Where the experts holiday: Patricia Schultz, author of 1,000 Places to see before you die

Patricia Schultz, author of the newly revised #1 New York Times bestseller 1000 Places to See Before You Die, talks travel

Santa Cruz secrets

Approximately 1, 65 miles south of San Francisco, lies the quintessential californian beach town of Santa Cruz. Come for the surfing but stay for the quirky shopping, sensational meals and mountains, says Santa Cruz resident Kayla Peterson

Irish Passport Office

From the website:

“The Passport Office, which is part of the Department of Foreign Affairs, issues passports to Irish citizens.

All Irish citizens are entitled to apply for an Irish passport. Services are provided by the Passport Offices in Dublin and Cork and by Irish Diplomatic and Consular Missions overseas.”

Rio: not just for carnival

Read Jane’s article on what is the arguably the world’s greatest party here!

Choose One from Eleven (Maybe)

The UK government with the assistance of advisors and the governments in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales has put forward eleven sites to UNESCO for consideration as world heritage sites. There a committee will vet and visit the chosen 11 before the final decision is made which will join the other 28 sites that have UNESCO status in the UK.

Ireland Attracts Fewer Tourists

Last Summer all those holiday destinations where they had the euro didn’t do quite as well as they expected. Because the pound was weak against it, we chose areas with different currencies that had not declined as much or where we felt we got better value for money. Turkey and Egypt spring to mind.
Ireland suffered despite a campaign last May/June to get us there. !5% fewer Brits went there last year and since 50% of tourists to Ireland come from the UK it is a vital market to them. Now that the pound has strengthened against the euro will we be more likely to visit Ireland again?

Where the Experts Holiday: Nabeel Shariff, marketing manager UK & Ireland for Sri Lanka Tourism

Sri Lanka Tourism’s marketing manager, Nabeel Shariff, on China, Chile and why Sri Lanka – the island formerly known as Ceylon – is everyone’s cup of tea