On Mayday weekend we decided to borrow a Bongo from the fiance’s Dad and have a long weekend camping in Mull. Having never been there before I was quite excited to be going but slightly concerned about the long drive.

We set off early morning and headed up to the Corran Ferry (£6.70 per car) which takes you into Argour. This ferry is a good bit of a drive further on than Oban but the ferry from Oban was a lot more money and pretty busy for a holiday weekend. The drive round is actually really pretty though and the drive from Argour to Lochaline is particularly stunning and well worth the extra effort if you can spare the time. From Lochalie you take another ferry to Fishnish on Mull (£4.45 each) and you’re only on it for 1/2 an hour if that so it;s worth sitting up top if you can stand the wind!

On arriving in Mull we headed South while the majority of the traffic headed up to Tobermory (there was a festival on) and after a 40 minute drive or so we found a camping spot that had the most amazing views and barely any neighbours!

The Bongo was a brilliant campign experience having only stayed in a tent or caravan before. It was refreshing not to stop then have to start setting up camp and I really enjoyed the feeling of freedom it gave us.

As a short bre, Mull was fantastic for chilling and relaxing. One night we sat and watched an otter for 1/2 hour or so which was brilliant, on another day we wathched loads of jellyfish in the sea and at one point we nearly even made it up a Munro until I remembered that hill climbing just isn’t my cup of tea!

All too soon it was time to go home so we set off back for the ferry. I really enjoyed Mull and loved being in the Bongo so I reckon we’ll be back very soon!

Last Christmas I had the option of an iPad for Xmas or a trip to New York. In a completely non-geeky, non-me way I chose New York. I knew it would be freezing when I was out but luckily I love Winter and the snow so it didn’t deter me. I was out visiting the Fiance who was out there with work. Since it’s been quite a while since I was away (and I never wrote my diary) I’m writing mainly about the highlights of the week.

Marriot Times Square Revolving Restaurant

At the top of the Marriot in Times Square there’s a revolving restaurant. The lift up to it is glass and you go shooting skyward at a rate of knots which is amusing but slightly scary! The views from the top are amazing and the drinks are unexpectedly cheap

Tip: get there before 8pm or there’s a surcharge for going up to the top floor.

Times Square

Times Square itself is well worth a visit – I can’t imagine a trip to New York without going there. Just to stand and watch the hustle and bustle for a while is fun. I was back here several time during the week and nothing quite told me I was in New York as standing looking up at all the lights!

Chinese New Year

After Katz Deli we wandered down towards the Staten Island Ferry and going through Chinatown we soon came to realise that something was up. Barriers were everywhere and there was quite a festive atmosphere. We got ourselves wedged beside a barrier and waited a good hour before the parade started. It was BALTIC standing there but boy was it worth it. I’ve never seen a parade like this before and I loved watching all the dragons and dancers going past. If you can time your holiday with these celebrations then I recommend it.

Grand Central Station

When people suggested visiting a train station before I went on holiday I thought ‘really? A train station…but I don’t wear an anorak’ Despite this I found myself wandering in on the first day (it was right beside the hotel ok!) I have to say, it was a fantastic interior and I spent ages wandering round the market, the shop, the food hall and finally the station concourse. A few nights later we went back for cocktails overlooking the concourse as the Fiance hadn’t been there yet and I was so impressed I wanted him to see it too. If you visit be sure to look up the way to see signs of the Zodiac set out in lights.

Central Park

Unfortunately Central Park was pretty much snow covered at the end of Jan but it was still fun to walk through on the way to the museum and gave an idea of how amazing it would be in the warmer months. The buildings overlooking the park were all very impressive and if you look carefully you might even spot a Ghostbusters house… We walked through the park via 79th St to get to the museum and before that we’d wandered round East Drive and The Pond – we only saw a fraction really but it was quite hard going on the ice.

Natural History Museum

We’d planned on a few hours at the Museum but ended up there for hours. There is so much to see that there just isn’t enough time in one visit to see it all. I recommend the  ANHM iPhone/iPad App to select a shorter tour to make sure you see all the well known exhibits (like the main ones in The Night at the Museum!)

Roosevelt Island and Cable Car

From the moment I knew I was going to New York I wanted to go on the cable car. I nagged the Fiance and the friend we were with and they reluctantly ambled along with me. As soon as we were on it they were like little kids, their eye lit up and the stood with noses pressed to the windows for the entire trip. Unfortunately it was just too icy to walk round the island which was a shame but we made do with a coffee, another trip on the cable car and a bit more time in the Museum.

