Holiday & Travel

With the arrival of a number of new hotels in the past 12 months, Kyoto's hotel scene is set to unfold even further. Whether visitors are looking to stay within an expansive space or experience something a little more boutique, Kyoto's newest hotels are well-equipped to suit all tastes and budgets. Last winter saw the arrival of two hotels in two very different areas of the city. In November 2015, Kyoto welcomed the opening of the new Noku Roxy hotel, located adjacent to Kyoto Imperial Palace in the heart of the ancient Japanese city.

Edinburgh Airport welcomed the first WOW air flight from Iceland yesterday. Travellers arriving from the Nordic nation, as well as North America were greeted at the arrival gate by a bagpipe player, providing an authentic Scottish musical welcome.  Flights will depart Edinburgh Airport for the airline's hub in Reykjavik twice-weekly between July and October on Sundays and Wednesdays, with a total flight time of 2 hours 30 minutes. Passengers travelling through will then have a short stopover before continuing on to one of the airline's North American destinations - Boston, Washington D.C., Montreal, Toronto, Los Angeles, or San Francisco.

Situated near the start of the famous Dempster Highway, Canada's only all-season public road to cross the Arctic Circle, Tombstone Park offers a land like no other with its haunting landscape memorable for its jagged peaks and colour-stained hills. While just a few miles north is a land referred to as Beringia, the only area in much of North America that wasn't under ice during the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago, the granite Tombstones have been scoured by ice and weather into stalagmite-like peaks and pinnacles that rise high from the tundra carpet.

Your TV screen this August is likely to be blanketed with gorgeous helicopter tracking shots of Rio de Janeiro's gorgeous hills, lagoons, bays and beaches, but of course the real Rio has so much more to offer than the standard view from the Christ Statue. Rosie Tobin from South America specialists RealWorld takes a look at some of the ways you could get away from the hype and hustle of the Olympics, and off the beaten track (and field...) in Rio this summer.

Summer 2016 has got off to an exciting start in Macao, as it hit the big screen this month in 'Now You See Me 2', and opened a new waterfront entertainment hub for visitors. It doesn't stop there though, with a number of new luxury hotel openings and a variety of events also scheduled for this summer, including the 'Wushu Masters Challenge' and 28th Macao International Fireworks Display Contest, which will see UK team 'Pyro 2000' compete in one of the world's largest and best shows of its kind.

As summer's latest blockbuster 'The Legend Of Tarzan' hits the big screens, providing plenty of travel inspiration for animal-lovers, adventure honeymooners can follow in the footsteps of Tarzan and Jane, and set off deep into the forests of Africa in search of primates. Venture into an ethereal wonderland, track gorillas on foot, and experience the unique animal magic of this destination first-hand.

As travellers increasingly look to experience authentic local cultures, Adriatic Luxury Hotels is paving the way for visitors wanting to get to the heart of this prolific destination with a plethora of unique activities bound to create an “extra-Croatianary” escape on the beautiful Adriatic coast. Located only a short walk away from the ancient city walls of Dubrovnik's Old Town, 5-star Hotel Bellevue is the perfect base for guests to explore Dubrovnik's distinctive landmarks and venture out to find the region's hidden gems.

While Bali is all things to all people, there's no disputing that for many, it's considered THE place to party. Party people, meet Villa Kalyani. With its dance floor, two bars, formal dining room, gourmet chef, rooftop reception terrace, professional DJ booth and indoor/outdoor movie theatre, you've just hit the jackpot. Cry 'Hallelujah', gather your friends and let the good times begin.

Quark Expeditions®, the world leader in polar expedition travel, is celebrating the recent release of its 2017/18 Antarctic expedition schedule with the launch of its Virtual Reality Antarctic Experience and Antarctic VR app. From 1991's first-ever tourism transit of the Northeast Passage, to the first branded Antarctic VR voyage, Quark continues to blaze new trails in polar adventure travel.

Last week, MTV in partnership with the Malta Tourism Authority returned to the island to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Isle of MTV Malta. Valletta’s Il-Fosos Square was once again ignited by knockout performances from Wiz Khalifa, Jess Glynne and Clean Bandit, in addition to a killer closing set from Electro-House heavyweight Steve Aoki. Kicking off the party was local band Airport Impressions who had the tens of thousands of fans moving to their unique blend of Rock and House music.

The Tenerife Tourism Corporation has today announced the launch of its #bigwarmhug campaign to communicate to all British residents that the people of Tenerife are on their side no matter what happens with regards to the United Kingdom's status in the EU. Reaching out to both consumers and the travel trade, the campaign will be primarily promoted via social media channels and will see the local people of Tenerife offering a “big warm hug” to British tourists already on the island, as well as encouraging British residents to engage in the good feeling campaign.

It may be strange to be thinking about Festive Ski just now, particularly before the summer has really got going, and the impact of Brexit has become a bit clearer.   But these two issues are good reasons to have something exciting to really look forward to. Powder Byrne has already experienced a high level of bookings for this period, so for families to be sure they get the best choice of hotels and rooms within, it is recommended to get Festive Skiing holidays booked well in advance to avoid disappointment.  

Described as “nature's greatest experiment” by Sir David Attenborough, the Galápagos Islands offer a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience. To celebrate the launch of their brand new Galápagos Odyssey, adventure cruising specialists Aurora Expeditions share their favourite things to do and see in one of the world's wildest archipelagos. Take a geology lesson – hike up Española Island's four-million-year-old volcano, hop on 100-year-old cactus-dotted lava fields on Bartolomé Island or take the 600-metre walkway up to the hills for stunning view of the sea-cooled hot lava formation Pinnacle Rock.

Demand is growing for a new breed of eco-cabin holiday across the UK. Holiday makers are increasingly seeking high quality, sustainable short break accommodation and are favouring providers that genuinely give back to society. Recent findings from Booking.com show that 52% claim that they are likely to favour a destination that can offer a reduced impact on the environment. Forest Holidays has 571 cabins in nine stunning locations across Britain.

Love is in the air as the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba stages its third annual festival celebrating that emotion in all its forms. Now expanded and moved to a new, larger venue, The Love Festival will be staged on July 29-31, offering entertainment across three days instead of two as in previous years. Organisers says this is a festival where it is all about love – love for each other, love for the universe and love of dance music.