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5 Great Ideas For a Family Activity Holiday Author: Sep 14

If you’re looking to do something different with the kids when you next go on holiday, have you thought about horse riding in America? How about cycling beside the Danube? Or dog sledding in Lapland? If you want an experience that your children will really remember on holiday, then a family activity holiday may be just the thing for you.

Many parents may be put off by health and safety concerns for these kinds of adventure holiday, but they shouldn’t be. Almost all standard activity holidays will have some kind of child friendly option, and there are plenty of niche operators that specifically offer family activity holidays. If you are worried about safety, it is always a good idea to check out any adventure holiday company that you decide to go with, to make sure it is reputable and provides a good service. Read any online reviews that you can find, and call them up and see how they respond to your concerns.

If you start to look around for a family activity holiday, you’ll be spoilt for choice: here are five ideas to get you started.

Cycling in Europe

Cycling abroad can be a safe and fun family activity holiday, and it is very easy to organise. Make sure you check the difficulty level of any cycling trip before you go, and be sure to let your travel operator know that you’ll be bringing children with you. Sweating your way up a steep mountain pass with an exhausted child in tow is no one’s idea of a fun holiday!

But as long as you pick a route that all the family will be comfortable with, you can have a brilliant time. The Loire Valley and the route along the Danube are two of Europe’s most established cycling routes, and they are also suitable for children on a family activity holiday, being on flat and gently hilly terrain and taking in astonishing views along the way.

Safari in Africa

There’s little that gets kids more excited than wild animals, and an African safari makes for a great family activity holiday. Safaris can include hippo spotting on boat trips, 4×4 drives through nature reserves, visits to farms, animal sanctuaries and orphanages, and many other activities.

The safari business is very well established, and you’ll find plenty of companies that can provide packages specifically for family activity holidays. Kenya is the most common destination, though safari holidays are run in many other African countries as well, such as South Africa and Tanzania.

Riding & Ranch Stay in America

For a real cowboy experience, there’s nothing like a ride and ranch holiday – learning to ride, spending time with the animals and learning some basic cowboy skills are all things that appeal to kids and their parents! Many tour operators accept absolute beginners, though it may be worth getting your children (and yourself!) a little experience in the saddle before you travel abroad.

Make sure you choose the right kind of ranch experience for your family activity holiday. Working ranch holidays (including cattle drives) aren’t suitable for young children, as they require long hours in the saddle and a fair amount of riding experience. Centre based riding holidays, where you stay in a single location with daily riding activities, can accommodate all ages, and some progressive riding holidays (where you move from ranch to ranch over a number of days) are suitable for slightly older children.

Dog Sledding in Lapland

If cutting through the snow with your kids on a husky driven sledge sounds like your idea of heaven, this might be the activity holiday for you! For children, the combination of snow, animals and adventure can be irresistible. The scenery in Lapland is remarkable, and there’s even a chance that you’ll catch a glimpse of the famous Northern Lights when you visit.

Dog sledding can be done as a one day excursion or, if you and your children are feeling adventurous, can be part of a multi-day expedition, stopping off at various lodges and cabins along the way. This is a family activity holiday for slightly older children – check with travel companies to find out the exact minimum age for their trips.

Sailing through the Greek Islands

Sailing can make for a superb family activity holiday, and the Greek Islands are an ideal destination – not only is the scenery beautiful, the steady waters make it a very safe place to sail and swim. Children and adults can learn the basics of sailing, swim in the Mediterranean, visit harbour towns and bask in the sun. No previous knowledge of sailing or yachting is necessary in most cases, with full tuition and assistance available.

Most family sailing holidays will be based on a flotilla, which are medium sized yachts with sails and engines. Flotillas are a very family friendly way to sail, and have become hugely popular in recent years. There are plenty of tour operators that offer flotilla holidays in Greece, and if you have very young children they can provide extra safety precautions, such as safety netting along the guardrails, to help keep your kids safe.

