Continued from yesterday…

The Red Centre
The next stage of the adventure took them on a flight south to Alice Springs in the Red Centre,  the hub of Australia’s gold and gem mining in the 1900s. These days Alice Springs is better known as a base from which to explore the vast desert of the Red Centre, from 4×4 tours and camping under the stars to tackling the Larapinta Trail – a challenging 223km trek running along the spine of the West MacDonnell mountain range.

Jarvis and clan picked up another campervan and drove 310km west from Alice Springs to Watarrka national park and Kings Canyon, a colossal chasm in the George Gill mountains. Sheer cliff faces of rust-red sandstone tower 100 metres above the canyon floor, giving vital shade to plants and animals, and hiding water pools and a sheltered valley known as the Garden of Eden.

Alice Springs

To appreciate the canyon’s scale, most visitors do one of two hikes: a 2.6km gentle walk along the gorge’s floor, or a more demanding 6km climb up to the rim of the canyon. Even Sophia tackled the longer walk, which, says Gill, “is well worth it for the unforgettable views.”

Visitors to the canyon generally stay, like the Smiths, at Kings Canyon Resort, which has camping and a budget lodge as well as a hotel. Some of the hotel rooms have spa baths with floor-to-ceiling glass looking out into the canyon. “From my bath I could watch scores of green parrots in the tree directly outside my window,” recalls Gill.

A trip to the nearby Lilla community, to visit sacred sites and hear about bush foods and medicine, is a new way to learn about Watarrka’s heritage. Almost a quarter of the Territory’s population are Aboriginal people and, since ancestral land was returned to its indigenous owners in 1976, around half of the Territory is Aboriginal-owned. To help visitors find authentic Aboriginal experiences, the tourist board has created hubs in both the Red Centre and Top End to promote and support small indigenous operators.

Uluru

One of the most significant Aboriginal sites is Uluru (Ayers Rock), a sandstone mass 348 metres high, with a circumference of 9km. It’s a controversial site and Jarvis was surprised that some visitors ignore the local Anangu people’s request not to climb this sacred landmark and the government is reluctant to enforce a ban. At Uluru, as at other sites of Aboriginal significance, visitors are asked not to go into restricted areas, not to pick fruit or flowers, and to ask indigenous people before taking photos of them.

On a morning walk around the rock’s base, the Smiths heard stories, and saw paintings depicting how the rock was created and sacred points where Aboriginal women still sit to encourage fertility. The most striking time to see Uluru and the 32 dome-shaped rocks of nearby Kata Tjuta is at sunrise or sunset, when dust in the air filters out the blue of the sun’s rays, turning the sky a spectrum of colours. Watching the magical sunset together, from their campground at Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, was a moment the family say they will never forget.
Hamilton Island, Queensland
After one final Uluru sunrise, Jarvis and his tribe left the Northern Territory for the conclusion of their odyssey by flying to Hamilton Island off Queensland’s coast.

Hamilton Island

The island, at the centre of the Whitsunday archipelago, marks the southern gateway to the 2,600km string of coral known as the Great Barrier Reef. At 5km by 3.5km, Hamilton is one of the largest of the 74 Whitsundays, and has a huge choice of hotels and facilities – and an activity that appealed to each member of the party. Jarvis made the most of Hamilton’s 740 hectares (1,829 acres) by following walking trails around its protected bushland, while animal-mad Sophia enjoyed the koalas in the wildlife park.

An Aboriginal-inspired massage at Spa Wumurdaylin was booked for Annette as a birthday surprise, and Gill looked after Sophia while Jarvis and the sisters explored the coast by sea-kayak, spotting dolphins, turtles and huge shoals of tropical reef fish.

Hamilton Island is within the largest marine protected area in the world and huge efforts are made to run it as sustainably as possible. Electric buggies are provided for guests on the car-free island (the few remaining petrol-powered buggies are being phased out), and a glass-recycling plant has been constructed which crushes glass to be used in garden beds instead of shipping it to the mainland.