Staten Island Ferry

I’d been toying with going out to the Statue of Liberty and wondering whether I wanted to commit to a half day/s tour or just stick with Staten Island. In the end we all decided (the boys were with me for this!) to go to Staten Island and use any spare time walking round there and Wall Street when we got back to Manhattan. I think we made the right choice, not only was it free (a benefit to 3 Scot’s) but the views we got of the Statue of Liberty were great and the sunset as we returned was just so beautiful. It’s well worth thinking about this as your trip to see the Statue, I can’t compare it to actually being on a specific Statue of Liberty trip but it was enough for me and I’d recommend this to friends.

Other places worth a stop

Macy’s – just because! Bought myself a nice apron!

Katz Deli – don’t lose you’re entry ticket or you have to pay to get out.

The Amish Market Midtown for a massive array of cheese, breads and gigantic sandwiches.

The Perfect Pint – if you’re a fan of beer then go here.

Flatiron – amazing cool building!

How do you fancy winning Worldwide annual travel insurance for you, your partner and children*? Sounds good? Nearly time for booking your 2011 holiday?

Thought so…

So get commenting. What we want you to do it tell us about your worst holiday disaster. Maybe you forgot your passport and realised at the airport; maybe you broke a bone and were bed ridden all holiday or maybe you turned up with your new beau only to be housed in a hotel room next to an Ex. Whatever the story we want to hear it.

Here’s mine for starters:

A trip to Greece should have been 4 hours.,.10 hours flying, 2 days , 4 stop offs at several difference countries later I finally arrived at my relaxing holiday destination.

The perfect start to a holiday that was booked as a de-stresser!

Had worse? The leave a comment below and let us decide.

* Small Print:

• Competition will close on the 23rd March 2011 and a winner announced on the 22nd.
• All entries will be put in a hat and the winner will be chosen at random.
• The prize consists of worldwide annual travel insurance, platinum cover, for either an individual, couple or family (with up to 4 children), up to a maximum value of £125. If the required policy is more expensive, the winner has the option of paying the extra premium, or choosing a lower level of cover.
• Entrants must be aged 18 or over and resident in the UK
• The competition is not open to Ancile Insurance Group employees or their families.
• The winner must be in the UK when the travel insurance is issued.
• The prize is not transferrable or exchangeable for cash.
• Prize must be claimed, and travel insurance policy issued by 31 March 2011.

This prize has been supplied courtesy of InsureWithEase.com, who provide a full range of holiday insurance including cheap travel insurance, and annual travel insurance for couples, families and individual holiday makers.

Guest Post for ihearttravel

Apparently 24 January 2011 was officially the most depressing day of the year. So, for anyone feeling a little blue and in need of cheering up why not book a stay in Glasgow in April?

The vibrant Scottish city, normally a hotbed for live music, will become a comedy central with the Glasgow International Comedy Festival running from 17 March to 10 April 2011 and four nights of Peter Kay stand up in the middle of the month.

All This Entertainment? You’re Having a Laugh!

This offering of entertainment is in-keeping with Glasgow’s rich cultural scene that attracts numerous visitors on city breaks each year. The Glasgow International Comedy Festival has been running since 2002 and continues to grow in popularity. This year there are over 200 events designed to draw a laugh from even the most serious soul.

The Peter Kay shows are part of his first stand-up tour in seven years, The Tour That Doesn’t Tour. He will be having crowds in fits of laughter from 14 April to 18 April at Glasgow’s SECC.

It is thought that both events will be very popular so booking tickets is advised; otherwise that smile could be wiped from many disappointed faces.

Plenty More to Discover and Do

Long weekend breaks in Glasgow are ideal to discover the heritage of the city as well as the evening entertainment. Whilst waiting for the shows and events to start in the evenings, there is a range of things for visitors to see and do.

Glasgow has plenty of art to explore, namely Burrell’s collection and also attractions designed to stimulate the mind. The Glasgow Science Centre and the old cathedral and necropolis are popular places for visitors to explore whilst enjoying a stay in the city.

Glasgow is also an excellent base to launch a holiday abroad. There are many cheap flights from Glasgow available to destinations like Spain, the Algarve and Tenerife.

With so many options and things to do, a break in Glasgow is likely to banish the January blues.

Guest Post for ihearttravel

Darling Harbour is one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitian areas of Sydney. Situated on the western fringe of the Central Business District, Darling Harbour is a recreational haven. If you staying in one of the many Sydney hotels and are looking for a good night out, you are guaranteed to find it here.