Kieron Sellens is the marketing manager of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AiTO). With AITO’s cultural breaks you can choose from tailor-made family activity holidays, historical tours, musical trips and many more. The independent tour operators that AITO represent specialise in worldwide holidays tailored to their customers’ requirements.

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Holiday Hair Style: How to Look Perfect in Summer Author: Jul 31

Keeping your holiday hair style under control
isn’t just about keeping your expensive up-do
from falling down while you’re dancing. It’s
about healthy-looking hair during those wet,
hot, and sticky months of summer, whether at
home or on vacation.

Those who live in areas where the sun and humidity
get downright unbearable during the summer know
how difficult it is to keep their hair looking
good. But if you aren’t familiar with the
potentially damaging effects of humidity, salt
water, sand, chlorine, wind and dry air, you
might not know how to properly care for your
holiday hair.

It’s easy to breathe new life into it by following
a few simple summertime tips.

Hair that’s full of split ends looks bad so the first
thing you should do even before the summer months set
in is give your hair a good trim to remove those
damaged ends or try a new hair style.
Hair looks instantly better after it’s been cut.

If you plan to color your hair, remember that
chemically treated hair is more vulnerable to environmental
conditions such as sun, water and humidity. Plan your
hair coloring three weeks before your trip so your hair
has time to regain its natural balance and is more
resistance to damage.

Another thing you can do is ask your stylist for a deep
conditioning treatment prior to your vacation. This will
help to smooth the hair, repair damage and make the whole
hair structure stronger.

Depending on your destination climate, you might also need
to bring a surface conditioner with moisturizing qualities
for hot, dry weather or frizz control cream for a humid climate.
Unlike deep conditioners, these products coat your hair with a
protective layer while adding gloss and making your style
more manageable.

It just wouldn’t be a summer vacation without time in the water.
Although swimming and other water activities are a lot of fun,
they can wreak havoc on your holiday hair. Whether you’re swimming
in the sea or at the hotel pool, always rinse the sea salt and
chlorine out of your hair with plenty of fresh water.

Chlorine dries out the hair, making it brittle. It also fades the
color and with some hair colors, can turn hair an unsightly shade
of green. It’s not the chlorine that turns your hair green but the
presence of heavy metals like copper. The chlorine initiates the
process by damaging the hair cuticle, which allows these metals to
enter the inner structure of hair.

It also wouldn’t be a summer vacation without spending as much time
as possible in the sun. We know how damaging the sun’s UV rays are
to our skin, but these rays also damage the hair’s structure. They
break down the keratin which results in dry hair that breaks easily.
So look for hair care products that contain UV protection and use
them as directed to help your holiday hair style look as healthy as
your holiday tan.

Lots of people with fine hair apply too much anti-frizz serum to
their scalp and hair, which makes it look greasy and weighed down.
Instead, apply a light conditioner beginning at the middle of the
hair strand and continuing down to the ends. Then finish your hair
style with anti-frizz serum applied only to the ends to seal off
the tips so water can’t enter the hair shaft.

When you’re packing your suitcase, be sure you include a mild shampoo,
a mild conditioner, an anti-frizz serum (especially if you have
naturally curly hair), and hair spray for those times when your
holiday hair needs extra hold. And check to make sure all these
products contain UV protection. Just remember: using UV products
doesn’t mean you can stay out in the sun indefinitely. Your hair and
scalp can be damaged if exposed to too much sun so don’t forget to
bring a sun hat.

Nancy Faizabadi is a professional hair stylist and the founder of http://www.short-hair-style.com where you can find free tips on short hair style and color ideas, hair color trends, hair products and much more. Whether your hair is fine, thick, curly, straight, processed, colored or in need of a new style, short-hair-style.com has a section for you.

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Getting Holiday Home Mortgages Information Author: Jul 03

Getting holiday home mortgages information can be hard, getting good holiday home mortgages information is even harder. If you bear this in mind then the best and only way to get the best information for your particular needs when it comes to your holiday home mortgage is to go with a specialist broker.