On the group’s final day in Australia, they took a catamaran out to Fantasea Reefworld, a floating pontoon on the reef. Jarvis, Livia, Millie and Annette donned ‘stinger suits’ to protect them from jellyfish as they snorkelled, and they came face-to-face with one of the reef’s most inquisitive residents: a three-metre long Queensland grouper called George. While lunching on the pontoon they also spotted humpback whales making the annual migration north, a particularly memorable moment for Livia: “They were so close to the pontoon they gave me a fright when they suddenly shot water out of their blowholes.” The pontoon has equipment for scuba diving and an underwater viewing chamber so even non-swimmers can see the bright corals teeming with fish up close.

Fantasea Reefworld is one of three operators in the Whitsundays that has Eco-tourism Australia accreditation; its marine biologists try to educate visitors about reef ecology and the threats the reef faces. The Smith family learnt to identify some of the reef’s 1,600 species of fish, 133 sharks and rays, and 30 kinds of whale and dolphin. They also heard about the work carried out by the Fantasea Foundation, which funds monitoring of the effects of coral bleaching and climate change on the reef.

“We didn’t just have a fun day out; we learnt why it’s so important to protect the reef,” says Jarvis. “The biologists’ passion for the reef was contagious.” All the family were beguiled by Hamilton Island’s natural charm and, says Jarvis, this is being carefully preserved, “because the height of all new buildings is restricted and 70% of the island will be retained as bush and rainforest”.

Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands

Back in Surrey, there was consensus amongst the family that Australia had been the perfect destination for their adventure to celebrate a collective 130 years of birthdays. “Apart from some of the more challenging treks, there was very little that Sophia couldn’t manage,” says Livia. While each has a personal highlight of the trip, they agree that it was sharing it with their closest family that made it so extraordinary. “Eight days in a campervan is a lot,” says Jarvis, “but the shared experiences en route made every minute worthwhile.”

Three milestone birthdays seemed a good enough reason for three generations of one British family to make a long-awaited antipodean journey together.

With his mother Annette turning 60 just a week before his own 40th birthday, and his partner Livia about to hit 30, musician and publisher Jarvis Smith planned a multi-generational, three-week tour of the Northern Territory and Queensland. Also joining the party was four-year-old daughter Sophia, her maternal grandmother Gill, and Livia’s sister Millie.

Admitting that the trip was ambitious and mindful of its environmental impact, Jarvis explains: “Because of the long-haul flights, we were keen to see as much as possible. Above all it was the Aboriginal significance of the Northern Territory and the ecological importance of the Great Barrier Reef that excited us. There could be no more memorable way to mark our birthdays than by sharing these experiences.”

The Top End
The first leg of Jarvis’s family odyssey was a flight from London via Singapore to Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory. This is only half the size of neighbouring Western Australia, yet is still so vast that Spain, Italy and France would all fit comfortably inside it.

Two very different regions, the tropical Top End and the arid Red Centre, encompass some of Australia’s greatest biodiversity, much of which is well looked after within the territory’s 24 national parks and 73 nature reserves.

Historic Darwin was the perfect starting point to explore the Top End, including the forests and wetlands of Kakadu and Arnhem Land, and the gorges and rivers of the Katherine region. With a population of just 120,000 and a laid-back, multicultural atmosphere, the Smith party found Darwin the ideal place to unwind after a long flight.

The city’s natural harbour is even larger than Sydney’s, edged with marinas and bays where the family enjoyed freshly caught barramundi and soft-shell mud crab at Jarvis’s 40th and Annette’s 60th joint birthday lunch. “I tried the succulent Moreton bay bugs, which tasted rather like lobster. It was the best seafood I’ve ever had,” enthuses Livia.
Darwin’s beaches are off-limits for swimming due to saltwater crocodiles and jellyfish, but regeneration of a former industrial site has created a man-made lagoon and wave pool where the family could swim. A big hit with Sophia was Aquascene in Doctors Gully, where for a few dollars visitors can hand-feed hundreds of milkfish, catfish and bream at high tide.

Djilpin art dancer, Darwin Festival

The Smiths were fortunate to be in town for the annual August Darwin Festival, 18 days of art, music and comedy. Another highlight was Mindil beach sunset market (every Thursday and Sunday between April and October), where they joined hundreds lured to the beach by entertainers and delicious food stalls.