The area encompasses Sydney’s Chinatown, so Chinese influences are everywhere. An oasis of calm in the middle of the city is the Chinese Garden of Friendship, which is designed to reflect the private gardens of the Ming dynasty. The garden was designed by Sydney’s sister city of Guangzhou and is a fascinating display of Chinese heritage and culture. The Dragon Wall is the undoubted highlight here as it symbolises the friendship between the two cities. The Water Pavilion of Lotus Fragrance should also not be missed, whilst sampling traditional Chinese tea at The Tea House is the perfect tonic before you venture back out into the city.

If you fancy sampling a range of local produce, you should head to Paddy’s Market. The Haymarket branch of this commercial venture is located in Darling Harbour and is a bustling flea market with a vast array of goods on offer. Here, you can experience the hustle and bustle of local life as you pick up some tourist items. Paddy’s Market is located in Market City, a large shopping centre with food courts, boutiques, shops and a cinema. The shops here aren’t of the sort to make those staying in the many Dubai hotels that contain their own luxurious shopping malls jealous but they are nevertheless full of character and bargains.

For those who crave entertainment whilst they shop, the Harbourside Shopping Centre will answer your prayers. As well as containing a grand choice of retail outlets, it also includes a bowling alley, a laser war zone and Australia’s first retail jet-Flight simulator. Meanwhile, the Sydney Entertainment Centre (SEC) is one of the city’s largest concert venues where the world’s great performers can be seen live. Sporting events also take place here, particularly basketball as it is the home of the Sydney Kings.

Sydney Aquarium and Star City Casino are also based in the Darling Harbour area meaning that there is something for everyone in this part of the city. It is extremely easy to get to as the Sydney Monorail serves the CBD, so if you fancy a good time, whatever the time of day, the harbour area is the place for you.

OK, I’ll admit it, this post is a bit of a stretch but it is a travel/holiday blog and this is a holiday card review so I thought it could just about stretch to accommodate it!

I’d decided a few weeks ago to get some personalised cards for Christmas and sourced a site online called babycardsnow.co.uk. As they allowed smaller runs of print (from 25 cards) I thought I’d give them a go.

Babycards now offers several templates for the cards they offer or you can upload your own design. I chose to design and upload my own so it was perfect for what I needed. The whole process was great – I uploaded a 300dpi, 125mm x 125mm PDF file though to be honest this was a bit of a guess as there wasn’t a huge amount of guidance on file sizes. On saying that though, when I needed help (the file double checked to see it suited) babycardsnow were happy to help and give it the once over.

Delivery was around 5 days and the finished result was fantastic quality. One thing worth noting though is that the babycardsnow logo is quite large on the back of the card  – perhaps a logo 1/4 of the size or just the web address would be enough but I can understand why it’s up there!

All in all I thought the service and quality from babycardsnow was great and I’d happily use them again.

If you want to go sightseeing or to visit museums and the most popular tourist attractions in a city, I think the best time to travel is during the low-season as you will easily find low cost flights, last minute deals and luxury accommodation at discounted rates. The low-season is usually the winter, or even a time of the year which isn’t associated with travel. You should check when it is in the destination you would like to visit because the advantages of jetting off during this period are numerous. Here are some of the reasons why I love to travel during the low-season.

1. Cool temperatures: Despite the cold weather you can wrap up warm and enjoy sightseeing without the burning sun on your back. It is the perfect time of the year for going to places of interest.
2. Fewer tourists: You can enjoy sightseeing without fighting through hordes of tourists. Taking photographs is easier and they will also turn out nicer as they will not have as many tourists in the background.
3. Discounts: Accommodation, tourist attractions, eating out and airline tickets are cheaper.

If you cannot take your holidays during the low-season or if you prefer to jet off to the sun to relax on the beach, you should try and book your flights in advance to get cheap flights. You may still find last minute offers, but the chances are lower.

To find cheap airline tickets you should use a traditional flight search engine. This will give you a list of flights to choose from and different prices. You will most likely be charged a small booking fee to purchase on these websites. If you find a good deal with one airline, you can also check the price on its official website to see if it offers a better deal. If you find a good offer, book right away as prices are always on the increase.

I’ve been meaning to catch up on a few blog posts for, well years now so it’s about time I stopped procrastinating and got them written starting with a trip to Paris. About 10 years ago the Fiance was shipped out to Paris for 3 months with work and luckily for me I got shipped out with him for one long weekend. I was due to go over for a week a few weeks later but that very week he got to come home early…I mean, I was happy to see him ‘n all but his bad timing means I only got that one long weekend.