The biggest advantage to going with a broker is that they will be able to take a whole lot of stress away from you when it comes to something as important as you mortgage, as they will be able to gather together an understanding of your particular needs and then recommend the deal suited to you. However the biggest and most valuable reason for using a broker when it comes to getting holiday home mortgages information is that the broker will have access and be able to use their vast amount of resources which you couldnt possibly hope to match.

Mortgages which relate to a holiday home are very confusing and can vary considerably from the usual home mortgage you would take out. Of course the mortgage that your broker goes for will depend on what your intentions are for the holiday home, you might be buying the property solely for your own use as a holiday home or you might be buying it with the intentions of renting it out in order to earn extra income. This of course will need to be decided before as it makes a difference to the mortgage your broker will go for.

However if you decide to go for letting and the property is seen as a holiday home let then you will have to make sure that meet certain rules. Once you have done this then you will be able to take full advantage of the many tax breaks you could be entitled to receiving.

When it comes to defining whether or not the property is classed as a holiday home or a holiday let then it depends on the circumstances. A holiday home means that the property is going to be used for holidaying for you and your family and not renting it out to others; however a holiday let is property which you are buying with the sole intention of renting out to others. So when it comes to getting holiday home mortgages information it is essential that you decide which way you want to go.

A holiday home mortgage will be easier to get whereas a holiday let mortgage is harder, however whichever way you choose to go the best advice is to go with a specialist broker.

Sean Horton is a Director of Holiday Home Mortgages, which offers UK residents the finance to buy a UK based holiday home. The site offers a Free Guide for Holiday Home Mortgages and also offer Holiday Home Insurance

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Holiday Parks in the UK – Self Catering With Excellent Facilities Author: Jun 12

If you are looking for the Med of the UK then the South Coast of England is the place that you should head for, Devon and Cornwall or the Channel Islands would be the ideal choice and they often have better weather than anywhere else in the UK.

Accommodation

Getting the right type of accommodation is very important and there are many different options open to you. Many people will opt for the self catering holiday which will allow you to be flexible in your day, where as others may be more interested in the fully catered option. There are a number of options including Cottages, Lodges or Chalets, but the best option will be one of the many holiday parks in the UK. What makes this a good option for you too choose? In short you not only have all of the facilities on hand that you would expect to find in a cottage but you also get the added bonus of all the extra leisure facilities that can be found on many of the parks.

The accommodation is always to a very high standard and mainly comprises of static caravans, lodges or chalets. The static caravans are well equipped and modern with the usual facilities including good kitchen areas, bathroom and wash facilities and they can sleep anywhere from four to eight people, so there is plenty of room for all the family. The lodges and chalets will comprise of the exact same facilities and offer an alternative on many of the parks should you not wish to stay in one of the static caravans.

Location

The holiday parks in the UK are always in areas of the country that are ideal for family breaks or leisure breaks with friends or your partner. With many of the parks on the coast and others in land near areas of natural beauty you will never be far away from one of the hundreds of parks that can be found throughout the UK. Many of the holiday parks are right on the beach and some will even have their own beaches and others will be just a short walk away from the coast. If the coast is not what you are after on your holiday and you are interested in walking or mountain biking then trying a park in one of the more rural or countryside settings will be of interest. The Holiday Parks are close or in many of the UKs best walking areas from the North of Scotland to the East of England, the choice is extensive and the quality is always good

Facilities

The Holiday Parks in the UK do vary with the facilities on offer, the parks that are aimed towards the family will have Swimming Pools, Kids Clubs, Bars, Restaurants and many other facilities to ensure that the whole family are entertained throughout the entire break. Other parks that are quieter or aimed for relaxation may have less entertainment and will focus on the facilities such as the Swimming Pools, Sauna, Gyms and Hot Tubs. Whatever your preference there will be a holiday park with the facilities and entertainment that will suite your break.

Chris Courtis is a travel writer for a number of sites and is proud to be associated with Holidayparkhols which provide deals and information on Holiday Parks in the UK.