From Darwin, the family set off to find the wilder side of the Top End, driving 250km east to tropical Kakadu national park in a six-berth Maui camper van. With five adults and a small child in one van, Annette admits they had to be super tidy and considerate during their four nights on the road: “We grandmothers had to top and tail to make more space in our bed, but it was great fun.”

Jarvis advises hiring from Maui or sister company Britz, both of which take their environmental responsibilities seriously. They encourage customers to volunteer on an environmental project during their holiday, and Maui claims to have the most fuel-efficient fleet on the road. Customers are asked to stay only five nights in any one place; to leave areas as clean, or cleaner, than they found them; and to dispose of all rubbish and drainage liquids appropriately. Jarvis chose eco-certified campgrounds listed on the Northern Territory tourist board website where possible: “Many used solar power and had very advanced recycling facilities to minimise their impact.”

The family was frequently joined at dinner by the wallabies and wallaroos that bound around the national park. They went bushwalking and on a billabong cruise to try to spot some of the other 66 mammals, 120 reptiles and 290 birds that make Kakadu their home.

Nourlangie Rock Kakadu

The Northern Territory is ‘Crocodile Dundee country’: it has around 150,000 saltwater crocs and 100,000 freshwater ones, making a ratio of almost one crocodile to every human. It was on a cruise on Yellow Water billabong in Kakadu that Sophia saw the freshwater version of her favourite animal up close: “A really, really big crocodile, he had very rough skin and I watched him eat his lunch.”

At sites such as Nanguluwur and Nourlangie they marvelled at Aboriginal rock paintings depicting creation stories dating back as far as 20,000 years; at Bowali cultural centre and Warradjan Aboriginal cultural centre they learnt more about the indigenous people who have lived in Kakadu for 50,000 years.

A short drive south from Kakadu to Nitmiluk national park brought the group to the spectacular Katherine gorge, formed from not one but 13 gorges, carved into the sandstone by the Katherine river over a billion years. The family joined a breakfast cruise to explore the rockpools, waterfalls and sandy beaches hidden in the gorge’s shadow, with a guide pointing out the canyon’s flora and fauna along the way. “The wildlife was incredible. I saw five different species of kingfisher in one morning,” says Jarvis. “Before the tour, I wouldn’t have been able to distinguish one from another.”

To read more about the Jarvis’s Australian adventure, be sure to log onto CD-Traveller this Thursday (May 17)!

Hypnotising horizons, chinking cutlery, scenic sights, fabulous food and woody wines are but a handful of regular occurrences on either three-day rail crossing of Australia. Rather than a mere means of transport, this is ostensibly ‘rail cruising’, where the holiday is as much the journey as it is getting to your destination.

Run by Great Southern Rail, the Ghan and Indian Pacific – the world’s only two transcontinental services – link Darwin and Adelaide (north to south) and Sydney and Perth (east to west) – taking passengers across Australia’s Red Centre via the tropical Top End and sweeping plains, or through the Blue Mountains and over the mesmerising Nullarbor Plain.

If you want to discover more about the real Australia – while watching its contours fly by as you sit back, socialise, eat, drink and be merry – then either one of these services are just the tonic. I should know: in the past year I have clambered aboard both iconic coast-to-coast trains.

The Ghan: a town called Alice

If travelling the three-day, two-night 1,846-mile journey in the direction of Darwin from Adelaide you’ll witness the agricultural lands of South Australia morph into the majestic Flinders Ranges and then the mythical Outback, where blood-brown earth contrasts sublimely with cobalt blue skies. As the 750-metre, 30-carriage behemoth rolls into sleepy Alice Springs your jaw will drop at the lofty MacDonnell Ranges.

The second half of the trip showcases the varied tropical wonders of the Northern Territory as the Ghan – named after the Afghan cameleers who once traversed the route – passes through Katherine, famed for its astonishing Nitmiluk sandstone gorge, before arriving at its final destination.

Whistle Stop tours at both Alice and Katherine allow passengers to take on a variety of activities including canoeing, camel riding, bushwalking or even scenic helicopter rides. Our Nitmiluk boat trip was breath-taking, building upon the excitement stemming from hours of addictive window gazing.

So enthralled was I by the subtly changing countryside, the captivating desert-scape and the rolling ranges, that both mornings I set my alarm for dawn to renew my curious love affair with the track’s surroundings as the sun rose over the arid red soils of the barren yet beautiful Outback or the salt flats of Australia’s intriguing interior.

