destinations held 'dance of the devils' around the bonfires.  

Global Destinations Day, a global conference on sustainable tourism, will be taking place in Ljubljana from 27 to 28 September 2016. This flagship green destinations event will bring together leading global experts in sustainable development and green tourism, opinion leaders, representatives of destinations, associations, hoteliers and tourist operators who strive for sustainable development in tourism. 

The increasing trend for uploading unique imagery onto social media has led to many holidaymakers planning their trips around Instagram-worthy destinations. The Canary Islands are high on the list of places to visit in 2016 thanks to an incredible variety of distinctive photographic backdrops.  This May alone, there has been an increase of 16.3% of British visitors flying to The Canary Islands.

With the potential for laws to tighten further around travelling in school term time it's now even tougher for teachers and families to take an exotic break in the school holidays and enjoy a different cultural experience. Summer holiday price hikes of more than 50% in some cases could spur families and teachers to explore alternative ways to holiday that make their money go the extra mile.