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Top Holiday Destinations For British Holiday Makers Author: Jun 05

8 hours on a plane is a day wasted but nowhere 2 hours away is warm enough or far enough for me to really feel like I’m on holiday. So, where I ask myself is the best holiday destination from London and other parts of UK for us Brits?

The ideal flight time for me is 4-5 hours and looking on the world map, there are a host of warm, luxurious and relaxing destinations within that flying time. Shame, none of the travel companies like Best at Travel, Kuoni, Virgin Holidays, Letsgo2 or Holiday Hypermarket ever consider that. You end up searching these sites for hours with a highly confused state of mind. Having been through this, I decided to post a little research for those facing the same dilemma as me.

So, which are the best Holiday destinations for people flying from the UK?

This listing will help you find your next holiday.

First, where do us Brits go most on holiday? I went through some search records on Google and found the following:

Top Holiday Destinations (by number of travellers from UK every year)

1. Spain holidays Since Spain is the most popular holiday destination for us Brits with over a million searches a month, I’ve divided Spain into regions to fully calculate its popularity.

Majorca holidays – Majorca or Mallorca is heaven. I’ve been there myself. With a vibrant nightlife and amazing scenic views and beaches, this largest of all Spanish island tops Spanish holiday charts with over 300,000 monthly searches for Majorca alone. If you’re looking for a party place or an opportunity to be in the quiet surrounded by nature, Majorca is your best bet.
Tenerife holidays – Tenerife is the largest of the 7 canary Islands in the Atlantic ocean. Just off the coast of Morocco, Africa, this Spanish territory commands the status of one of the most popular tourist destinations around the world. As they say, the place where spring never ends, Tenerife is the highest point of Spain with its Mount Teide volcano. The temperature averages 20 degrees celcius throughout the year and is considered to be the best in the world by many. 320,000 searches online every month.
Gran Canaria holidays – Also one of the seven canary islands, the Gran Canaria is the second largest and second most populated after Tenerife. Volcanic in nature, The Gran Canaria offers a unique natural experience, with fissure vents, different soil and vegetation. The Gran Canaria is famous for its family holidays and is full of well appointed resorts. 180,000 monthly searches.
Ibiza holidays – Ibiza is a beautiful little Spanish island located in the Mediterranean sea that has become hugely popular as a holiday top spot in the last 35 years. What makes Ibiza special is the extended coast line of sandy beaches, a chilled out way of life and seclusion. As all Spanish holidays, Ibiza town will offer you a buzzing nightlife and for those looking for peace and quiet, there are plenty of resorts surrounded by nature and tranquility. 135,000 searches per month.
Other notable Spanish holiday destinations – With a 100,000 British people searching for holiday packages in Benidorm, this is the 5th most popular Spanish holiday destination followed by Costa del Sol at 60,000 searches and Lanzarote (another beautiful canary island) with 55,000 searches.Recommended – Spain holidays

If you haven’t yet experienced a Spanish holiday, you haven’t yet been on your best holiday. Majorca alone gets 2.5 million British holiday makers a year and 2008 was a record high.

2. Cyprus holidays – Cyprus is the number 2 holiday destination for us Brits. On average, 400,000 of us search for Cyprus holidays online every month. Yes! Every Month! No wonder I’ve been to Cyprus twice myself. In Cyprus, most popular spots are Limassol and Paphos – Paphos is full of ancient sites as old as 4th century BC, lies in the southwest of Cyprus and is a world heritage site by UNESCO. Limassol is the capital of southern Cyprus and is a popular shopping destination.

3. Turkey holidays – With just under 400,000 searches on Google alone, Turkey is the third most visited holiday destination for British holiday makers. The ex-Ottoman empire with a taste of Asia within Europe, Turkey is a top holiday destination where you’ll find snow-capped mountains and sunny beaches at a few hours’ distance. Istanbul, the largest city is where we flock most to, to live the Sultan size life for a few relaxing days.