The Indian Pacific: the road is long
Crossing three states in three days and three nights, the mammoth 2,698-mile ride from Sydney to Perth packs an instant punch as the train takes in the Blue Mountains before weaving through the lush New South Wales countryside. The next morning you pass through the offbeat bushland oasis of Broken Hill, Australia’s oldest mining town.

But the unique selling point of the Indian Pacific – which was completed in 1970, some 34 years prior to the Ghan – is the crossing of the beguiling Nullarbor Plain. The famous Blueys and the undulating hills that surround both Adelaide and Perth could hardly contrast more with the vast, sparse, pancake-flat Nullarbor (Latin for ‘no trees’), over which the train careers for almost 300 miles without so much a kink in the track.

Landmarks are few and far between either side of the world’s longest stretch of straight railroad, although the stop-off in Cook (population: four) proves a real delight. Once a bustling railway settlement with a country club boasting a swimming pool, tennis courts, cricket nets and a nine-hole golf course, this South Australian oddity has fallen into deserted disrepair. A gift shop remains, run by the two ladies of the ghost town, while the odd sign reminds visitors of the place’s heritage: “If you’re a crook, come to Cook” says one; “Our hospital needs your help – get sick” says another.

Across the Nullarbor and well into Western Australia, the gold mining town of Kalgoorlie offers travellers another chance to stretch their legs – and a bus tour which delves into the town’s swashbuckling Wild West-style history, taking in two major sites: the immense open-top mine and strangely sterile red-light district.

Life onboard: a medley of meals
Over the course of both journeys I became very familiar with the Queen Adelaide Restaurant and Outback Explorer Lounge – the communal areas for Platinum Service (high-end) and Gold Service (shared or single cabin) passengers. Damien the affable bartender never failed in his recommendations of local Pinots and Merlots, and revelled in the chance to chew the fat about English football (like many Australians, he used to live in Fulham).

The constant momentum is wonderfully somnolent when it comes to hitting the sack while the jingle of knives and forks and the tingle of glasses creates a perfect symphony with which to accompany your many meals. Breaking up the day delightfully, these meals rarely disappoint: a full “Aussie” or continental breakfast in the morning, hearty lunches and three-course dinners in the evening – featuring classics such as saltwater barramundi, grilled kangaroo fillets and Tasmanian sea trout. How the chefs cope in one of the world’s tiniest professional kitchens with all the rumbling and swaying is anyone’s guess.

Around 65,000 passengers ride each train per year in basic Red Service reclining chairs or compact Gold cabins, while discerning travellers can enjoy deluxe Platinum (including double or twin beds, spacious ensuite surroundings and on-call cabin service). The Gold fold-down beds posed no problem for this six-foot-five writer, while the ingenious bathrooms – where toilet and basin fold down into a tiny compact space that doubles up as a shower – were a hoot.

Special services: Santa and soldiers
Both trains share one stretch of track between Adelaide and the junction at Tarcoola, a small town north of Port Augusta (“the crossroads of Australia”). Bar the route, the only differences between the services are the locomotives (red for the Ghan, blue for the Indian Pacific) and the interchangeable logos on the sides of the carriages (a camel and an eagle respectively).

Every December the Indian Pacific runs a special Outback Christmas train spreading festive cheer to the remote communities along the route. Running for the past 11 years, the popular event features a series of concerts with a big-name star as well as seemingly incongruous desert and bush appearances from Santa Claus himself. The Ghan also operates a special service in late April, when it commemorates the Australian and New Zealand armed forces with a stirring ANZAC memorial ride.

Besides the compelling geographical changes that greet your gaze, the Ghan and Indian Pacific also help you brush up on your Australian wildlife: on both trips I noticed numerous kangaroos, wallabies and emus, not to mention hovering birds of prey and livestock. Keep an eye out for wild camels too: Australia has the only feral herds of dromedaries in the world, with numbers estimated at well over a million.

In fact, without the help of these camels neither the Ghan nor the Indian Pacific would have ever been built – more food for thought as you while away the hours slowly getting closer to your destination; a destination which you appreciate far more by virtue of the staggering journey you have experienced en route.

