Holiday & Travel

Stepping outside of the usual and experiencing something new to even the quirkiest soul is what traveling is all about.  From the odd to the eccentric, these can't- miss, curious attractions are celebrated for keeping Greater Palm Springs and the surrounding California desert region utterly unique.

If you've been thrilled by the drama of the Perseid meteor shower, head to one of these dark sky glamping sites from Campsites.co.uk for a short break spotting stars and distant galaxies. Remember to take a blanket to lie on, warm clothes and download a star gazing app to help you identify the incredible nighttime sights.

Lofoten Links, one of the world's most northerly courses, has announced that visitors will now have the opportunity to stay in one of the most uniquely positioned golf resorts on the planet as it launches a range of accommodation in the beautiful setting of the Lofoten Islands. Managed by Troon, the leader in upscale golf course management and development, Lofoten Links, in Norway, sits 95 miles north of the Arctic Circle at 68 degrees latitude and can provide every visitor an experience of a lifetime, whether golfing under the Midnight Sun and teeing off 24 hours a day during the summer months or enjoying the Northern Lights, visible from late August until April.

The sun might be shining (finally) but it's never too soon to book a ski holiday, especially with the wide selection of early-booking offers from Ski Safari available. Celebrating 20 years as specialists of tailor-made ski and snowboarding holidays across the world, Ski Safari can share its first-hand knowledge of numerous resorts, to make sure your time on the snow ticks all the boxes.  

OVER half (59 per cent) of Brits would now consider going on a nudist holiday, sunbathing in the buff or visiting a nudist beach, a survey reveals. As guests go nuts for the launch of nude restaurants in both Australia and the UK, and butt-naked dating on TV is now a thing, more than a third of British men (35 per cent) say they would consider sunbathing naked this year and 14 per cent would go on a nudist holiday, compared to 17 per cent and six per cent respectively for women.

From tasting chips covered with curd and gravy to running across ice-covered rivers for sport, Québec is full of the weird and wonderful and is truly a one-of-a-kind destination. The second most populated province in Canada and the only one with a predominantly French-speaking population, the province is full of unusal experiences, quirky food traditions and adventure attractions that can only be found in Québec…

Menai Holiday Cottages, a self-catering holiday cottage company based in North Wales, has sponsored the creation of a film and outdoor painting installation. Menai Holidays hopes that the installation will encourage visitors to the region to make a deeper connection with the region's dramatic landscapes and the incredible forces - natural and man-made - that have shaped them.  A preview of the film which accompanies the High and Low installation was released online this week.

Pet owners travelling with their animals to the Olympics should be vigilant to reduce the risk of mosquito-borne infections, according to MedicAnimal, the UK’s leading online pet healthcare retailer. Data from Holiday Lettings, a holiday accommodation booking site, showed that enquiries for pet-friendly accommodation rose 150% in a year, with more UK pet owners looking for ways to bring their pets along with them, both on domestic trips and abroad.

The city of Palm Springs has announced the schedule for the Modernism Week Fall Preview 2016, which will take place from 21 – 23 October. The weekend provides a taste of what visitors to Palm Springs can expect during the 11-day Modernism Week festival in February 2017, and offers lovers of art, architecture and culture the opportunity to celebrate the city's unique Modernist history.

The shortlist for the Family Traveller Awards 2016 has been announced. Acknowledging and congratulating the best of the best in family travel, the Family Traveller Awards is the only event of its kind with 25 categories ranging from Best Long Haul Accommodation to Best Kid's Club and everything in between. Bigger and better than ever for 2016, nominations have increased from 2015's inaugural year with a further seven categories bringing the total number of awards to 25.

Multi-award winning luxury boutique hotel, The Sarojin, is celebrating Thailand's ancient Vegetarian Festival by launching a special “Old Town Purification Package” which will immerse guests in the ancient customs of Takuapa Old Town; in honour of one of the country's most fascinating traditions. The package will take guests on a six-night journey of discovery through first-hand festival experiences, joining the locals as they follow a strict vegetarian diet to purify mind, body and soul.

With lots of shareable, interactive and engaging experiences, daily DJ sessions, concerts, brick-building activities, music workshops, futsal, golf and yoga sessions, virtual reality trips to Denmark and much more, the pavilion is predicted to be a popular hangout.   The striking 300m2 pavilion has been designed by acclaimed Danish architecture firm Henning Larsen Architects. Its simple, light and bright expression is a reference to Nordic architecture and design and to Denmark's maritime history.

Is cabin fever setting in this summer? Children climbing the walls, couples itching for adventure, already tired of Pokémon GO? Then it's the perfect time for a staycation in Kent, The Garden of England. There are some awesome things going on around including Kent Festivals, Family Fun, Big Days Out, History Brought To Life, Rainy Days and Summer Cottages.

All is silent at the spacious Villa Levi - but for birdsong, the rustle of leaves and the hum of cicadas. The ambience is intimate and cosy, but the open design and lush scenery create a back-to-nature experience – albeit cloaked in sheer luxury. This modern eco-villa incorporates recycled wood and intricate stonework to create rich, earthy textures. Furnishings include marble bathtubs, humongous earthenware pots, stone-top tables and striking four-poster beds made of pale wood.

A brand new 3D multimedia extravaganza is landing in Lisbon to accompany the warm summer evenings. The city's stories, places and its people are coming together in 'Faces of Lisbon', an entertaining sound and light show that will be projected onto the façade of Arco da Rua Augusta from 5th to 14th August. Free of charge, 'Faces of Lisbon' will reveal key stories, places and moments in the history of the Portuguese capital through the faces of the city's most symbolic characters, including a fisherwoman, a master pavement maker and a knife sharpener.