4. Greece holidays – Close on the heels of Turkey, Greece holidays are very popular amonst British people. With just under 400,000 searches online a month, we love Greece, especially the Island of Crete. Crete, as legend goes, was where the Greek God Zeus was born and is the present resting place of Greek Gods. The southern-most of all Greek islands, Crete is the meeting point of Africa, Asia and Europe. If you’re looking for a busy, choc-a-block resort holiday, Greece is the place for you, where not UK holiday makers, but tourists from all over the world flck in great numbers.

5. Egypt holidays – Enter Africa – Egypt is our 5th most visited holiday destination and top-most in Africa. With 320,000 searches every month, we Brits get-away to Egypt often during the winter. The gorgeous clear waters of river Nile, 5000%2B years of history, tourist attractions like the pyramids and cities like the Sharm El Sheikh (the city of Peace) surrounded by the Red sea and Mount Sinai are top reasons for Egypt being a top holiday destination. I’ve been to Egypt twice and I’m in love with that place. People are friendly and forthcoming.

6. America Holidays

Las Vegas holidays – I would have imagined America to be much higher up in the list of our top holiday destinations, but the long plane journeys and shortage of natural beauty are two major reasons why most people visit the United States for its advancements, not untouched natural places. Las Vegas leads as one of USA’s top holiday destinations. The city most popular for its casinos, gambling and high lifestyle attracts us Brits in large numbers every year.
New York city breaks -The world’s capital city as its popularly known is the centre of all action. The list of tourist attractions is longer than London’s and if you’re expecting to get away, beware, you’re getting back into the mad rush. New York is a great weekend or short stay holiday destination if haven’t seen the Statue of Liberty or Madison Square Gardens.
Florida holidays – The sunshine state of the US – Fun doesn’t end any time of the year in Florida. With 3 of the world’s best amusement parks – Disneyland, Seaworld and Universal, Florida is also the world’s amusement capital. Great place for family holidays.

7. Italy holidays – With 240,000 searches a month, Italy comes at number 6. Italy is made of two islands – Sicily and Sardinia. Sicily is the mainland region of Italy where holiday makers go in search of Roman empire history, leaning tower of Pisa, the Colosseums and Rome. Sicily is the largest Mediterranean island. Sardinia or Sardegna is a top holiday destination, famous for its natural beauty and beaches.

8. Caribbean Holidays – Caribbean Islands stand out as holiday destinations for the Americans (because of the proximity and short flights), but Europeans are not far behind. At a combined 200,000 searches per month from UK, The Caribbean is a fast growing holiday destination amongst us. The Caribbean refers to the Caribbean sea, islands in that sea and nearby coastal areas. Top holiday destinations within the Caribbean are Antigua holidays, St Lucia holidays, Jamaica holidays, Cuba holidays and Barbados holidays. Lying between North and South America, the Caribbean is famous for its holidays – from Golfing to sky-diving, fine dining to clubbing, there’s nothing the Caribbean doesn’t offer. That, at a time when Britain is freezing! No wonder, with recent media coverage, Caribbean holidays are busier than ever before.

9. Malta holidays – Coming back to Europe, Malta is a gorgeous island with an English connection. After gaining independence from United Kingdom in 1964, Malta developed itself as a top holiday destination. With English spoken widely, British people face no language barriers and holidays are even more fun. This Mediterranean island country offers some unique features like fishing villages, and a combination of Byzantine, Arab, Phoenician and St John Knights’ culture, architecture and cuisine. 160,000 monthly searches.

10. Dubai holidays – The world’s highest man made structure, world’s first under water restaurant, world’s first palm housing, world’s longest shopping mall, world’s first indoor ski system and world’s highest tennis court are just the tip of the iceberg. Dubai – The city of the world’s firsts opened its doors to the new world and we all visited in large number. Today, Dubai is the top holiday destination in the Middle East. With 150,000 searching for Dubai holidays every month, Dubai stands out amongst the 7 Emirates in UAE. With desert, beaches and mountains to offer, sunny holidays don;t get much better.