More information
Great Southern Rail www.gsr.com.au

The Ghan operates between Adelaide and Darwin (and vice versa) weekly all year and twice weekly June, July and August.

The Indian Pacific operates between Sydney and Perth (and vice versa) weekly all year and twice weekly September-late October.

And, in another coup for Irish tourism, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco will join the Irish Ambassador to France and Monaco, Paul Kavanagh, tonight to ‘green’ the façade of the Prince’s Palace of Monaco in honour of St Patrick. March 17 also sees the Sydney Opera House take on a green hue once again.

This ‘greening’ activity is part of a global initiative by Tourism Ireland whereby landmark sites such as Selfridges and the London Eye (London), Niagara Falls, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Burj al Arab in Dubai and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower in Shanghai turn a shade of green for the weekend.

“St Patrick’s Day traditionally marks the real start of the tourism season for us and we’re delighted to be continuing our ‘greening’ initiative again this year,” said Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland. “Our aim is to bring a smile to the faces of people around the world, while also showcasing our wonderful tourism offering to a huge global audience”.
 

What’s hot

Spain
Forget forking out a fortune to fly to Australia or the Caribbean and make for Spain instead. Temperatures might not match those of Barbados or Brisbane but Spain represents better value for money: Post Office Travel Money has revealed that a trolley of typical holiday items (sun lotion and the like) cost just under £38 on Spain’s Costa del Sol – almost £90 cheaper than the same items cost in Barbados and Brisbane.

Wearing a bikini in Egypt

Women visiting Egypt, who prefer to top up the tan in a bikini rather than an all one swimsuit, can pack their two pieces. Egypt’s new government has said that tourism “will not be subjected to any changes as long as we are represented in parliament. Bikinis and alcohol all round then.

Skiing rules
British holiday makers are hoping to see ski resorts introduce breath tests and penalty points in an attempt to curb reckless skiers, according to a survey by insurer More Than. Nearly one in there Brits are concerned about speed skiing, saying that they had been hit and/or injured by somebody skiing too fast. Meanwhile more than four in ten Britons want helmets made compulsory.

Skiing in Switzerland

On the subject of skiing, Swiss ski resorts are slashing prices this season by up to 33 percent – in a bid to boost visitor numbers. Case in point? Crans-Montana is offering 33 percent off accommodation, ski hire, passes and tuition up until February 11 and then again from March 10-April 6. For the full low-down, see our story: http://www.cd-traveller.com/2012/01/17/you-too-can-find-gold-in-crans-montana/

Enjoying a hot air balloon flight over Uluru
Australian adventure tour operator, Outback Ballooning, will start offering hot air balloon flight over Uluru next month. Negotiations for the 30 minute flights, which are priced at £300 per person, have taken two years.

Digital detoxing
Hands up if you spend too much time on your phone and/or laptop. That’s a lot of hands… which is why luxury operator, Black Tomato (www.blacktomato.com), is launching a digital detox in 2012. The week long trip to dreamy Caribbean destination, St Vincent and the Grenadines, takes in two private resorts and all technology is banned. Sign us up now…

What’s not
The cost of London hotel rooms
Looking for somewhere to lay your head in London during the Olympic Games? Be prepared to pay… Research into 60 London hotels conducted by Tessa Jowell, the shadow Olympics secretary, reveals that, on average, the cost of hotel rooms in London will quadruple during the Olympic Games.

Being a Concordia passenger

CD-Traveller readers booked to travel on the ill-fated Concordia should look away now. The cruise line has said that it will not refund airfares for holidays canceled as a consequence of the ship capsizing. In a statement, the cruise line (which has no legal obligation to reimburse customer for their losses) said: “For guests who choose to cancel their cruise, Costa will offer a refund plus a 30 percent future cruise credit. No compensation for airfares will be provided if they are cruise only passengers. Passengers should contact their airline and their travel protection provider.”

Bungee jumping in Zambia
Tour operator Shearwater has suspended a bungee jump after an accident which saw 22 year old backpacker Erin Langworthy plummet into Zambezi when her rope snapped 40ft above the water. Shearwater has said that it doesn’t know when the bungee would be open for business again – despite the Zambian tourism minister taking the plunge himself to reassure tourists that the 365ft jump is now safe.