Anyway, the bonus with him being over there for the three months meant he got an apartment, not any apartment….no siree. He was in a private street by the Rue Royal above fancy bakeries, behind all the posh shops (ones that I didn’t even dare look in the windows of) and 2 minutes from the Louvre and the Tuileries. It was fantastic, brand new, in a great location and also meant there was no crazy searching before the trip trying to find cheap hotels in Paris city centre. It was perfect. But enough about accommodation and onto the activities.

As it was such a long time ago I can’t quite remember the order of things but here’s what we got up to other than lots of sitting around in Cafes (which remind me, Tenants Lager is a posh drink over there, Yup really, good ol’ Glasgow p*sh water  is actually desired in some parts of the world and I don’t mean at a Rangers/Celtic footie match…amazing!)

The Louvre

No trip to Paris is complete without a trip to the Louvre. I’d heard it was bad to get into in terms of queues but we were there reasonably early and it was a cinch to get in to. I can’t remember if there were any exhibitions we specifically went to see or not but I do remember getting a very distant view of the Mona Lisa and spending a lot of time just looking at the building and thinking ‘Wow’.

Sacre Coeur

Luckily for me I had friends in Paris at the same time as I was over. friends I hadn’t seen in a few years as they were normally in Barcelona so it was great that I got to see them. They were living out near Sacre Coeur so one evening we took the metro out to visit and popped up to Sacre Coeur for a walk before hand. We took the stairs up to it (which is a lot longer than it looks) but the view from the top is superb. I love cities at night so looking out over Paris with the lights twinkling was amazing. I loved the little cobbled streets around it too, it all felt very festive.

The Eiffel Tower

We got to the Eiffel Tower after an early morning walk from the apartment and via Notre Dame so it was fairly late when we got there. The queues were massive so we decided to give going up it a miss and continue our walk round the bottom of the Tower then head out into the gardens before heading off to the arc De Triomphe and down the Champs Elysee. I think you’d have to get there stupidly early to not have to queue and although I’m sure it’s worth it I’m also pretty sure there’s more to do in Paris than waste a few hours waiting.

The Tuilieries

Ahhh, we spent a lovely afternoon wandering round the Tuilieries and taking photo’s. If you have a few hours to spare I suggest going and getting some nice bread, cheese and a cake and heading down here for a picnic. Far more rewarding than spending the time queuing to get up the Eiffel Tower in my opinion!

The Big Wheel

When I was visiting there was a big wheel (I believe it was for the Millennium celebrations) just off Place de la Concorde which we did instead of the Eiffel Tower. I’m not sure if it’s still there but if it is then it’s worth going on. We went at night and it was fantastic to get such great views of the Champs Elysee and Tuilieries and I’ll even admit to it being a little romantic.

Well, our ‘holiday dreams’ competition ended on Monday and today I put all the names in a brown paper bag and pulled out Gemma’s name for her dream holiday comment:

I’d go to the Amazon basin with David Attenborough. I’ve been obsessed with visiting since watching a programme about manatees years and years ago. I would love the opportunity to trek through the jungle, before canoeing down the river to watch these majestic animals. And David Attenborough? Possibly the most interesting person I can think of and his voice is amazing!

Gemma will soon be the proud owner of a copy of the Rough Guide’s Make The Most Of Your Time On Earth (Compact edition): A Rough Guide to the World.

Well done Gemma – hope you enjoy it and if it inspires you then we’d love to hear it!

Read on if you fancy winning a copy of the Rough Guide’s Make The Most Of Your Time On Earth (Compact edition): A Rough Guide to the World

I’m always on the look out for holiday ideas and inspiration and whether it’s hunting out wild camping spots in Scotland or discovering new beer in Australia (Little Creatures anyone?) I always like to take a wee note for that time in the future when work is a distant memory and I’m away round the World with only a backpack and a pair of straighteners (and possibly the Fiance).

If you fancy getting your mitts on your own source of travel inspiration and have a dream to share then get commenting below. I want to see passion and imagination (but I draw the line at polar bears on a tropical island) and the answer I find most amusing or idyllic will find a copy winging their way to them

I want to know:

• Where your dream holiday location is.
• What you would see.
• Who you would be travelling with.
• Why? Maybe you’ve been recommended it or been before?

Closing date for your ideas and comments is Monday the 6th September.

Thank you everyone for your entries. The competition is now closed and I shall be pulling a winning name out of a hat this evening. Please continue to leave your dream holiday comments though as I would love to hear them.

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