11. Maldives holidays – The paradise islands, as the 1 thousand two hundred fascinating Maldives islands are affectionately called, offer crystal clear waters and desert sands in the middle of Indian ocean. With 80 self sufficient islands cum resorts, you’re never short of natural beauty, peace and tranquility. The top “get away from it all” holiday destination Maldives won’t disappoint you. 120,000 curious British holiday makers search Maldives holidays every month.

12. Goa holidays – Further East, Goa is an English holiday maker’s favourite Indian holiday destination. With Churches and Temples co-existing in this city they call “Tropical Paradise”, you’ll find miles of beautiful palm tree beaches and acres of windy paddy fields. Adding to its charm are old fortresses, wide roads and motor cycle hires. The Portuguese were defeated off Goa in 1961 by the Indian army and since then, Goa has grown into the most popular holiday destination within India. With an offshore casino, saturday markets by resident British people and a rock music culture, Goa will give you unforgettable memories. Or you might end up in Goa longer than you planned, like many others. 100,000 searches.

13. Thailand holidays – Further east from India, welcome to Thailand. Best time to visit is between June and October. The capital city of Thailand – Bangkok boats of some of the world’s top 5 star hotels and is famous for its hospitality. Visit Thailand for a crash course in culture diversity and hospitality.100,000 searches.

14. Australia holidays – Melbourne is 22 hours and 30 minutes away from London. You better not plan a weekend break to Australia. A gorgeous country that holiday makers love, Australia is number 20 in this list only for its distance from the UK. Australia has everything from coral beaches, skyscrapers, nightlife, peace and tranquility, great standards of life, extreme sports – you name it. A great place for a long holiday, I rate Australia as one of my top holiday destinations and a must visit. Make sure you take out at least a couple of weeks to enjoy Australia fully.

15. Mauritius holidays – They say the beauty of Mauritius is its people. With clear waters, white sandy beaches and year-round holiday making, Mauritius is Asia’s Spain. Tourists from India, China, Japan and other far east countries keep Mauritius abuzz the year round with traditional dances, customs and delicious seafood. Being close to mainland Africa, in the summer, Mauritius can be very hot and humid, and therefore the best time to visit is July to September (their winter). With British and French history, you won’t face many language problems in this Indian ocean holiday destination. 70,000 searches.

16. Bali – The tiny yet perfect Indonesian island of Bali is the center of all action and one of Indonesia’s top holiday destinations. Visit Bali for white sand beaches, awe-aspiring cliffs, nightlife and to submerge into the truly multicultural environment. 35,000 monthly searches for Bali holidays.

17. South Africa holidays – When you mention any part of Africa for holidays, wildlife plays an important role and South Africa is no different. South Africa is UK’s top holiday destination in Africa for the British colonial connection. Amongst others, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Durban offer the best natural views and beaches. 30,000 monthly searches.

18. Hong Kong holidays – A few years ago, Hong Kong was a British territory. Now a part of China, Hong Kong is the most happening place in the far east. This majorly Buddhist city is a remarkable example of success of Capitalism and offers towering hotels, world’s most modern luxuries and one of the most popular holiday destination within Hong Kong is Kowloon. For some peace, you can travel to the Sai Kung peninsula. 27,000 monthly searches.

Still not sure where to go? If you don’t mind where you go, and you’re more focused on the kind of holiday, you may end up saving substantial sums of money. My best bet while booking a holiday is calling one of my favourite agencies – Best at Travel or Directline Holidays and just chatting to an advisor regarding what’s cheap this season. I’ve always found Best at Travel and Directline saving me money.

Try looking for Cruises, Luxury Holidays, Spa holidays, Safaris or Honeymoons. This will help you check packages and make your decision-making easier.

Still not clear, or have a question, post it as a comment below. Either me of one of te readers will help you out. Happy Holidays.

Visit CafeArjun.com for Top holiday destinations.