Getting a tattoo in Bali

Travellers to Bali might want to refrain from visiting a tattoo parlour. Australian health authorities have said that a tourist contracted HIV from an infected needle on the Indonesian island. The number of new cases of HIV in Bali last year, was up 19 percent from 2010.

Forget forking out a fortune to fly to Australia or the Caribbean, and make for Spain instead. Temperatures might not match those of Barbados or Brisbane but Spain represents better value for money.

Barbados: paradise but it has a price tag

Post Office Travel Money has revealed that a trolley of typical holiday items (think sun lotion and the like) cost just under £38 on Spain’s Costa del Sol – almost £90 cheaper than the same items retail at in both Barbados and Brisbane.

If you’re not sold on Spain, other good value destinations to consider include Cancun in Mexico, Prague and Bulgaria. Those that get stuck at home in front of their computer, only have themselves to blame….

 

Kaye Holland

2011 highlight: Nha Trang (Vietnam)
If you’ve ever wondered what Goa looked like before the hippies or Thailand before the high rise hotels, then Nha Trang could be your last chance to find out. Vietnam’s beach capital may not have previously figured on your mental map, yet when you get there it’s hard to see why not.
Let me paint the picture… the sea is the colour of Bombay sapphire, the sky is perpetually blue and the sand is platinum blonde and squeaks when you walk on it. Right now it’s warm rather than scorching, but six hours of sunshine a day is still a distinct improvement on January in Britain.
To the beach you can add cultural treasures, great surf and dive sites, good retail therapy, lively nightlife, fabulous food and everything from hostels to super swish resorts like the Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa – Nha Trang’s hot new hotel that even Clark Gable would find it impossible not to give a damn about. Pack the t shirt and sunnies and get going – before the developers move in and the spell breaks.

2012 tip: London

2012 promises to be a corker for the English capital. All eyes will be on London come the summer when the city hosts the greatest show on earth – aka the Olympic and Paralympic Games. But it’s not all about the Olympics… there’s also the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations (expect a flotilla on the Thames) to look forward to.
And for those who aren’t mad about the monarchy and/or sport, there’s a myriad of cultural events on the horizon from London Fashion Week in February, to the Mayoral election in May. It’s a cliché I know, but as Samuel Johnson once said: “You’ll find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”

Adrian Lawes

Adrian

2011 highlight: Georgia

Svaneti (Georgia)

What I tend to remember are places I’ve not been too before. So in 2011, I was pleased to have seen parts of Georgia and in particular the Svaneti region up in the mountains. It is unspoilt; development is progressing at an astonishing pace and this is my tip for an all-round destination in the future.

I thought I knew the Blue Mountains in New South Wales (Australia) pretty well, but I saw a different side to them last year that many tourists don’t see. Sheer cliffs look down on the valley below and I saw not one person, as I trekked. In was by a four wheel vehicle and at times even that was tricky. Yet, overlooking one cliff was a homemade wooden jump for hang gliders to jump off!

As for destinations at home, the Dingle peninsular in Ireland is always a place to marvel.

2012 tip: Ukraine and Bangladesh
This year, I want to go to Ukraine. My best man has been there 11 times in the last few years and raves about this “undiscovered” country. As well as Ukraine, I will be journeying to Skomer to see the puffins, razorbills and seals in early summer – something I have wanted to do for years – so that will be part of a holiday exploring the new coastal path. Later in the year, Bangladesh beckons. Again, it’s another country largely unvisited by Britons (unless you have relatives there), but I am told the country is one I have to see.

Anthony Lydekker

Anthony

2011 highlight: Tobago
Tobago (http://www.cd-traveller.com/2011/04/19/tobago-warm-place-warm-people/) was my 2011 travel highlight. Even with the high APD  (Air Passenger Duty) tax, one can still get a week’s holiday there for £850 at the end of February: 4 Star hotel , B&B, including flights and transfers.   There have been improvements in 2011:  a new 178 room Magdalena Hotel opened in December on what was a derelict hotel site.  Following the elections in 2011, the newly appointed Minister of Tourism, in London for the World Travel Market, spoke of more investment to come for the Island.  Fingers crossed, this will include better road signs!  Potential visitors should bear in mind that some safety warnings issued in the past about neighbouring Trinidad have never applied to Tobago.

Tobago

2012 tip: France
The current improvement of the Pound to the Euro, makes a hop across the Channel increasingly attractive.   The August Olympics are bang in the middle of the school holidays and not everyone will be flocking to London, an expensive city by any reckoning.  Anecdotal research suggests that some Londoners will be getting out of town for the Olympics simply to avoid the crowds.  My hunch is that France will benefit.  As well as  better weather, France still represents good value for quality meals out and  hotels charge by the room. For families watching their purse strings, the major camp site providers continue  to provide greater comfort with more cabins and mobile homes.  Or, just take a tent and spend the savings on dinners out!

Frédéric Mouren de Poligny

Frédéric

2011 highlight:Karnataka (south west India)
For me, 2011 was the year of Karnataka temples. The discovery of one of the southern states of India where traditional agriculture meets high technology, where rice fields are so close to the Indian ‘Silicon Valley’, was nothing in comparison with the astonishing shock of Hampi temples, scattered among sun dry rocky hills. What’s my best souvenir there? Maybe when, after a long journey through these magnificent ruins and a tasty spicy meal at Mango Tree, a small restaurant directly on the riverside, I decided to go down the river on one of these small coracles, huge round reed baskets, through rapids to reach the Vitthala Temple and its Stone Chariot for sunset. During this strange half-an-hour navigation I was transported back in time, remembering that Alexander the Great himself had to use same coracles during his conquest of the Darius empire to allow his army to cross huge rivers.

2012 tip: South East Asia
South east Asia is set to become hot, in every sense of the word, thanks to the new flights programmes of Vietnam Airlines and Air Asia which help make the region much more accessible.  Imagine holidays mixing a boat trip in Halong Bay, followed by a lazy stay on a fabulous Vietnamese beach before a fabulous cultural tour of the Angkor Temples in Cambodia. Or a long journey through Malaysia, with a beach rest in Langkawi Island, combined with a visit of Pagan temples in Burma. Now with these low budget connections, you should be able to return home with a good knowledge of  Asian cooking and able to know your Pho from your Nem and Nasi Goreng.

Cathrene Rowell

Cathrene and her dog, Poppy

2011 highlight: Edinburgh
I recently spent a wonderfully relaxing day in Edinburgh having made no plans whatsoever other than to visit Hutton’s section. It was James Hutton’s observations at Arthur’s Seat and the Salisbury Crags which provided the foundation to geology today:  deposition of the sedimentary rocks and the formation of the igneous rocks must have occurred at different ages and in a different manner to the geological beliefs of that time. Hutton’s section, visible (and labelled!) in the Salisbury Crags shows clearly where magma forced its way through the sedimentary rocks to form dolerite sills. A walk up here is worth the effort simply for the views from the top.

EdinburghTattoo

2012 tip: Iceland (and other volcanic destinations)
There has been a lot of volcanic activity during the past couple of years, and much as it can be disruptive to travel, active volcanoes are one of the most spectacular geological events that you will ever see happening.    So, my tip – and my dream, I might add – would be to pack up and visit Iceland (of course, not forgetting to add volcano disruption to your insurance!).  Iceland is unique because not only does it lie between the Eurasian and North American plates, on the Mid-Atlantic Rift (where the two plates are pulling apart from each other) but it also lies above the Iceland plume (a hotspot) which causes the volcanism on the island, and results in a range of geological phenomenon, such as geysers.  As such, it is an ever-changing country, of immense geological importance, and extreme beauty.

Clive Summerfield

Clive

2011 highlight: Dumfries and Galloway
The lowlands of Scotland are sometimes overlooked, with the majestic scenery of the highlands attracting more attention. But with coastline reminiscent of Cornwall, historic towns and villages and a variety of visitor attractions covering outdoor activities, whisky and historic monuments, the region has plenty to offer. Truly a hidden gem. And with fuel prices remaining high, being less remote is a bonus.

2012 tip: Staycationing


Staycationing (the ‘art’ of holidaying at home) will continue to be popular as the economy struggles to grow and the threat of unemployment remains. Conversely, some of the more remote destinations in the UK may suffer as high fuel prices– and economic woes in the Euro zone – may make cheap flights abroad appear better value.

There are three main reasons for changing ports of call – official advice, weather conditions, and unforeseen circumstances.

The Foreign Office (www.fco.gov.uk) offers advice to all British travellers on going anywhere in the world. For instance, the latest bulletin on travelling to Libya is:

“Since March 3, we have advised against all travel to Libya. However in the light of the improving security situation on the ground the FCO has decided to change our Travel Advice to advise against all but essential travel to Zuwara, Az Zawiya, Tripoli, al Khums, Zlitan and Misrata, and the coastal towns from Ras Lanuf to the Egyptian Border, including Benghazi.  We still advise against all travel to all other areas of Libya.

Any British national thinking of travelling to Libya should take care and check our Travel Advice regularly. It is also important to note that the British Embassy in Tripoli is only able to provide limited consular assistance at present, but we do plan to deploy additional staff when the situation allows”.

All the cruise line head offices are in constant communication with all the relevant Foreign Offices, embassies and consulates, and will advise their captains accordingly. This advice takes into account local conditions such as general strikes (in the case of Athens, recently, when Arcadia changed her plans to go there), and civil unrest (when locals were protesting in Alexandria in Egypt during a trial in October, and ship excursions were curtailed)

Changes due to weather conditions usually mean that the sea is too rough for the captain to either enter the port in the first place, or to leave it once safely berthed. He has to take into account not only any damage to an extremely expensive vessel, but more importantly, in cruise company minds, the safety of the passengers. No-one wants to have a Medical Department full of people with broken bones due to the ship tossing, turning and lurching while trying to keep to the prescribed course. Again, this is unfortunate when passengers have banked their hopes in reaching a certain port, but overall passenger safety and comfort overrides the hopes of a few.

Unforeseen circumstances are the very rare events that no one wants to even consider! Severe illness on board, unrepairable damage, etc.

What happens when a ship itinerary is changed? In almost every case, the captain will change course for an alternative port. The cruise line staff will be rushing round negotiating new berthing arrangements, calculating lost revenues and increased fuel costs, organising new excursions, and refunding pre-booked excursion payments onto passenger accounts while the passengers stroll round on board discussing the effect on their holiday. Devastating in the case of the Australian honeymooners desperate to see Florence, annoying in the case of wine buffs wanting to buy port in Oporto, but just interesting in the case of the majority of passengers who get to see somewhere quite unexpected! (Nafplion instead of Athens, Cadiz instead of Oporto on our most recent trip.)

It is always a possibility that you might visit an unexpected port. But your cruise company will usually be sympathetic to your comments. It’s just that sometimes it’s out of their hands.

A hot Christmas will cost you

The Canary Islands, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand are proving to be hot – in every sense of the word – destinations. CD-Traveller isn’t surprised: we’re willing to bet that when you’re basking in the sun’s rays on an exotic beach, you won’t be worries about missing the Queen’s speech and Eastenders Omnibus!

What are your plans for the festive period? Let us know by posting a comment below!

AUSTRALIA
Splurge
Wine. South Oz has some of the world’s finest vino and it’ll occupy your friends and family while you show them yet another picture of Uluru.

Save
Cuddly kangaroos, koalas and cork hats. Do you really have room for them at home?

USA
Splurge
Clothes. Look fantastic for a fraction of the price it would cost this side of the pond. We love Anthropologie and Abercrombie and Fitch.
Save
Glow in the dark statue of Liberty trinkets. Just say no!

SPAIN
Splurge
Olive oil. It’s cheap, plentiful and will provide you with a reminder of Spain’s pukka paella and tasty tapas everytime you cook dinner.

Save
Straw donkeys and plates showing Spanish attractions. Cheap? Yes. Chic? No.

RUSSIA
Splurge
Vodka. It’s a cliche, we know, but a tasty one! Stock up for the festive season.
Save Russian dolls. Another cliche but not half as enjoyable.

ITALY
Splurge
Venetian glass is renowned worldwide. You’ll be Miss/Mr Popular if you bring some back to Blighty.
Save

Model gondolas, Leaning Tower of Pisa pottery. They scream tacksville.